Malick + Franck. some of the expectations that i had made for this shoot were met, while some i feel i failed to meet. today, i found myself as i often do, looking at my photos with disappointment and criticizing every little thing. i came to Instagram dreading to post but i had a moment of realization. self-criticism is important; but its the type of self-criticism that can cause prevention to growth. today, i realized the type of self criticism i use is crucial to opening a very important door. i tend to let my self-criticism be a barrier that prevents this door from being opened. blocking this door prevents growth, which i see as self sabotage. it’s important to give yourself things to improve for the times to come but it’s also important to recognize and celebrate the things you did well & what you are proud of. i realized today that every shoot isn’t perfect & flawless but its in the imperfections and flaws that makes a photo beautiful in this time which allows me to appreciate it. today, i let the disappointments i had be the key that opens the door, not the barrier that blocks it. in the past, by blocking this door, i was blocking what was on the other side; growth, improvement & being appreciative of my work. keeping this door open is important. i realized today for so long that it’s been blocked. there are details i see in the photos i’m not happy with but i understand not to let your expectations and disappointments overcome the reality of what you have created. what you created is your work & no one else will be able to do it authentically and genuinely like yourself, be proud of that alone. there is always room improvement, but that only comes if you remove the barriers and try again. if you have made it this far, thank you. i wanted to be transparent in my work. although it appears to just be a normal shoot, it was a door opened as well. if you are struggling to seek past the barrier and open the door i hope this can be helpful. a big thank you to Franck & Malick for bearing with me through all my uncertainties! together we all created something that should be celebrated.