Finding Myself Through the Lens: A Year of Full-Time Photography
One year ago today I closed the door on a 15-year career in design and stepped into a new focus. I left behind my agency role as Creative Director, the comfort of a steady salary, and the identity I’d carried since I was a teenager. I took the leap into photography full-time—my truest passion—and what a year it’s been.
If this past year has been anything, it’s been a lesson in release.
Letting go of the idea that success means staying in a role because it looks good on paper.
Letting go of people-pleasing, of trying to meet expectations that weren’t my own.
Letting go of a path I’d worked so hard to climb, only to find it no longer led where I wanted to go.
But all that releasing made space for so much more.
Autonomy. The freedom to choose projects that align with my values.
Creativity. The space to follow my instincts and let my camera take me wherever I’m drawn.
Identity. A growing sense of who I am when I’m no longer trying to fit into someone else’s idea of success.
I set myself a financial goal last year—a bare minimum to prove to myself that this leap was worth it. I hit it six months in. By the end of the year, I’ll have earned half the salary I left behind, and that feels like a victory—a sign from the universe that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
The highlights of this year feel like a dream:
✨ Photographing world-famous athletes and seeing that work in print around the globe.
✨ Landing my first book deal with a dear friend, blending photography and storytelling.
✨ Collaborating with creatives and seeing my shots on billboards around Vancouver.
✨ Capturing the energy and essence of so many incredible people—individuals, artists, athletes, makers—and being trusted to tell their stories.
65 shoots.
13,000 edited photos.
1 giant leap with a soft landing.
This year has taught me to trust myself in ways I never have before. To embrace the unknown, knowing that clarity comes with the doing. It’s been messy, thrilling, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.
As I look ahead to 2025, I’m setting a word for the year: Expand.
Expand the work. Expand the vision. Expand the space I make for creativity and connection.
If you’re standing on the edge of something scary, I hope this is your nudge to take the leap. You don’t have to have it all figured out—you just have to trust that the ground will meet you.
Here’s to what’s next. ✨
