This morning I was clearing off the dead leaves of a bamboo tree that I bought this summer. I pruned the dead leaves with my hands in order to make room for the new, fresh green leaves and shoots to grow. I was thinking about when I bought this bamboo, I thought it was an easy plant to care for; that I didn't have to tend it very often and it would just flourish.

That's not what happened with my plant.

I kept telling myself that I'd water it "later." I told myself that it didn't really need my attention because bamboo is very hardy, right? My bamboo started turning brown. I admit that I continued to barely pay attention to it, even after noticing this.

Then suddenly I SAW it.

I saw what had happened when I didn't care for it and love it properly. My tree was practically all brown by this point. I felt so sad for the tree that it was dying due to my complacency and negligence.

Then I realized that I just had to start over. I had to acknowledge my mistakes, clear off the dead leaves and make a commitment to give it some love and tend to it. Now I can wait and watch for the rich green leaves that are now primed and ready for this new growth.

It's a very obvious metaphor for life, isn't it?

Sometimes things start out hardy and healthy and then suddenly life comes around and we are unable or we chose not to tend to them. We ignore them until the brown leaves appear and sometimes they get to a place that appears to be an ending. And maybe it is...but I know that we always have the promise of a new beginning. I know that beautiful, rich green leaves and shoots will come our way if we only make a choice to look at the browning leaves, roll our sleeves up, prune them off, and be ready to tend to this new beginning. It isn't easy and we can't be complacent.

If we want the new, we have to be ready to put in the work to release the old and tend to the new.

The promise of a new beginning is there. Always. It is a divine promise and it is within you to create it.

And with this, I say a loving goodbye to 2017. I am ready for the new growth, the beginnings and this promise. 2018, let's get it.

As I've been moving through this journey called life, I've experienced some major changes in the last few years. Honestly, I'm guessing we all have. It's been a crazy road for many of us replete with both challenges and joyful times to celebrate. I can't say it's been boring!

Along the way, I've discovered how to be vulnerable, how to surrender, how to honor myself through self-care and through setting boundaries. I've learned how to healthily give and receive. I've learned how to say yes to myself and I've learned that if your heart is not screaming "f*ck yeah" to something, it's a no. Last but not least, I've learned to let my own light shine. I've started sharing some of my journey more publicly, after "hermit-ing" away for a while. As I've become more open in sharing my experiences and lessons, I've had friends and even people that I don't know reach out to me to let me know that my vulnerability and sharing more of myself on a personal level has been inspiring to them to do the same.

And so, I've come to a place where I am no longer willing to hide behind my camera and my work. It's not enough for me anymore to simply display what I've created. I want to continue authentically and vulnerably sharing with you on both personal and work levels: lessons I've learned along my journey, silly stories, art, fashion and music that inspires me, spiritual musings, BTS stories from shoots, systems that I use for success, and last but not least, photography tips, tricks and resources.

As I've been working on my re-brand and launch to better encompass my new intentions, I've also realized that the new driving goal behind it all is that I aim to serve as many of you as possible through my business. In addition to my regular photography and directing work (and side hobby of music!), I'll be offering more workshops in person (available soon online and streaming), free downloads, digital products, print purchasing, and specials.

Let's share this beautiful journey together.
xo Suzie