Good evening!!

It’s 6 pm; the toddler and baby are asleep, the preteen is reading her new rom-com novel, the 8 year-old is watching a movie, and my partner is building our home gym. This means I have about an hour to myself before anyone needs me, and it’s heeeeaaaavenly. I live for these evenings. 

And I love having some time to write to you. 

If you’re new here, I used to be a writer before AI obliterated my career. I was bummed at first until I picked up a camera off Marketplace and started photographing my daughter and stepkids. Nothing extraordinary, basically just capturing them playing in the backyard the first year we bought our 1959 rancher. I had zero intention of building a business out of it; I simply wanted to take better pictures and not have to pick up my phone to capture the moment. 

The pre-kids me was hell-bent on expressing creativity and freedom through any and all means of art. But photography never stuck until I had a subject that became my muse: my kids. That summer, I shot sandy toes, first swims, digging in the garden. I photographed little smiles, new teeth, lost teeth, playing soccer in the living room. I captured fallen leaves, fallen flowers, new buds, spring growth. I took pictures every single day—on my stroller walks, forest walks, at the grandparents house. Anywhere. 

 Flash forward a couple of years and I’m still in disbelief that I’ve gone from writer to photographer. The amount of incredible people—mostly mothers—I’ve met though this art form has been the greatest gift. The best part: I feel like I’m just getting started. 

 I think for some people, motherhood ignites something that wasn’t able to be accessed before having children. For me, becoming a mom has made me more patient, playful, resourceful, and creative in a different way than before.

It’s also showed me other things, like my short fuse and how much I love my quiet time, lol 😆

But the biggest surprise has been realizing that motherhood hasn't made me any less able to express myself creatively. If anything, it's made me pay closer attention, use my time more wisely, and feel acutely aware of time slipping by. It’s helped me appreciate the rare day my house is organized, cherish every moment of building something new, and be more present with my kids because a vital part of me is being expressed.

Mostly, it makes me slow down and see beauty everywhere. What a gift!

Anyway, I guess this is my long-winded way of saying thank you for being here. Whether I've photographed your family, you've been following along for a while, or you're new to this little corner, I'm grateful our paths have crossed.

Here's to making art out of ordinary life. And to an uninterrupted hour of quiet every once in a while.