Black Lives Matter

How are you doing?

With ALL that is going in the past two weeks, I want to share a piece of my heart with you.

Black Lives Matter

BLM touches a special chord in my life. Yes, I believe racism is real and I do not want to stay silent about that. It is true I am a white momma raising a child of color in a white America. Personally, my journey as an artist into young adulthood was greatly shaped by my experiences learning and living in predominantly African American communities in Baltimore and New York. It can uncomfortable to be a minority in any situation and to grow we must become uncomfortable. I would not be the person I am, the artist I am, without the community and friendships I have lived through fellow Americans who happen to have a skin color different than mine but whose hearts I connected with so deeply. We are all connected. Sadly some of us never get to experience that to know, and some of us we can forget that if we live our lives in isolation never getting uncomfortable.
In this time of growth and needed change and awareness, I want to just remind us all that growth as a whole is uncomfortable. Yet the time is here.

If you know me, you know I love children. I see the children as our future, our path to a brighter future. The more we pour into them, the brighter their future can look. Meet a few of these beautiful children I have photographed recently.

Greyson painted his nails for the photoshoot and enjoyed his time with the camera lady!❤️

My little guy Nolan cut flowers for his baby sister's photos.

Gabriella was very excited about the photoshoot. We share a love for dancing and being curious.

Siona is graduating 8th grade. She would have attended Bates Summer Dance Festival camp this summer for her 5th year with my Lucia. Siona loves to laugh and I like to be around her because she gets my humor.

Bella is all grown up in her graduation and prom dress! Bella has been on my website many years with photos of her dancing on the beach in front of rainbows.

Meet Blake. She has started a poetry blog to help people feel better. It is written with all imperfections that a girl her age may have grammatically, but all the perfections a young heart can give.

The heart is purer than any perfect person. May we all remember that nothing is perfect, except our creator's perfect love - Who made us in His likeness. May we try every day to be a better person to live up that image. Check out Blake's Poetry Blog, she writes to help anyone feeling down to feel better.

For anyone wanting to do something in this time of social change. Please remember that simply teaching our children and raising awareness at an early age is huge. I began reading children's stories about the civil rights movement and slavery to the classes at my daughter's elementary school. I stopped for two years and then started again this year realizing that just because Lucia is not there I can still contribute. The wide eyes and listening ears of the second graders grasping the story of Ruby Bridges, walking to school every day amongst protestors, to sit in a classroom all alone because people didn't like her skin color, was inspiring to me. I could see their young minds trying to understand why would people be so mean, and how was Ruby so strong. Seeds are planted into our young ones, we can do our part by planting good seeds.

As Mother Teresa said, " We can do not great things, only small things with great love."

Yes, I am doing shoots. Yes, the studio is open for business. My Front Porch Project raised over $1,000 for the Freeport Community Services Food Pantry. We are currently doing kids mini sessions, summer solstice session, water sessions, small weddings, beach mini sessions, and doing headshots and commercial work for businesses that need to rebrand for COVID-19. But most importantly, we are trying to live each day and be better than we were before.

I photograph people for a living because I love people. In essence, I make a living on love. Thank YOU for your love and support.
Be well!

p.s. If you want to know more about me, check out a recent live interview the Columbus Literacy Center did with me in their Walk in my Shoes series. Please feel free to share the link with any aspiring entrepreneur, photographer, or creative extraordinaire.