When Jessica Camerata owner of My Style Vita reached out to me, I was thrilled! By thrilled I mean jumping up and down in my office wearing pajamas while screaming. The opportunity to work with Atlanta’s top fashion blogger here in Palm Springs I knew was going to be a lot of fun.

Jessica wanted to capture her time in the desert while still looking fabulous, of course! It’s not everyday that a fashion blogger from Atlanta will be in the desert. So off to the desert we went. While photographing Jessica, she had some amazing pieces to showcase. From Yumi Kim, Kate Spade, Trina Turk, and many other designers. It was a fashion playground in the sand dunes. Although we braved some high heat temperatures, she worked her outfit and poses as if nothing had phased her, not even the heat!

Jessica shares her Top 5 “must have items” for your closet:

1. Leather Jacket: A great leather jacket as it can be added to just about anything to complete a look.
2. Dark Wash Jeans: A pair of good fitting and comfortable darker wash jeans. Whether it’s skinny or bootcut, whichever flatters you and makes you feel most comfortable.
3. Chambray Shirt: It can be worn with just about anything in your closet, even around your waist.
4. Booties: One with a slight heel is great to wear with just about anything in your closet from dresses, jeans, to shorts. They’re also acceptable to be worn year round!
5. Dress: A great dress, whether you choose from a-line, a fit and flare, or a shift, always having a go-to dress in your closet is an absolute essential.

It was so interesting for me to learn more about the fashion industry, being a fashion blogger, and how there are thousands of fashion bloggers throughout the country. Part of our conversation was about “how do we stand out from the crowd”. We both agreed it was about being authentic, creating a brand (what we are known for outside of our trade), and just being flat out honest with our followers. While conversing throughout the day I felt that Jessica and I related on so many levels, both professionally and personally. Before launching our business’s we were fed up with corporate America antics and wanted to build a future where we were appreciated for our talents, creating our own material for the world to see, and engaging with like-minded creatives to grow and expand not only our business but our minds. We live in such a comparative world, I know I still compare myself to others, it is such a bad habit that needs to be nipped in the butt! Am I right?

A solution for Jessica was co-founding The Blog Societies where anyone in the blogging world could go to collaborate, gain information and tips on blogging, as well as feeling a sense of community. For most of us creatives, we work from home or in an office, all by our lonesome selves. Being part of a creative community is so important!

So I personally challenge every creative that reads this, to find a community outside of your office to be a part of, engage with your followers online, and just be honest with yourself and your followers. TRUST ME, they will not only appreciate you more for it, but they will be more excited to follow you because you can relate to them.