I consider myself to be a creative person. My mind is always racing and I'm constantly asking myself, "What if..." I find the world fascinating in all aspects - it's beauty, how we think, why we do what we do, and what can I do to make the world a better, nicer, place. I have never been able to work at a repetitive job...EVER! Some people love those types of jobs, however I need each and every day of my life to be completely unpredictable to a certain degree. I enjoy problem solving and being flexible. THAT is why I ALWAYS wanted to work in education! Whenever people would ask me why I wanted to become a teacher, my response was always, "No two days are ever the same." Obviously there are many other reasons as to why one wants to become a teacher, but to me that was one of the perks. I loved walking into the classroom and having to be on my toes all day long ready to help my students conquer whatever obstacle they were facing that day.
I worked in a very demanding school district in Texas and it seemed the administration cared less and less, each and every school year. Eventually this affected me in a negative way. I began to count the hours of the day and countdown the days until summer break. There was an enormous weight on my shoulders and I did not feel appreciated or valued as a human being. The administration always wanted more out of my bucket, but they weren't adding anything into my bucket. Eventually, my bucket ran dry and I resigned after five years of teaching. You can read more about my struggle here.
As a creative individual, it didn't take me long to realize that staying at home with my newborn was going to be an adjustment. I went from twenty five-year-olds needing my attention throughout the day to having one newborn that demanded my attention during the day. I soon realized that I needed to find something to do just "for me." I told my husband that I wanted to buy a camera and practice photography. At the time I wasn't thinking of starting my own business, but I certainly did want a hobby. I soon realized that I could make people happy by providing them with a fun, comfortable experience while having their photographs taken.
The first year I opened my business, things were slow...until the fall season hit. I was suddenly swamped with requests and I didn't want to turn anyone away so I just made it work. After surviving the fall season I knew I had to do something different if I was going to continue this business venture. I would need to find something I was passionate about and vow to do a personal project each year to keep reminding myself that I originally began practicing photography as a hobby - something that brought me peace and made me feel alive. So each year I try to work on a personal project. I'll be honest, it almost always revolves around breastfeeding.
There is so much stigma in our society with regards to breastfeeding. Some people think it's just plain disgusting. Others think it's a beautiful, natural way to feed a baby, but it should be done in a private location - or at the very least with a blanket covering the feeding baby. And there are others that have no issue with it at all. Obviously, I fall into the latter category and will work my tail off to help normalize breastfeeding so that it is not an issue at all - it is just viewed as a mother feeding her baby. The more breastfeeding is seen in public, the more normalized it will become. THAT is the goal of my latest personal project.
I'd like to give a special THANK YOU to the lovely breastfeeding mama (and model), Amber Brown and her son! So stunning!
