2019 Year in Review

On New Years Eve last year as we celebrated with our good friends (really we were mostly wrangling 4 small kiddos and sinking into the couch with a glass of wine when we could), we talked about our new year resolutions. Want to know what mine was? Have a baby. Ha! I was so pregnant that all I could think about was having that baby. And I did. 4 days later (and 3 weeks early)!

These year in review posts are a way for me to process the year and reflect on the things I’ve accomplished and I’m usually excited to look back. But this year I’ve sat down to write this post several times and the words have had a hard time forming. It’s uncomfortable looking back to reflect because 2019 has been one of the hardest years of my life.

I don’t want to focus on the bad, but I also don’t want to gloss over that fact. 2019 was HARD for us. I battled postpartum depression for months as I cared for my colicky baby and adjusted to being a mom of two. Dima worked long hours at his new job. And we treaded water. With God’s grace, we survived those hard months and have slowly started coming out of the dense fog. I think we probably still have a ways to go, but things have gotten better.

Although this blog is about my business, my personal life is so intertwined with my brand and business that I wanted to acknowledge that first. Now on to business. I took a few months (mostly) off and started back up slowly after the baby, but I was able to resume work as usual and it’s been a lifeline for me. I love being able to have a creative outlet outside of my children and our home. It honestly keeps me going most days.

I’ve gotten to work with some really great clients this year, taught a photography workshop at a retreat, and joined a new co-working space. It was fun to work with a variety of brands from small local makers, like Modest Elements and Anchor Oats, to up and coming and larger brands, like Give InKind and S’well.

In addition, it was the first year that I worked exclusively with brands; growing their reach and recognition through imagery and social media strategy (and was able to refer all of my previous family clients to other great local photographers). I’m excited to continue this work in 2020 and hoping for a little more freedom with it as the kids grow a little older this year.

Here’s a little gallery of some of my favorite images that I created for my clients over the past year.

Cheers!

Effie