The beginning of the rebuild
Angel Eyes has been around for going on 20 years. The effort level of which I put into my photography has ebbed and flowed with the various seasons of life. Running/having a business is sort of like parenthood. It’s amazing and wonderful, awful and stressful, all of the things. The biggest parallel I can identify is it’s constant. Like being a mom being a business owner is constant. There is always something on the to do list, usually more than one “somethings”. For a while I was burnt out and just needed to be without any of the stressors of business ownership. I spent several years doing real estate photography as a sub contractor, and it was a nice break. I maintained a few of my clients over this time, but thought maybe I was closing the door on this chapter of my life. I then fell in love with fitness and taught group fitness for 3 years. What an amazing experience! I hope and pray this season isn’t over yet, and just on a small break. Currently I am in a season now of waiting for God to confirm the next chapter, as He has lead me out of that job in fitness. In the meantime the pieces all aligned to rebuild. I began rebuilding AEP a month or so ago. In doing so I’ve been listening to various marketing strategies and business models of others who I would seek to emulate. Trying to find where I want to be in market, setting goals and all of the things that come along with it. What an undertaking! We are talking a from the ground up rebuild!
One of the photographers that I have been digging into mentions in her book that she had a commonality with one of her seniors. The girl had been abused, and so had she. This started the process of her pulling together a day that she called “fight back day”. Each senior received a self defense class and it was turned into a fundraiser. As I listened to this particular chapter in her e-book I thought man I love this!! I couldn’t pinpoint anything that would make sense for me though. Fast forward a week or so and I received a message from a client from much earlier in my career. We have kept in touch through socials and all, and her son is even in one of my FCA huddles (even though he doesn’t really remember me). As we got to talking about her daughters senior session she mentioned that she had bailed on sports due to having an eating disorder and being in treatment for it. This was heartbreaking to hear, the sweet little blond haired blue eyed girl I will always remember her as, grew up to face such a struggle. I reached out to a fitness co-worker of mine who also is in recovery from an eating disorder and said “I think we have a future together.” It was in that moment that I began to piece together what God has been reveling to me. Watching Him work is always so cool. When I started on staff with FCA a few years ago it felt like someone had dumped a 50,000 piece puzzle out in front of me, and He was sorting the pieces into place. That feeling is very much the same now. More to come on these pieces in a moment.
Piecing it all together
As I started the rebuild process I began digging into photographers that were offering up training. One of them was someone who is very successful that I’ve met in person and produces work similar to what I do or seek to. Another lady came across as an ad on instagram. As I listened to her e-book I felt like we may have similar spiritual views. Another thing came up in my fb for a group of like 20 photographers each offering something unique. For a moment I really was interested in it and trying to figure out how to pay for it. Then I realized I hadn’t prayed on it or vetted any of them. During the vetting process it became evident to me that my goals didn’t align with what they were offering. It wasn’t a loss though as I found some key website elements I liked as well as a cool concept one photographer was involved in. The best way I can put it was it’s a rolling photo project of sorts. Another one of those hmm that’s a cool idea, but I don’t know how it would pertain to me sort of things. If you know me you know I’m not a believer in coincidence. That’s why when I hear things like my daughter had an eating disorder I immediately want to connect her to someone who’s been through it and is doing well on the other side. As I began texting with my co-worker who is in recovery the pieces started shifting. This was the second time that I had reached out to her in the past 2 months on this subject. The previous time was after one of my FCA co-workers reached out to ask me to pray. He was in the hospital with his daughter; they had almost lost her and had been there for 2 weeks. As it turned out she had an eating disorder and they had no idea. It was in these moments that the photo project concept from one photographer, and the event from the other started to come together.
Then and now
When I was young my cousin Natalie was more like a sister. She battled anorexia and bulimia and was in and out of treatment for years. She ended up losing the fight in April of 2002, just a few months before my wedding. She was 21. This was a year a month and a day after losing my best friend to an overdose. These two losses WRECKED me. I wasn’t the same for the better part of 10 years. The last time I saw Nat was at her bridesmaids fitting, and she seemed happy. She was always so good at masking her pain. As God continues to bring these precious families into my life, a hazy vision is forming, as well as a rolling photo project. I am beginning to see a gallery style event of those impacted by eating disorders. They’re images and stories displayed to help and encourage others. God willing this will also be an experience to help them heal. I also realized I had another FCA co-worker whose family had experienced this. I mentioned it to him at our meeting and his eyes got teary. He’s much older, as is his daughter now, but it’s evident it’s something that will never leave him. In taking with Sav, she suggested that the event could be a fundraiser to pay for someones treatment. I’m so in love wit this idea, and am praying that God will work through us and make it a reality.
The outcome
As I continue to work on all of the rebuilding pieces, this will be one of the priorities of Angel Eyes. My sweet Savannah will be the first of what I pray will be many. We will sit down and meet and talk about what this all looks like for her, as I will do with each participant. We will shoot her session and I will begin my rolling photo project, which I hope will have a name soon. Each participant will have the opportunity to share whatever part of their journey they’d like. In God’s time we will have a gallery style dinner/fundraiser to raise money to pay for someone’s treatment.
Your call to action
If you or someone in your family has been effected by an eating disorder please reach out so we can talk. I’m open to where God leads me and if you are a family member of someone who fights/fought this battle maybe your healing and story is the subject.
