09/05/2025
I love this first image for so many reasons. I’ll give you the main one, but there are so many more. Right before we got this shot, I was sitting cross legged on the bathroom floor crying, holding my side and in excruciating pain. A few weeks prior, I ended up in the ER due to a burst ovarian cyst and the stabbing feeling had returned. It came on just as we were setting the first image up and was very intense. In sweet and tender ways, everyone on the team gave me privacy but subtly checked in on me; my client even brought me tylenol. As I sat there doing box breathing, acknowledging the pain with hot tears streaming down my face, I looked around the bathroom, a room we designed, and began to see the symbolism and beauty of the moment. I watched the sunlight stream through the window at the bathtub, dappled and diffused by the sheer linen curtain, all of which we imagined would be so romantic, unusual and perfect. The mirror opposite the window, reflecting back outdoor’s greenery dancing in the wind, reminded me that everything we put into our work gives back. I was in pain being held by a space we designed to be serene, soothing and gentle. And it was. I never imagined I would experience our work like this. And the pain was easing. Beauty always helps me. I think that’s part of why I do what I do. I made it to the shot and through the rest of the day as a changed person, if I’m being honest. It’s not easy to be that vulnerable with people you work with but then again, that’s what creativity is. It’s vulnerability. It’s laying bare what it is you love and how you see the world for others to witness, feel, experience and interpret. It’s sharing what your vision of beauty. Special thank you to: .alpert 🖤 xx, Annie
