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Photo Source: Angelica and Instagram
This week's travel crush Angelica aka @readyfor_jelly is giving us all the goods. This international tax planner is anything but boring. After deciding to be her own boss she's doubled down on her travel content creation and isn't shy about it either. She shares how to take the awkwardness out of travel selfies and snag her #1 tip for creating the perfect photo.
1. Tell us about yourself! Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What inspires you to travel?
I am so many things! I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I do international tax planning for a large tech company. I relocated to the Bay Area from Washington, DC, where I went to undergrad and graduate school. I am a proud alumna of Howard University. To this day, attending Howard is still one of the best decisions I've ever made. My job is demanding, so I take full advantage of my vacation time. I am not an employee who must be reminded that I'm reaching my vacation accrual cap. I love traveling for the experience. I love to experience new cultures, new people, new food, and a new way of life. I believe all those experiences allow you to have meaningful connections with people in a way you might not have been able to have otherwise. When I'm not hopping on a plane for my travels, I enjoy all the Bay Area has to offer, from the beautiful coastline and beach towns to the wineries in Napa and Sonoma. I love good food and wine pairing!
2. Who do you hope to inspire with your content and what is your motivation for doing so?
I hope to inspire those new to travel to encourage them to book that flight and plan that trip! I also hope to inspire seasoned travelers seeking new experiences in unique destinations. Less than 1 year ago, I decided that I wanted to eventually quit my job, travel full-time, and share my travel experiences with the world. I've been on this creator journey, and I'm so proud that I've decided to take that step towards my goal of being my own boss. I love how the content creation process allows me to merge my organization and detail-oriented skills with my creative and artistic side. I continue to draw inspiration from so many other black travel creatives. I love seeing us out there doing it and living our best lives!
3. How did you get over the awkwardness that sometimes comes with creating content in public? What is your advice to those who may be struggling to do the same?
Honestly, creating content in public doesn't bother me. I don't mind taking up space so I can get my shots. I don't mind people looking at me while I twirl in my red ballgown. I also don't mind falling in front of those same people because my ankle gave out mid twirl! The way I see it, I'm 99.9998% sure I'll never see any of those people again, so that helps to remove the awkwardness and timidness when creating content in public. My advice for those that may be struggling to deal with the awkwardness that sometimes comes with creating content in public is (1) Get in your zone. Listen to your favorite playlist while en route, take deep breaths, or hype yourself up - whatever your zone is, get there. (2) Focus on why you are there. You are there to get the shot that will inspire people to just go for what they want. (3) Just have fun and create those memories!
4. What is your top tip for getting the perfect shot every time?
Plan ahead and do your research. For every location I visit, I create a content storyboard that contains photos of the location, different vantage points, and the poses I want to capture in that particular location. And I take note of the colors so I can plan my outfit (complementary or contrasting). So if I'm going to the rice fields in Bali, I'd probably want the camera at a high angle to capture the scenery, and I'd probably wear pink as a complementary color that would stand out against the greenery.
5. What are the key features of a good IG post?
A good IG post inspires or adds value or both. So to start, you have to ask yourself, to whom am I trying to inspire and add value. Once you understand that, you can create captivating content that allows people to imagine themselves living your experience. And you can compound that inspiration by adding value through your post/video and caption by including information such as how to do something, tips, best of lists, and location details. This is the type of content that is going to leave people wanting to save and share that post!
Here are some more of our favorite travelers and their gorgeous shots.
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