As this year comes to a close, I’ve been spending time reflecting on work, loss, resilience, and how perspective is shaped by circumstance.
After more than six years in accounting for a jewelry brand, I was laid off back in September, just two and a half weeks after my mom passed away. She was the one who first introduced me to photography. Through her, I learned how to slow down, pay attention to light, and find meaning in quiet details as well as, capturing memorable moments. That way of seeing has stayed with me and now guides the work I’m building full-time.
For years, I worked toward a creative path while supporting real-life responsibilities. I earned a Bachelor of Arts with a minor in photography and was offered an internship in the MGM Photo Department, an opportunity I couldn’t afford to take at the time. As a single mother without financial support, transitioning fully from accounting into photography simply wasn’t possible then. That reality shaped my timeline, even as the goal never changed.
Right now, my focus is on growing my nature and landscape photography, both online and through art shows. Work that my mother got to see for the first time, weeks before she passed. In 2026, I also plan to return to portrait, branding, concert, and event photography – work that has always also been my passion.
I don’t have a safety net or anyone to fall back on. I’m supporting myself, fully. I started saving for retirement later than most, and compared to my peers, both in corporate life and in photography, I’m behind. I spent many years unable to fully transition from accounting to a creative career because I was a single mother without financial support. That reality shaped my timeline.
Still, I know this: I’ve been out of work before, and I’ve always figured it out. This moment is harder, given the economy and uncertainty, but I’ve lived through harder things. I’m grateful that today, I only support myself. My child is grown and is doing better than we ever imagined, and that alone is something I’m deeply proud of.
When doubt creeps in, I remind myself where I’ve been: a troubled childhood, dropping out of high school, overcoming a problem with alcohol, navigating life without family support, losing friends that were far too young to pass, losing a love years ago, and rebuilding after layoffs—or walking away without anything lined up. None of it broke me.
As I look toward 2026, I do so with my head held high – steady, focused, and ready to continue creating a life and body of work that reflects both resilience and intention.
But, that’s a wrap!
