So, I have been asked to write a letter to myself.  A very interesting reflection I don’t do often enough these days.

I would like to write a letter to my younger self. I am 38 now and I really need to have a pep talk to my early 20’s self.  That poor, poor child.  This girl had no clue what she wanted to do and most people wouldn’t have even considered her artistic.  This was a VERY unsure girl full of insecurity and draped in shame.  Once she finished art school in 2001, she still wandered around for 4 years clueless.  My mother pushed me into photography she just saw something nobody else did.  In 2005, the younger me, decided to start a business and really really pursue this thing.  She was a fireball of work energy and had no direction to fire it in.  This poor girl would just sit in her office (which was built waaaaaay before she had anything to do).  I would love to tell this girl all the cliches like easy does it and slow and steady wins the race.  My mom was always so good at giving the cliches when you never wanted to hear them but you know what? She is spot on every.single.time. I want to continue to speak to my younger self and tell her that it all will be ok.  Relax the intensity a few notches, girly.  You will persevere not because of luck but because it is not in your nature to give up.  Not even a little.  There will be fear.  A lot of fear.  But you will not turn around and run the other way.  You are stronger than you could ever know at 21 years old.  You will learn a ton and success as you define it is sure to come.  Your business should NOT EVER EVER EVER be connected to your self worth or happiness in any way! Today you are a crazy driven work-a-holic but tomorrow you will understand balance and what brings you real happiness. Working your self to death, though it is what you were taught, isn’t the key to happiness.  Overtime you will change and there will even be a day that you will choose peace over money GASP! I know you won’t believe me but, your daughter will not for one single second be detrimental to your company. In fact she will be the reason for your success in so many ways.  You will one day give her all the credit.  Life is ironic, hunny.

So I have to say this letter was supposed to be for my younger self.  But half way through I knew I was also writing this for my future self.  Because it is easy to slip back into that old line of thinking at ANY TIME.  Old patterns and behavior can rear their ugly head at any time.  I can never rest on my laurels.  I don’t want to rest on my laurels.  Today is good.  Life is good.  I know in my heart it can only get better <3

The moral of the story is: Your mother is always right 🙂

About the photographer:

I am an artistic photographer based out of Hammonton, New Jersey. I have been in business since 2005.  I have been married for 14 years and our daughter, Julia, came along in 2011. I honestly think that I owe my success to my daughter. Becoming her mother took my work to a whole new level. I literally evolved into an artist who documents love. I exclusively use natural light (specifically at sunrise or sunset) to capture the true beauty of my subjects. I do it all – newborns, family, maternity, children and a limited amount of weddings per year.

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