Stepping out of the comfort zone is BIG

My year started in a very good way. I had the honour to have Bruce J. Oreck, US Ambassador to Finland, as my first client of 2015. Oreck is known to have a great sense of humour and tongue-in-cheek attitude with his holiday cards. Two previous years he's amused, amazed and annoyed people with his funny cards, and this year was no exception. However, now he lived true to his own advice and really stepped out of his comfort zone to have this one done!

Bodypainting & concept: Riina Laine, Photo: Pentti Hokkanen

I worked with a personal business coach in the autumn and initially it was her crazy out-of-the-blue idea to suggest body painting to Oreck's new holiday card. I thought we were mad to even think about it, but it was such a great idea I had to follow it. I knew Oreck advises us Finns to be braver, sell our skills better, step out of our comfort zones and not take "no" for an answer, so I thought I didn't have much to lose. So I attended Oreck's business lecture for Aalto Ventures Program in Startup Sauna, something I woudn't have considered otherwise (surprising eh?). We were introduced through our connections, I told him my idea and the rest is history as we could say. I think the first reaction was "Is this Finnish girl out of her mind!" but being a clever man Mr Oreck contacted me a few days after with enthusiasm to do the project.

The real T-shirt didn't make it to the photo.

One concentrated on the painting, the other on a film

It was all painted, the T-shirt and the tattoos.

Deckard watching over the process

Pena's turn to work

Deckard the Ambassadog

We went through some concept possibilities together, and the end-result is Orecks ideas translated by me and my brushes, with some artistic freedom of course. The whole process was so much fun, I just love the attitude he had and his sense of humour in this project was right up my alley. We were lucky to have a great photographer friend of mine, Pentti Hokkanen doing the shoot with us and our whole team of three (+ the supporting member Deckard) were eager to see if the card would go viral as Oreck's previous cards have done.

We weren't disappointed. ;)
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/viihde/art-1420555116136.html
http://gawker.com/body-building-ambassador-poses-for-christmas-card-weari-1678873871
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/diplomatic-muscle-yes-ambassador-finlands-holiday-card-n282181
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/yes-man-u-s-ambassador-finland/

Of course there were a lot of comments, The Finns love Oreck and  they loved this card! Some comments were very hilarious  - for example, the tattoo I painted on the shirt on the shoulder, as a kind of a give-away that people would realise it's all painted... so of course, some thought it to be bad photoshopping. Job well done for me then hey? :D We give the project A+!

So what do you think - thumbs up or down for the brave badass Ambassador? Wasn't it worth me stepping out of my comfort zone too? ;)

The artist and the model

The team

PS. BIG = Brave, Inspiring, Gratifying