Plenty of folks know me for being ‘that lady’ who does this or that – but not many folks know I also do that and that and, oh yeah, that too!
I’m just your friendly neighborhood INFP with neurospicy superpowers looking to make her way in the world. I’m a little nerdy, a little creative, and a lot weird – and I have more than a few special interests that simply must be given their own spaces to shine.
This is my attempt at answering that dreaded, age-old question: “So…what do you do?”
Lots of love,
Kiva Bleu
AV: Origins
Creating and Organizing to Render Excellence
It took me too long to figure out that corporate life was not for me. Luckily, I was turned on to the joys of self-employment and afforded the opportunity to give it a go. My passions are my ‘business,’ and making a living does require work – but the (mostly) fun kind.
AVO is my…umbrella corporation. (Kudos if you get it!) I’ve been a somewhat-independent entrepreneur for almost 20 years now, and I spent a good portion of that also helping raise a gaggle of kids. Now that they’re all grown, in school, or otherwise occupied, I’m reclaiming my time – and my life. As I get them ready, I’ll be sharing business plots, plans, and resources.
AV WebWorks
Web Mastery, Simplified
I got my start tinkering with websites back when Geocities was a hot commodity. Since then, I’ve grown into a full-service facilitator and educator, helping others learn more about how they can establish their own unique web presences – and stay safer while doing so.
I’ve ended up as something of a middlewoman for a handful of clients: I register the domains, pay the bills, provision their hosting, set up their websites – usually WordPress – and help with content updates, security/monitoring, and the occasional theme tweak. One of these days, I’m going to graduate from baby nerd and get back on my sysadmin track.
Poison Designs
Corrupting the Web Since 1996
What started as an experiment in web design turned into a slew of other graphic design projects that eventually led to a Bachelor’s in multi-media design from DeVry University. (Yeah, I know.)
I have learned a fair bit about composition and I know my way around GIMP and Inkscape – self-taught – but I don’t really design much, unless it’s related to a website or I’m compelled by outside forces. I figure a portfolio couldn’t hurt, though.
Discerning Ears
Sights and Sounds from the Indie Underground
Once upon a time, I bumped into some aliens and was whisked into the local music scene, officially awakening my inner stalker chick/documentarian.
Some photos and videos made it online, but there’s a trove of footage yet to be seen – and plenty of wonderful folk who deserve a little spotlight. With any luck, I’ll be digging through that – and gathering more – real soon. I put myself on restrictions though: I can’t go out and play til I have somewhere to put the results. Stay tuned!
Vivid Bleu
Life, One Frame at a Time
The shutterbug didn’t stop at music tings. I’ve done a couple of weddings, product photos, nature when I’m so compelled, and all sorts of ‘other’ little projects. I might even turn this into a feed of the daily randomness that catches my eye.
I may or may not go back to taking requests to do ‘other’ events, but I’ll have galleries full as soon as I manage to gather them all, pick a few faves, and work a little magic on them. If you think you’d like me to work with you on something, feel free to try your luck.
Greener Pursuits
Healthier, More Natural Living
At my core, I’m a tree-hugging kitchen witch with Gal Friday tendencies – and I’m looking to ditch my my Cinderella duties so I can get to what I really want to do: help save the planet in my own special way – and maybe inspire others to do the same.
My first corporation, a cleaning service, was launched in 2007 – and, frankly, I’m getting to old for this ****! I am seriously eyeing a line of cleaning and personal care products, a garden, and a deep, deep collection of recipes and green information of all sorts – but only after I ‘retire.’
Maven’s Inkwell
Ramblings from along the Path
I’ve had more than a few people tell me I should write a book (or three) once they’ve heard some of what swirls around in my head. I don’t know about books, but I’ll be damned if I don’t start finding time to write. The world needs better humans, and I want to do my part to help them on their way.
The problem, for now, is that I need to get everything else in my life organized/launched before I go getting too deep on y’all. When I do, though, everything is fair game. Spirituality/religion, mental health, human rights, self-improvement, relationships, and whatever else might come up.
Revolutionize Social
Taking Control of the Social Experience
Finally fed up with ‘social media,’ I recently made a break for the Fediverse. I wrote a handy-dandy Manifesto chock-full of information for anyone who might want to join me – and I run my own Mastodon instance at Revolutionize.Social.
I’m aiming to launch both a Pixelfed and a PeerTube instance in the not-so-distant future, and all this will be part of a broader push to get people to decentralize and quit feeding the corporate beasts all their data. Vive la révolution!