"Celebrate what you want to see more of.” — Tom Peters"
Goodbye, 2025. It has been a long and arduous journey in many ways. Every time I turn on the television, it is a cacophony of heightened emotions. From stories of conflict, to scenes of protest, to politicians and billionaires making pronouncements that negatively impact the average working-class individual. It can be depressing sometimes, especially when you're just a "girl with a camera". I had a conversation with a dear friend recently on this very topic. And our conclusion was that, amidst the chaos, it's sometimes important to make your own joy and recognize your own achievements. Hence, I feel it's a good thing to see how far you've come.
In 2022, I had a terrible year. I lost a dear friend to very tragic circumstances. He was brilliant photographer and more importantly, a kind and supportive soul. It's always hard to produce work when mourning but this isn't meant to be a self-pitying post. Death is not a stranger to me, but sometimes it comes with other annoyances that can weigh on one's emotional state. For example, I had also lost my curated Instagram page of many years, which was unfortunate. Those obstacles made it difficult to pick up my camera some days. So, how does on get out of such a headspace? For me, it was finding a suitable personal project. This doesn't come overnight, of course and will need some patience and grace. But I found a passion project in 2024 that I enjoyed working on for nothing more than the sheer pleasure of making something for myself.
Got outside and still found time for a creative selfie.
Made some time for my favourite hangout buddy, Zeus.
Made time to appreciate the small things in life.
So, fast-forward three years. What did 2025 bring to my door? To start my annual recap, I spent time documenting some protests in Barbados. Nine to be exact. The causes were pretty varied, ranging from water to government accountability to LGBTQ+ rights and more. This constitutes part of my long-term project and a true labour of love. Second, I was asked by the Education Committee of the Barbados Photographic Society (BPS) to teach a 2-day workshop on Pet Photography. This was a very cool experience, and I was really excited to do this and give back to the Society. It's documented on the society's website. It was also fun hanging out with my dog-loving friends and their pets, who came to help me out. Shout out to Gayle, Blake and Jenny for showing up when I asked. In addition, the BPS was contacted by the World Photographic Cup about having Barbados competing in their annual competition. I was selected to be a member of Team Barbados, with two entries in my first international competition in years. Whatever the results, I feel like I've won.
Team Barbados 2026, World Photographic Cup
To all of you who read this, no matter which stage of the creative journey you are at, or if you simply like stopping by to read this blog, I appreciate you. Thank you for all the feedback, whether online or in person. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for taking the time to be here. I’m making plans and looking forward to lots more in 2026, so stay tuned. Special shout-out to my friend Bruce, who takes the time to proofread and critique my work and never says no, whenever I need a helping hand. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead and to more of everything good in 2026. May it be your (and our) best year yet!
Cheers, with all my love to you and yours. Until next time, stay optimistic…