Finding the soft spot.

Life's experiences have a tendency of taking the equal viewpoint we were all said to have been born with, and twisting it into something far from equal. Whether it was how we were raised ,or the chances we decided to take. It's hard to be hit by life's disappointments and continue on an even keel. We tend to remember things because we fear their repetition and think that remembrance will keep those things from happening again or more frequently. Later we learn it is the thought itself that creates the possibility. Hence, If we waste time thinking about the negatives, and how to avoid them, there is more chance of those negatives happening now than there would have been if those negatives had never been thought of to begin with.

As an entrepreneur I test the strategies of thought tactics regularly. I sleep to a 2 hour hypnosis that focuses on affirmations I feel are important for me at this point in my life. I put it on repeat and it carries me through the night, into a fresh new day.

I realized long ago that habits from my childhood and experiences from before I turned 10 even are powerful. Everyone has triggers. There are things that happen in life that make a mark on us more so than others. These feelings tend to stay with us longer, and they are triggered by certain words, sights, or even memories. Whether we had control of the situation when these things happened or not, the things happened, and now we have the rest of lives to choose how to deal with those things.

I've grown into a hard ass. I experienced some things when I was young, and as I got older, and somewhere along the line, instead of letting go, I've chosen to hold onto the hardships. Whether it was because I was fearful of its continuity, or frustrated from its initial presence. I'm totally aware of it. It's more than an action, Its a feeling. In an attempt to be more away and possibly erase some of these up-tight, stand-offish characteristics, I am doing a deliberate search for my soft side.

The last shoot I did with Kevin Stenhouse showcased a big taste of exactly what I was looking for. A soft look by Jill Langan on hair and makeup, mixed with selective posing and a great lighting scheme applied by Kevin, soft was touched. Looking through the set I barely recognized myself, but in the best way possible.

See a few sneak peeks below :)

All photos by Kevin Stenhouse.

Makeup by Jill Langan.