Fantastically Unfiltered

Over the last couple years, I have really had to think about how I want to share my life and our family with the rest of the world. It is something that I enjoy, being able to be creative in my photography while freezing moments in time with my children. Our life is chaotic and messy and really not the perfect fodder for public consumption-and I would never want it to be. I find however, that what used to be a forum for communities gathering by commonalities has become a never ending ladder of one-upping and false displays of sheer perfection.

I will never keep a home that is visually suitable for random photographs that appear to be out of a magazine editorial shoot. My walls are off-white and often peppered with nicks and sticky hand prints, the floors are often cluttered with toys and errant socks, and our washrooms barely suffice for random guest appearances. We have four children, three pets, a full life of love, laughter, arguments and flat out sibling rivalry. There are corners of perfection and moments that feel totally beautiful and unreal, but I have had to consciously decide to share all of it despite the cleanliness, trendiness based on how popular I think it will be because the reality is that simply isn’t honest about our life. There is humor and reality and gorgeousness wrapped up in the mess, and that’s what I strive to communicate about who we are as people and as family. Honest Tea’s new campaign celebrating National Iced Tea Day (June 10th), encourages people to share their #refreshinglyhonest moments, an invitation to take the first step toward being a little more honest in your daily life. It’s cathartic and I highly recommend it.

Ultimately, I created these platforms for my children. I want them to read the stories and see the photos of their childhood, and it won’t do them any favors if those moments are orchestrated, styled, falsified, staged or prepped in any way. What a travesty it would be to look back on your most beautiful times of life and not see what the real truth was, but to see the filtered, perfected side because that’s what was expected out of our lives. From videos of goofy moments covered in bubbles or dirt or chocolate to photos of huge smiles with clutter in the background, I am here to celebrate it all and while it is sometimes a little embarrassing to admit that my home isn’t tidy all of the time, it’s the truth and that’s what counts. This #RefreshinglyHonest project is one that I can fully jump on board with and happily share, and I would love to see your funny, messy, adorable moments, too.