I can feel the chrysalis cracking open...


And it's not as freeing as I've been anticipating. Nothing like what I've been dreaming of. It actually hurts. The sting runs deep — like something fragile shattered somewhere inside me. Maybe that's the point. Maybe one final lesson has to break you open before the new version of yourself can crawl out of the darkness and into the light.

I feel so behind in life and there is always a voice in the back of my head telling me to give up on photography as a career. I am constantly put myself out there. I submit to magazines, tagging them for features. I get denied or looked past most of the time, and I've learned to live with that. It doesn't even phase me anymore.

But this one was different.

My last magazine submission was to Heartful — a Magazine that pushes the envelope with gorgeous family photography--that has featured me before, even named me "One to Watch" in a previous issue. I pitched an article around my Dining Room Diaries project and submitted what I genuinely believed were beautiful photographs. I was hopeful.

The rejection email broke my heart.

But sitting with that heartbreak, I found something underneath it. I hadn't submitted from a place of pure creative love — I was chasing validation. Respect from peers. A sign that I'm on the right path. My ego, dressed up as passion.


The chrysalis cracks and a new chapter begins. Not every transformation feels like flight. Some feel like falling apart first. But on the other side of this — I believe there's light. And this time, I'll meet it with my heart leading the way.


Note to Self: Don't chase anything with ego, just your heart.

Child in pink sits on colorful play mat surrounded by toys in a living room with piano.
Children play near a wooden fence in a backyard with a pink hammock and lush greenery.
Two people sit on couches in a cozy living room with dark kitchen cabinets visible in the background.
A tan-colored dog with alert eyes stands among scattered toys on the floor, photographed with shallow depth of field.
A young child in a black shirt licks cake batter off a wooden spoon in a warm-lit kitchen.
Children lay on their stomachs drawing with sidewalk chalk on a driveway covered in heart designs.
A series of photos showing melted chocolate being stirred in a glass mixing bowl.
Close-up of colorful plastic toys including a yellow rubber duck among other assorted playthings.
A child in overalls plays in the mud with toys and a yellow bucket in an outdoor setting.
A sequence of photos showing someone enjoying chocolate fondue at a dining table with a warm glow.
Colorful chalk art and drawings decorate a concrete driveway as children play and create on a sunny day.
A series of photos showing someone drinking from a bowl of chocolate or soup while sitting near a window with greenery outside.
A young child in a sparkly pink dress plays with toys in a backyard patio setting.