"Life is given only once, and one wants to live it boldly, with full conscious and beauty.” Anton Chekhov
I am not really a New Year’s Resolution type of gal but this year has just been…different. It’s finally time to reflect on 2023 and look towards 2024!
2023 has been the most challenging year of my entire life. My littlest, Austin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January when he was 10 months old and he started weekly chemotherapy shortly after. This will be an incredibly long and tough journey for him and it has changed the trajectory of our lives forever. I feel like I spent a good half of 2023 in a total fog…no light, no color, just a complete and overwhelming fog.
As the fog slowly lifted and a “new normal” hit - I learned that you really have to look for and find the blessings in everything that is thrown your way. Childhood cancer is absolutely devastating - there is no way to really sugar coat that - but some blessings have indeed come out of 2023:
- I have gotten to spend so much more time with both of my children than I ever would have in other circumstances. Working outside of the home and driving 3+ hours to/from from work each day meant full-time daycare and after-school camp and summer camp for the kids… and very my little mommy time. Even our goldendoodle enjoys more time with the family and less crate time.
- I have spent countless hours learning how to be a better photographer, which would have also been impossible in other years when I barely had time to even catch my breath. I took a hobby and I turned it into an excellent distraction from some harsh realities when I needed that most and now I have turned it into a business. I can capture beautiful memories of my own family now…and yours.
- Our family has a much healthier relationship with food than ever before. It’s not about being thin or restricting any foods for us - it’s about learning what different foods (and certainly spices and seeds) can do for our bodies. Trying new recipes has been so much fun and eating the right foods has given me so much more energy to face all of life's obstacles.
- I have met (and reconnected with) some truly wonderful people throughout my son’s cancer journey. I may have met them under terrible circumstances but I am blessed to know them and have them in my life now.
So, where does that leave us for 2024? Who knows what 2024 will bring - life is just full of surprises isn’t it?
What I do know is that I am in the process of starting a new business, which is exciting. I also fully understand now that life is precious and I want to live mine boldly. In terms of my business, I want to shoot photos boldly and I want to run my business boldly. What I don’t want to do is follow every other photographer out there. I don’t even want to look at upcoming photography “trends” - I want to make my own. I am so tired of seeing the same photo done over and over again, washed out colors rather than vibrant ones, and dull whites and beiges everywhere. That’s not a knock against other photographers but now that I am out of my colorless fog - I certainly don't want to go back there. Bring on the POP! I want to make taking photos fun - for me and for my clients.
I love taking pictures outdoors - there are endless bold photo opportunities everywhere you look outside - but sometimes the weather has a different plan so I am going to bring some of the bold indoors. I have selected a handful of indoor background colors to kick off 2024 and yes, they are colorful! I cannot wait to start shooting once I get everything set up. Now I just need to let my husband know that I need some room for a studio inside the house 😘.
Let's create something bold together!
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