Shine Bright 08

Meet Nicole Bates

What do you love about yourself?

I love how independent and more open minded I have become over the last year. I love my want for change, travel, love.  I love that I can be myself without someone else. 

Physically, I love my eyes. 

What gets you Discouraged?

I try not to let myself dwell on things or regret things. Occasionally it happens and that is discouraging to me. When I think about things from the past and let them bother me. I get discouraged by people who don't think I can do anything I want to do or that try to get me down or hold me back. 

How do you overcome your demons?

I overcome my demons by holding my head high and not letting things, situations, or people get me down. I guess I try not to have demons- I try to just love and be loved. I don't feel the need to hate, hold grudges, etc. Sometimes I get frustrated but I try to take a step back and look at the other side of things. If all that fails, maybe a pint of ben & jerry's. 

What is your greatest passion?

I am passionate about a ton of things- food, photos, live music, trying new things(even if they take some convincing), dogs, my dog, great people, great photographers, tattoos, travel, mountains, lakes. I guess the list could go on, but I suppose one of the greatest is telling a story through my lens, and effectively doing so. 

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Shine Bright 05

Meet Katie Mundinger

What do you love about yourself?

My favorite thing about myself is that I’m independent and believe in the person I’ve become.

My parents raised me to be strong and compassionate; so, while my emotional side is creative, and wild, and romantic, I’m also very secure in solitude.  Spending time alone helps me stay grounded and motivated to accomplish my goals.

I have high standards and I believe in myself.  I haven’t had an easy journey getting to this point, but I’m honestly proud of who I am. I think that’s unique in our society.

What gets you discouraged?

I’m 24, out of college, work a part-time job, and am single.  If I run out of spaghetti sauce I feel like my life is falling apart… It doesn’t take much!

It seems like ages 22, 23, and 24 are hard years for almost everybody in different ways.  There are days when I love where I am in life and other days when I get discouraged for no reason at all.  It’s part of life.

How do you overcome your demons?

The first step is changing my attitude.  I try to look at hardships as stepping-stones rather than demons.  Every single negative experience I’ve had has led me to the point I’m at today and I’m so grateful for those lessons.

When I’m facing difficult situations I usually meditate and seek balance.  Just breathing… sitting with my thoughts and emotions helps me remember that as long as I keep trying to be a good person, things will fall into place.

What is your greatest passion?

It sounds funny… my greatest passion is helping people, but I’m not exactly sure how I can utilize my talents to do that yet.

I have a dream that someday I’ll be changing people’s lives through documentaries.  Photo and video have been my passions since I was tiny so I’d love to use those to help people in the future.

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