Up Close // Dominique Anders

Meet Dominique! One of the lovely contributors to Belong Issue 03! Here's a little Q&A so you can get to know this amazing woman.

WHO ARE YOU? / I'm a ball of energy; inside and out! I love to be active and physical as much as possible. Which helps because it totally calms my brain which is usually going a mile a minute! I definitely have a lot of the characteristics of my sign as a Libra; the scales. I'm balanced and fair but can be indecisive at times. I'm a total go-getter and connector but I have to have quiet time to be alone and recharge.

WHERE DO YOU BELONG? / I've always belonged a little bit of everywhere I think. I've travelled for almost a decade for work which has led me to making connections with people from all walks of life. Whether we agree on the topics, have anything in common or are complete strangers, I've found that mutual respect has allowed me to feel comfortable just about anywhere.

WHAT IS YOUR "WHY"? / I think of all the creative minds in the world today - from the ones who are making art to the ones who are solving international problems - and I worry, what if they didn't have the knowledge or the tools to execute their ideas? It terrifies me. Being creative isn't just about colors on a canvas, its about letting the mind be free to wander and wonder and create.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE? /  Ever since I was young, I always knew I wanted to make people feel better but the idea of being something like a doctor or a psychologist didn't appeal to me. So I started to look for different careers where I could help people and combine my passions. I was always interested in music & movies so I went to film school with the intent to make movies and tv shows that would give people something to take their mind off of whatever was bothering them; a place to escape to.

Six years into my career as a producer, I started getting an itch that I needed something more. I looked into the idea of becoming a life coach to work with creatives but starting a business and having to put myself out there was always too terrifying so I shelved the idea.

A few years later, my life started unraveling during my divorce and I'd hit rock bottom. After a ton of soul searching - as one does during a time like that - I realized that divorce aside, I had been unhappy with myself for a while and didn't even know it. I slowly started to build myself back up to the person I always wanted to be. That's when I started tackling all the dreams I'd put on my ""someday"" list and becoming a certified coach was one of them.

IF WE WALKED INTO YOUR LIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WHAT WOULD SE SEE? / Most days I'm in an office dressed in jeans, heels & a tank with a jacket. I'm always relying on my tech - computer or cell - for emails, social media, writing or watching the latest cuts of a project. On days when I'm on set directing, I'm in cargo pants, t-shirt, hat & gym shoes.  I'm 100% focused on the project at hand and barely touch my tech!"

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR PIECE OF ENCOURAGEMENT? / My all time favorite quote is "Use Fear as Your Compass". I don't know who said it but I first heard it at a time in my life where I was just coming to terms with all my fears and have been using it ever since!

FAVORITE SOCAIL MEDIA TOOL? /  Instagram

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? / Dark Chocolate - Orange - Amaretto! Had it in Paris but haven't found it in the states yet!

FAVORITE READ? /  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM? /  Oversized stylish top, black leggings and these black boots that I bought myself when I was in Italy.    

IN THE INFINITE RAINBOW OF COLORS, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? / Freshly minted mint!    

TELL US A SECRET! / It's 2016 and I still use hot rollers. Daily. 

UMBRELLA OR SUNGLASSES? / Sunglasses

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT? /  Introvert

COFFEE OR TEA? / Coffee

DIGITAL OR PRINT? / Digital

SANDALS OR SNOW BOOTS? / Sandals

HOME OR TRAEL? / Home

EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL? / Early bird

WHAT'S ONE HTING THAT YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR? / This year I'm focusing on moving from behind the camera to in front of it!

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? / The Big Short     

WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY INSPIRED? / I used to look at others for inspiration but most the time I just ended up comparing myself to them and feeling down for not doing enough.

These days, I stay inspired by simply putting my head down and focusing on my own work. "

FAVORITE SONG RIGHT NOW? /  Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun

BIGGEST QUIRK? / My favorite place to be is the beach but I can't stand sand on my feet!

GUILTY PLEASURE? /  Dimming the lights and putting on a movie midday.

Make sure to head over to Dominique's website Domanders to discover how to balance your life and passions. AND don't forget to check out her article "We Are All Creative" in ISSUE 03.


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All photos via Unsplash