Making Room for What's Next
What a year it's been!
I know, I know— it's only September. But when I say "year," I'm thinking of everything that has happened since last October when I relaunched Kristy Marie Photography to be more in line with the way I want to run this little business of mine.
Since then, I’ve had the busiest busy season in the history of KMP. I made work that I am incredibly proud of. I moved Her Light, a Year of Inspiration forward (even if it looks like it will be wrapped up a year later than I originally hoped—oops). KMP gave back through donations to causes that matter, and sessions were gifted in a few special circumstances when capturing a piece of someone’s life simply felt more important than anything else. I've met some incredible people over the last year, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, a client’s post featuring one of my photos even went viral, reaching more than one million views! Whaaaat!!!
More importantly, or maybe MOST importantly— I've continued to build Kristy Marie Photography in a way that feels more aligned with who I am, incorporating tools, practices, and boundaries that help me grow this brand into something I am more and more proud of each day.
And that's exactly what made me realize it was time to take a step beyond photography and Make Room for What's Next.
And now, I am on the cusp of launching a new branch of KMP!
The phrase be bold. be passionate. be true. has been a hashtag in almost all of my social media posts for years, has lived in the footer of my website for many moons, is tattooed on my arm, and has really become a mission statement for KMP.
But have I ever told you why?
When I first started out, years and years ago, I reached out to a photographer I admired deeply. I had no idea what the etiquette around that should be, so I told them how much I loved their work, asked if they offered mentoring or workshops, and we had a really great conversation. I mean a really great conversation—the kind that leaves you feeling hopeful and inspired. They even told me to be bold! And I joked that "be bold" might be my next tattoo.
Not long after, I had a senior session with a friend and her daughter, and we did a few photos on some nearby train tracks. I posted one to my social media page, and shortly after, the same photographer whom I'd reached out to previously posted a long rant about portrait work involving train tracks. There is no way to know if it was directed at me and my work, and honestly it doesn't even matter.
In that moment, I took it personally as though it was directed at me, and I was utterly heartbroken. I felt like I'd failed. I was so mad at myself for not knowing train tracks were frowned upon within the photography community.
I've since recovered (thank goodness, right? hahaha!), But I remember what it felt like in the moment and the true takeaway wasn't that someone may or may not have criticized my work or a choice that I made.
It was that I allowed the opinion of another to alter my opinion of myself.
Anywhoo, I did get that tattoo!! But "be bold" took on additional layers and became be bold. be passionate. be true. The words live directly under my camera tattoo on the inside of my right arm.
It was a love letter to myself and has become a daily reminder that no matter what is going on, I'm going to work hard not to lose myself in it or because of it. To always be bold in my choices, be passionate about the things and people that I love, and be true to myself no matter what.
This phrase has been on my arm for close to a decade, and its importance continues to grow in my life, in my choices, and in my work, so I thought maybe it was time to share it—and you won't even have to get a tattoo!
(Oooh, temporary tattoos! Should we? No, no, no, I'm kidding!)
This fall I will be launching something new...
The KMP Collection by Kristy Marie Photography
be bold. be passionate. be true.
The Collection will start small with T-shirts in the same earthy tones that KMP is known for, each carrying the phrase be bold. be passionate. be true. More will follow, but I don't want to ruin the surprise(s) too soon!
It may not seem obvious why a t-shirt fits under the KMP brand, or why branching into retail makes any sense at all. But to me, it just does. Kristy Marie Photography has always been about more than beautiful photos. It's about the messiness of life, the beauty within it, and the freedom to show up exactly as you are. Last year, when I relaunched KMP, I did it with one goal in mind: to build this business in a way that truly reflects the values behind be bold. be passionate. be true.
Photography has become how I express the way I see and feel the world. It is my voice. The KMP Collection is simply another way of sharing that perspective. My hope is that each piece from The Collection feels like a small extension of the world I've been creating through KMP. Earthy, warm, grounded, and imperfect in the best ways.
I guess I thought if be bold. be passionate. be true. was important to me, that maybe it could also carry meaning that is important to you. A love letter to yourself. A daily reminder to be bold in your choices, passionate about what matters to you, and true to who you are.
One year after the relaunch of KMP, with a new year on the horizon, this is the perfect time to Make Room for What's Next.
Consider this your official invitation to The Collection. I hope you love it as much as I do.
xo,
Kristy