The other morning I woke up from a dream and just as I was coming out of slumber the words “You are not in alignment” echoed through my head. So much so, that that phrase stayed with me - until now. Until I talk about it.
Deciding to go Photoshop free was one step closer to alignment, but something still wasn’t right. I couldn’t figure it out until I had 2 clients almost back to back last week with extreme body image issues that granted me permission to sit with them and give them guidance on how to work on practicing being kinder to themselves. That’s when it hit me: I need to go deeper - not cast a wider net.
During the full moon on Oct 1, Jill and I got together at my house to do a little full moon ritual and it was during this ritual that we went through some prompts to work through past trauma and mindset blocks. One that came up for me was:
“I’m afraid I won’t make a big enough difference before I leave this earth and this means that I am not special.”
This shook me a little bit because no one likes to hear the real truth behind our drive and persistence. I worked through this with Jill, essentially coming to realize that if I am only trying to achieve bigger and better things with my subconscious doing it “for me” then I will never get “there”. Instead, I realize I needed to deal with the little ego-maniac hanging out in my brain, tell her to take a hike because my need to special is getting in the way of me ACTUALLY making the difference that I want to. Somewhere along the way I convinced myself that being special meant having a reach that spanned the globe. It meant having upwards of 10,000 followers on instagram. It meant having sold out workshops and a fully booked calendar and requests to travel to amazing places to help heal people.
BUT IT DOESN’T.
I was thankful Jill was there for me to talk to as I went through this mindset shift because she provided me a voice of reason. She said “You’ve changed me - isn’t that enough??”
and that reminded me, that I shouldn’t be working to amass many followers in a short amount of time, but rather I need to double down on the ones in front of me. I need to invest in those that are already invested. I need to preach to the choir. I need to be grateful for the few that “get it” and focus on the ONE in front of me in the moment. This requires being PRESENT.
One of my strengths is being visionary and seeing ahead for what I want to achieve. It’s always been a blessing, but like any strength, when overused it can become a weakness. My futuristic strength was so busy looking ahead, that I glossed over the present. I risked everything in front of me, for what was potentially ahead. But the thing about that is - we are never guaranteed what isn’t there yet. I have since learned (in the last week of self reflection) that I must straddle the line between being future driven and present focused: what acts can I do today that will help get me to the future?
And that brings me to now. To being more in alignment. I can’t say for sure that what I am about to do next will guarantee alignment, but my gut rarely leads me astray, so I think I just need to do it. I need to take the learnings of my AHA! Moon ritual moment and start clearing the path to focus on the person in front of me - whomever that is, wherever that is, in whatever I am doing.
So, what does this mean? Well, it means that my sessions are going to get deeper. Y’all seem to enjoy the content I put out on my instagram and social media about self growth, mindset, body image, and so on - well, now you get to speak it into action. While taking IN the content is great, it’s putting it into practice that ACTUALLY makes a difference. If you TRULY want to change your body image, I can help you. If you are TRULY tired of hating yourself, I can help you. If you are DONE with negative self talk and want to find another way, I can help. If you want to LIBERATE yourself from the constraints of society, whether they be sexual, body focused, or otherwise, I can help.
HOW WILL WE CREATE A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE FOR YOU?
STEP 1: INITIAL CONSULTATION & QUESTIONNAIRE PROVISION: We will meet and chat either in person at the studio or via ZOOM to go over the entire process, clear up any questions and set you up with your Dig Deep Questionnaire with instructions on how to fill it out.
STEP 2: THE DIG DEEP QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS: After you finish filling our your questionnaire you will send it back to me to review so I can use the information provided to come up with a game plan/options for your shoot so that I can present them to you at our next meeting.
STEP 3: THE PLANNING: We will have a secondary (ideally in person) meeting where we will do a wardrobe consult, talk about set options, and planning. During this meeting I will also send you home with journal prompts and work to do to prepare you for your session.
STEP 4: THE SHOOT! Oh, we will have so much fun and really step out of our comfort zones in a way that is incredibly empowering, liberating, and confidence inducing!
STEP 5: THE FOLLOW UP: We will once again meet in person at our glorious studio where we will play a slideshow of your images and go through them one at a time together. During this time we make the space open, inviting, and an opportunity to speak through your HONEST feelings about yourself in the photos. I give you permission to NOT like your photos - I will not be offended - this just means I might give you more homework to do!
STEP 6: THE CHECK IN: 2 weeks after your follow up you will receive an email from me with further instructions on how to move your journey forward. While I may not be there physically to cheer you on as you take control of your confidence and self esteem, I want you to know that I am only an email away!
Due to the emotional nature of these sessions, I will be limiting myself to 6 sessions a month in order to provide each client with my full attention, time, and give them an experience that goes beyond their photo shoot.
Even just typing this all out, makes me feel more in alignment even though it’s scary. It’s easier to do photoshoots for people who just need a “shot” of confidence or just want to feel pretty for a day and while that work is important - I want to go deeper. I want humans who are tired of hating themselves. I want humans who are done with the negative self talk. I want humans who are ready to maybe be a little uncomfortable before, during, and after their photoshoot - because THAT’S where growth happens. I
If you think you don’t have the confidence to do a photo shoot - you are EXACTLY who I am looking for. These photo shoots are FOR the people with a lack of confidence. You don’t need to be confident - you just need to want to try living in a way that doesn’t constantly make you feel like shit or repeat previous negative behavior patterns.
Now, for the real kicker - I want to get this show on the road BEFORE 2021, so I’ve made some time available in my calendar to work with FIVE humans who truly want to work on their mindset around body image and seeing themselves in photos. If this resonates with you, then here’s the deal:
