10 Ways to Manage Stress
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….and the most stressful. But who are we kidding, all of 2020 has been stressful. It has brought a lot of uncertainty, loss of the way life was, and maybe even loss of someone close to you by a breakup, divorce, or even death. Someone very close to me died in October and it’s hard. Sometimes stress and grief go hand-in-hand. So let’s talk about stress and tools to manage it. I’ve learned to manage stress as a small business owner, as a survivor of a near-fatal car wreck, and surviving a very toxic relationship.
The Seeker - Artwork Spotlight
THE SEEKER. That's what I named this artwork. It is the seeker, who understands there is more than what meets the eye; who is not afraid; and who makes the choice to go into the unknown. She understands that going into uncertainty creates discomfort but that is where the growth begins.
Client Spotlight - Jenny Kemp Watson
The heart of my shoots are to create a safe place for my clients to feel seen, heard and beautiful. We are multifaceted people and have different aspects of ourselves. Some we show to people and some we do not. And some we don’t even see in ourselves but others do. It is my job to bring it all out, capture and show it back to you.
Jenny is from my home town. It was such an honor to reconnect with her; to hold space for her to be vulnerable and reconnect with herself.
Breast Cancer Awareness Art Project
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I have had the honor for the past 7 weeks to work on a beautiful art project called KAB Breast Cast to raise awareness and money for breast cancer through the Keep A Breast Foundation. I casted myself (pictured here) and I photographed all 86 casts and the Castees with their cast. It was one of those beautiful projects that fills you up and brings so much joy. I feel so grateful because this is the coolest Art project ever for women and Breast Cancer Awareness. Check out all the beautiful artwork and portraits in this blog!
Goal Setting for Personal Success
I was one of those people that would put my goals “out there” and expect them to happen. That’s only part of the equation. In this blog post, I’m going to share with you 5 reasons goals matter, how to set goals, and how to manifest those goals into reality.
"It's only a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal." Emmitt Smith
Why Black Lives Matter (Now and Always Have)
B.R.O.K.E.N. is the name of this artwork that I created in 2015. I hesitated to use this image as it was originally created about a broken heart, not a broken system. It also looks violent but it is really meant to express beauty in darkness;
to express, once cracked open we can heal.
Here's the truth about our country -
Rachel's Story of Transformation
Today, I wanted to share Rachel’s story. I asked her to write a blog about our time together and why it was important to her to create art and capture all the different facets of herself in a portrait session. Her story is painfully beautiful.
Art of Vulnerability
Sometimes we have to get down and dirty to express hard topics.
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage,” Brené Brown in Rising Strong.
Ashley's Session of Art, Glam & Family
Being the main character in your own story can be powerful.
I connected with Ashley immediately. We captured a lot of different types of portraits in her session-artwork, contemporary beauty, fashion vibe, and family. Ashley texted after her big reveal and said "The art is epic. Everyone needs a picture that tells their story." Read more and be sure to check out the Behind the Scenes Videos of how we created these images.
All the Possibilities with Fiona
Did you know that you can combine all kinds of things in one session? I wanted to share Fiona's session with you not only because she is gorgeous but to show you in one session, you can update your headshot, celebrate and capture beautiful pictures of You and get family photos at the end. So it's all about the woman first. She gets pampered with hair and makeup; we photograph just her in a few different looks and then the kiddos can come in at the end to get family pictures.
Breaking Free
Freedom is always worth striving for. I call this self-portrait "Breaking Free". I started the year off being a bit reflective. The theme has been breaking free, and not because I feel trapped. Far from it. I love my life! I think because I've been reflecting back on the past year.
Gratitude Journal on Instagram
For the month of November, I have a goal of sharing something I am grateful for each day on my Instagram Story. It is a sort of gratitude journal. I chose to do this in November because it is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving so why not give thanks for something or someone every single day this month.
Giving gratitude is so impactful on our mind and spirit.
50 and Fabulous Photoshoot
As women, we are always so hard on ourselves so I like to try and turn that conversation around by changing the perspective with photographs and sometimes questions.
There are many reasons to have a photoshoot. One of those is reaching a milestone in life like turning 50. I am not 50 but I've always had close friends quite a bit older than me. One of the reasons is because I've always strived to be wise beyond my years, and I want to learn from them.
Creating Freedom in Your Daily Life
This image is about freedom. Something that I seek; something most of us seek. What I have learned is that freedom only comes when we have freedom within our mind and detach from outcomes. It comes when we stop resisting what is and find acceptance. It comes when we stop the chatter, cultivate faith, let go of fear, and trust ourselves.