Hey there. Confession time… For a reeealllly long time, I trash talked myself. A lot. The way I talked to myself was terribly negative, and no matter what I wouldn’t give my self a break, or any grace at all, whatsoever.

And of course, this did nothing but make me feel terrible and like I needed to be “perfect” before I could give myself any slack. The only thing it did accomplish was keeping me stuck in self-hate and a pretty miserable inner dialogue.

I didn’t know any other way, until one day, someone suggested that you could just stop saying negative things to yourself. That you didn’t have to all of a sudden be gushing about how much you loved yourself, you simply had to stop hating on yourself.

That’s it. Well, first I scoffed, but then thought, “What the hell?”

So when a negative thought crept in, (and at first it was damn near constant), I simply acknowledged that I immediately thought it. Then I started just not saying anything negative, but instead said something neutral, like, “Ah well, that just happened”, but with no judgement of it being “bad” or “good”.

Then, a freakin miracle happened! I found myself, GIVING MYSELF GRACE!?

I actually started thinking things like, “It’s OK”, when I would mess something up or if things didn’t go to plan.

Or I would tell myself, “You did what you could and next time you can try_____”

Until, gradually (and it happened way sooner than I ever imagined), I started to have a positive relationship with my self.

Like, I say nice things to myself now. And I celebrate my successes, and I give myself grace.

And do you know what? I feel PEACE. Let’s get one thing straight. Life is still difficult at times, but instead of being crushed by it and having a difficult moment turn into a “bad” day or a “bad” week. I can get through it relatively quickly.

I say all of this to simply share with you that it is possible. It is possible to see the real “you”. The “you” that is buried under all of the negative messaging you’ve been fed and to recognize that you are enough right now just as you are. You just have to let go of the negative messages and stories that you’ve been told and that you’re telling yourself.

One thing that I’ve found to be the most fulfilling in my role as a photographer, is that I get to show people how beautiful they are. I get to reflect their light back to them. I get to create an experience that transforms the every day to the magical. I get to create a space that allows you to just be yourself. To just be, and that is what shows through as beautiful in portraits.

And that is why portraits are so powerful. They allow you to see yourself as others see you, beautiful just as you are now. You are enough.