A few days ago, I turned 2.

And by that I mean: I started doing fine art photography exactly two years ago. It was because of the first photography workshop I ever attended, and it was the first workshop by Brooke that I’ve attended.

So I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the past two years, and talk about taking a leap of faith.

I had no idea where I was going with photography. I created images because I felt like I needed to, I had to channel my feelings into something and Brooke made me realize that photography is the perfect way for me to do that. I realized the importance of working towards something, the importance of having a hobby and passion. My days, before photography, were monotonous. But diving into photography made me feel like I had a purpose. And this makes me think of a quote by Kurt Vonnegut that I absolutely love:

“Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.“

I took a leap of faith with photography, and it led me to where I am today. There are days when I want to give up, those days come often and fighting them can be so exhausting. Giving in seems almost too easy. My monster gets so loud, feeding me lies like: “you hate yourself, and the world. Everyone’s life would be so much better if you weren’t here. You’re worthless, you’re nothing. You should just disappear.”

And that’s when my strength is put to the test. That’s when pushing through is important. And that’s when I see the light, when I focus on all the love that surrounds me, from my friends and family, from you guys. Even the shortest comments or the simplest things, they make me feel so hopeful.
You guys are my light.

Over the past two years, I started believing in myself way more than I have in my entire life. I feel like I was the kind of person who just “goes with the flow”, never questioning anything, accepting everything. I had no control. And now, I know what I want and I’m going after it. And my dreams are only going to get bigger.

I learned to dream. To truly believe that nothing is impossible. I reach for the stars, and I can’t settle for less.
I have a voice, and I have a message. And I want to share that with the entire world. But none of that would’ve been possible without Brooke.
My sister always jokes about how much of a “fangirl” I am over Brooke, but it’s way more than that. Brooke changed my life, completely.

If I were to share one thing that I’ve learned over the past two years, it would be this:
Believe in yourself. You are worth way more than you think. And once you do that, you’ll be unstoppable. It’s amazing how something as little as having faith can change our entire world.

And coincidentally, Brooke’s latest blog post is about portfolio videos and I thought it would be an awesome way to revisit older work and mix it up with new stuff. I’m excited to see what the next two years are gonna bring 🙂

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