Don’t Sleep on these Sessions

AKA The fire you forgot you had.

You ever scroll through your hard drive and stumble across a gallery and think… wait, why the heck didn’t I scream about this from the rooftops?

Same. I’ve been sleeping on some sessions that seriously need a second round of attention.

And it wasn’t because they weren’t beautiful. Not because the session wasn’t dreamy or the light wasn’t golden. But because, truthfully, it was.

I was afraid to show my work even if it was good work. Does that even make sense? I don’t know. I guess life be life-ing and being an artist who just wants to make it out alive can be really daunting.

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

Ever hear that one? Yeah… unfortunately, I’m kind of an expert in that department. Not proud of it, just honest.

Maybe it started in childhood, maybe it’s the creative brain, or maybe it’s just the curse of being constantly surrounded by beautiful work online.

I’ll be mid-edit on a session, feeling good, vibing with the tones, and then BAMMM, my brain flips the switch. I start thinking about that photographer’s feed, those perfect shots I saw earlier, and suddenly mine feel flat, boring, not enough.

So I quit.

Close photoshop. Slam the laptop shut. Spiral a little.

Repeat.

And if any of that hits a little too close to home, consider this your gentle nudge (or chaotic shove) to go dig up whatever old work you’ve done. Paintings, photographs, drawings, writings, whatever it is your creative self invented.

The ones you swore you'd come back to—I did, and honestly? I've never felt more inspired by my own work than I do right now.

This is a session in my archive that still gives me goosebumps. A session where I experimented with light, texture, movement, and drank too much coffee. A session in my old bedroom where I felt free of all the radicals, where the sun did half the styling for me, and yet I’m sitting here 10 years later admiring this session I never gave enough attention to.

Repeat after me Jesse:

Your creation deserves better.
You’ve grown.
Your work still matters.

P.S. If you see a few “new” old sessions popping up on my blog or IG soon, now you know why. I’m wide awake now.