@inkedodie posted a blog about his SG journey and tagged me in it, so I thought I'd give you all a quick backstory! In a couple of days, my account is going to be NINETEEN YEARS OLD. I've been on SG for half my life (I'm old, guys).
Back in 2004, I frequented livejournal a lot because that was our form of social media. I don't remember when I got Myspace but I know I've had SG longer than I had my myspace account. I saw a picture of @quinne on LiveJournal and then joined the site because I wanted to know more! I forgot I had my account for a few months, realized I'd been being charged the whole time and then I came back and never really left.
I didn't apply until about 2005, I don't think. Shooting for SG back then was obviously really different. Cameras weren't as good, but I did a self shot or two. I was connected to a couple of old SG photographers and shot a couple of different sets before Second Chance Sunday came about in 2007. Back in the day you submitted a set to SG and it was either accepted and you became an SG OR it was denied and you stayed a hopeful. When they introduced SCS, members could vote on one SG set and one Hopeful set that had been previously rejected to become the SOTDs for Sunday. This eventually evolved into Member Review in 2008 - where you had to submit to the queue and then all sets were voted on.
In 2008 I went out to Columbus, OH twice to shoot with @alissa! I drove all the way out from Connecticut and got to meet so many local girls and it was awesome. My second set with her was purchased in 2009, making me an official SG. I've only shot a couple sets since then, because I am so very not a model, hahah.
In 2013 I moved to LA with my exboyfriend and got to experience an actual SG community (there was zero community in CT when I lived there). In 2014, I started working at the SG office with Lyxzen and Missy and it was an incredible experience. I learned how to book live events, I ran SG booths at Comic Cons and tattoo conventions, I helped with merchandise and shop orders, customer service and dabbled in marketing. All of this experience led me to working in a concert venue as a marketing coordinator (my full time job) and in 2021, they asked me to help out around here again so here I am! I'm forever thankful for SG and for Missy - because they actually changed my life, as cheesy as that sounds.
And because everyone likes pictures .... I recently was doing some testing on the site and stumbled across a super old Second Chance Sunday album of mine from 2006 that ex SG James shot for me. Here's little baby Kiley in her Connecticut backyard!
I'd love read more SG journeys - maybe from some long time hopefuls like @starphire or SGs like @nebula.
