I was asked yesterday, by an incredible photographer and mentor, why I chose photography. I usually give the same speech about how I love celebrating life and freezing moments, blah blah blah... But that's only part of my truth. It's always hard for me to answer this question without feeling a wave of emotions running through my body, because to be quite honest, my WHY is very personal. So bear with me, as I try to put my most raw feelings into words.
See, photography saved me.
After my divorce - a very nasty one, may I add - from my abusive ex husband, I lost a LOT of my spark. I had been hiding my truth inside of the pretend world I’d created for so long, that once I was finally out of that situation, it was hard to actually face what I had allowed myself to go through. He had dimmed my light so low, that I couldn't even see far enough to find my way back out. But as a mother, we have to keep on pushing right? We have to find the strength if not for us, for our children. So I turned my survival mode on, put a fake smile on my face and kept on going for my daughter. That's when I started photographing her.
I was a very creative child, and finding that little piece of me again brought me SO much joy! So I kept on shooting, I kept learning and behind the camera, I found myself again. Photography ignited the fire inside of me, it allowed me to connect with people and to feel worthy again. That's why photography means so much more to me than taking pretty pictures. Photography allowed me to reinvent myself, in the most powerful and incredible way, all while teaching my daughter that even at our darkest moments, we have to keep on searching for what sets our souls on fire. And that fire my friends, is our purpose! So I will be blazing and letting my fire burn the whole damn world, because I will be damned if I ever let anything or anyone dim my light ever again! 🔥