Wow, what a year it has been already!

When I started as a brand ambassador, I was in shock that a shy, healing, self-conscious woman could be given a once in a lifetime ticket to self-discovery. I’ve never been fully sure of who I am, I’ve always found solace in hiding myself from the world.

I have placed myself under a rock, in the corner just watching life happen around me. The adventures and growth from this year has dragged me out of my shell and I couldn’t be happier with what I found once I stepped out and opened my eyes.

I have learned to be confident in my actions, to use my voice, to reframe my thinking as a woman.

This for me is acknowledging I am complete as I am, there is nothing I need to fix, just things I need to learn to love a little harder. I have been allowed to explore the genuineness of who I am, and I am enjoying the experience knowing as a woman I am always evolving.

I have learned my limits or lack thereof and can see myself as beautiful and adventurous, which has reconnected me to my inner peace.

Boudoir has led me to self-confidence!

I have connected to, possibly for the first time in my life, my full self.

I’ve learned through this experience that we as humans are supposed to be proud of ourselves and share our experiences good and bad. Most of my life, it was ingrained in me that self-confidence or SHOWING you love your body is being boastful and arrogant. Confidence is key to happiness, truly accepting yourself and encouraging others.

I have been immensely lucky to not just continue to learn self-love for myself but to empower others to do the same. I have been blessed to see some incredible people change from “Oh, I could never” to gushing over their true beauty, beauty that everyone else has always seen. I cannot put into words the honor and pure joy it brings my heart hearing that I inspired others to break out of the negative and into something that makes them shine.

The funny thing to me is, as I am learning and inspiring others, I still have those moments of “why me?”. It is a process of learning to love yourself. Self-love and acknowledgement of your worth is not an all or nothing concept, you have to work for it every day.

The process can feel crazy sometimes,

I’ve gone from picking apart my body and only seeing my flaws, to seeing images that those once-upon-a-time flaws are what makes them a beautiful piece of art.

I want these experiences as long as my body will allow me to climb mountains, literally and figuratively.

The LITERAL CLIMBING MOUNTAINS:

It isn’t always pretty, I’ve walked away with scrapes and bruises but scrapes and bruises heal, memories and pictures are forever.

I’ve stood in the snow in -9 degrees windchill, on rocks with crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean directly behind me, scaled the side of a mountain just to climb down moss covered rocks to get to the waterfalls all in the name of art.

This is ADVENTURE BOUDOIR at its finest.

I have loved all things outdoors for such a long time, living in Central Oregon it is almost a requirement. I have taken some brutal hikes in my time, now I get to have more than pictures of the beautiful landscape to go along with those memories.

The FIGURATIVE MOUNTAINS:

I’ve kneeled in the jungle and had a running man appear out of nowhere…straight towards me…me kneeling there in next to nothing.

A year ago, that would have mortified me to my core. Instead, I laughed, no embarrassment just amazement of “that just happened”.

I have laughed more, screamed out a fierce warrior cry, and have walked the beach with my head held high.

This has been the biggest mountain for me to climb, to rewrite my story and to shed the parts that have stifled my soul.

The biggest thing I have learned is this hasn’t been just in the name of art, although that would be reason enough, but in the name of LOVE…love of self.

I have never thought that I would get to the point I could say it, as odd as that may seem, but I love ME!