I have had a blog since 2007. It first began as a way to document my boys daily with a little bit of my work too. I remember being intimidated by the thought of having to "write" as I thought that was only what a blog was...and I am not a writer, but I was willing to communicate through photos, so I ventured in. For three years I documented my boys daily...with small smatterings of work that I was doing as well as motherhood hacks here and there. Although the site was there, my goal wasn't to build a following. I didn't even know that was a thing. I didn't really give notice to an audience and was fine with keeping a journal for personal family history. Who knew that blogging would later become a six figure income for some!
In 2010, I began using Instagram...thinking it was only a photo editing app. It wasn't until my 10 year old son told me, did I know that it was a social media platform and I was sharing photos. I had resisted Facebook and thought this would be my compromise. Then, in 2013, I lost my blog when I tried configuring it to a new platform. Six years of data was lost. Luckily I had printed my 365 daily blog posts of my family into books so there was tangible evidence that it had even existed.
Over these last few years, my blog has been a place for my career in photography, with some musings along the way. As an artist, I have always struggled with putting my work out there to be judged, which then led me to post less and only share it privately with those who I was collaborating with. Lifestyle photography is so personal for me...and I try my best to see the narrative of each job I am on. I also know it is personal for my clients and I respect that. I agonize over the photos I want to post over the photos the client might prefer I post. It is time consuming (the struggle in my head, that is) and I always find a way to talk myself out of putting anything up.
What I have enjoyed most recently is scouring the web finding links to things that I find interesting and that you might too. I am no longer a mother of toddlers but a mother of teenagers in college and high school and my interests have grown too. I am interested in growing old gracefully without enhancements, I am interested in civil rights and politics and what is fair, I am interested in lifestyle topics such as fashion, interiors, music, movies, books, podcasts and all the while, still raising happy, healthy, kind young men.
So this year, I am circling back to my blog and finding a place for my work and my voice. My hope is to be more courageous and raw. And to share more. Photographs and musings. Thank you for following along. xo