Chelsea Coffey, East Downtown, Houston, The Coffey Brea
Somehow, Marilyn Monroe managed to sum up so many of the thoughts and feelings from my entire day yesterday in one quote all those years ago…
Before I get to it. Know this-
The enemy will try to steal our joy, and that’s the beauty of faith. The part he can’t quite comprehend –that God sees every need, big & small, and that He will send us guardian angels in the beautiful form of friends to carry us through even the most difficult of days. Days where something in their spirit stirs so strongly that they just have this gut feeling to reach out to you, or be connected to you, even if they don’t know why or where that feeling is coming from.
It’s all about a vibe, a frequency, and I do my best to cherish the ones who are synced up to me in that way 💗
I know I stress the importance of relationships so much on here, but it’s something I believe in so strongly. Find your tribe. Love them hard 🙏🏾
peace, love & sunshine ~ Chels
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This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up.
Girls will be your friends – they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything – they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them…
Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they’ll come and go too. And baby, I hate to say it, most of them – actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soul mate. You’ll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything.
Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.
Marilyn Monroe
Every now and then, I have the pleasure of working with someone that gets my wheels spinning. It’s this sudden feeling of wonderment. I want to know their whole story. The road that got them to where there are today. The inspiration behind the work they do. How they find the motivation to stick with it day in day out… The whole nine.
Chelsea Coffey, Fredis Benitez, Houston
Back in March, I was super flattered by the opportunity to shoot with Fredis Benitez. By the looks of his portfolio, I never would have thought that he was just getting started. His aesthetic is clean, crisp, and dreamy in tangible way, and most impressively, he’s a dreamer committed to the execution of making these dreams of his a reality.
See below for my full interview with Fredis. Hopefully, it’ll be an inspiration to anyone out there needing a push to just start whatever it is you’re holding back on. Enjoy!
Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels
The Coffey Break, Fredis Benitez, Houston
1. Fredis, introduce yourself. We want to know all about you. Where you’re from, etc.
First off, thank you Chelsea for asking me to be a part of your blog. I truly appreciate it.
I am a native Houstonian and currently live in SW Houston. Spent 4 formative years in Austin where I graduated from college. My background is in advertising/marketing.
Photographer, Fredis Benitez
2. How long have you been doing photography? Is that your background by trade?
I bought my first “legitimate” camera in October (Team Nikon). Prior to that I simply used my phone. Photography is not my background so there has definitely been a learning curve and obsessiveness with researching. I’m still very much an amateur compared to some of the great talent out there.
Really what I enjoy about the process is editing because of how therapeutic it is and the infinite ways you can compose.
Chelsea Coffey, The Coffey Break, Mias Closet, Houston Photo: Fredis Benitez
3. Walk me through the step-by-step process you went through to get to where you are today. What was the first thing you did? Next?
I attribute a huge part of where I’m at to some of the really talented people I have been exposed to throughout my life. The thing about creativity is it can be expressed in so many different ways beyond a picture — there’s music, cooking, fashion. All of these are things that I observe from a distance, respect, and emulate in some way.
My first step was starting — I compare any new hobby to running. The first 1/2 mile is generally the most painful but once you find your tempo and stay at it you’ll find it gets easier and you get better.
The Coffey Break, Dean’s Downtown Houston, Photographer Fredis Benitez
4. Are there any Houston photographers (or anyone in particular regardless of where they’re from) who’s work you really appreciate and why?
Absolutely. Greg Noire is a local Houston photographer on a different level right now. I respect his vision and talent.
Nationally, Aaron Brimhall — he’s a moto-lifestyle photographer my friend Mike introduced me to. I actually got to meet him and he is one of the most amazingly talented yet down-to-earth, humble dudes in the game; all attributes I respect.
The Coffey Break, Chelsea Coffey, The Pastry War, Downtown Houston, Photo: Fredis Benitez
5. What’s the one thing you wish you would have known before getting started with photography?
How expensive it can get.
The Coffey Break, Chelsea Coffey, The Honeymoon Cafe, Downtown Houston, Photo: Fredis Benitez
6. It may be too soon to ask this, but what’s your vision for photography and your brand? What do you want to be known for? Where do you want to take it or it to take you?
It is early, but my vision for what I do is steadfast improvement. I will continue to travel and document wherever I go. I simply want to be known as putting out great work, which I know will take time and continued practice. At some point I’d like for my work to be on a national publication — something like Kinfolk or Cereal mag.
The Coffey Break, Chelsea Coffey, The Honeymoon Cafe, Downtown Houston, Photo: Fredis Benitez
7. Last, but not least, if a kid walked up to you asking for your advice and you only had a few minutes to give them your best tip, what would it be?
Don’t focus on what’s not available to you. A key aspect to creativity is using what you have around you to make things happen.
Mostly — just start.
The Coffey Break, The Honeymoon Cafe, Downtown Houston, Photo: Fredis Benitez
Top 5 favorite things about Houston?
1. Coffee Shop — Blacksmith because they serve Greenway and have powdered soap (Houston can be hipster too). The Wifi is fast.
2. Restaurant — It used to be FuFu Cafe but we all know what happened there. I’d have to say Brasil (patio area). You can people-watch and get good food.
3. Cocktail: Moving Sidewalk: The whiskey sour is legit and I take everyone I know there
4. Tout Suite — if you take anyone from out of town there they leave with a great impression of Houston and the macarons are delicious. They also serve boba so major plus.
5. Activity — shooting pictures or riding motorcycles with my friend Mike Le. We always bounce ideas off of each other so it’s a good place to get feedback for plans.
The Coffey Break, Chelsea Coffey, Metro Rail, Downtown Houston, Photo: Fredis Benitez
Mini Melty’s are always a good kick in the butt. Thank God for those emails Marie Forleo sends all the time. I searched her name and scrolled and scrolled until I found the subject line I needed to see –How to find the work you were meant to do.
God has this beautiful way of giving us what we need when we need it most and revealing it just in the nick of time.
Join me for this week’s Coffey Break Chat as I share where I’m at with my own journey to discovering what I’m meant to do and personal reflection on hanging in there!
Hope this will be a blessing to you guys. Praying for any and everyone out there who can relate.
I don’t have any other way to say it… 5 years!! 5 years!! What a beautiful run. Thank you for joining me as I share our story behind my 501(c)3 nonprofit, Mia’s Closet. I can’t believe I’ve never sat down to share this journey for The Coffey Break, and it finally occurred to me haha We’ve got a celebration on the way! Check out the video below. What a ride :’-) Enjoy!
For the past five years, Mia’s Closet has been deeply invested in instilling confidence in underserved kids k-12.
We will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary Friday, May 20th from 8-11pm at 4104 Fannin St., Houston, TX. ❤
Come in your best formalwear + cocktail attire, and be prepared to dance, mingle, and have a great time! Music, food and drinks will be available, and proceeds from ticket sales go to continuing the Mia’s Closet mission. You can learn more about it here. This is the birthday party you won’t want to miss!
Want to learn more about Mia’s Closet? Visit us at miascloset.org + donate here: https://miascloset.org/donate/
Mia’s Closet: Building confidence and self-worth in kids k-12, one outfit at a time.
Surround yourself with the best -People who love you, push you, motivate you, laugh with you, hurt with you, for you, pray with you, for you, etc.
Keep God at the center of it all. Trust Him to lead the way.
We’re meant for greater things. We just have to commit to tapping into it. I can’t say this enough. Trust the process. Trust your path. Stay in your lane. Believe all things are working together for the good.
It’s a new month. Let’s speak everything we’re believing for into these next few weeks. Our words create our world 🙏🏾
