The door of my 20s has officially closed.
It was a decade that blessed me in ways my rural Kentucky teenage self could’ve never imagined.
30 feels better than anyone told me it would.
THL Self-Portrait Challenge | Day 5 I’m wrapping up this week more creatively fueled than I started it. I wish everyone who participated could see how much they make me smile throughout each day and how elated I get to observe what they’ve created. I’m a photographer, yes. But I am forever a student and lover of this art form. I’ve been pushing through burnout for the past couple of years. I don’t know if that’s obvious to people or not. This year I’ve made it a priority to fall back in love with it the way I was as a kid thumbing through Nat Geo magazines, or the teen shooting for the yearbook staff, or the young woman studying PR wishing she had just committed to the PJ program, and the 25-year-old that dove into freelancing full-time and would shoot anything and everything. I’m realizing now that my excitement for it is back. I’ll try not to rush it or overdo it and find myself burning the candle at both ends again. (I also know myself well enough to know I probably will, but now I know how to listen to the signs telling me I need more rest and I have the confidence to listen.) Thank you so much for creating with me this week. I have read your messages and observed your images and laughed and cried and audibly gasped every day this week. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. —— P.S. I was listening to Good Hang while I was making this set of images and something made me laugh. I forget how little I actually share images of me smiling, despite being a very smiley person. Anywho, that’s a genuine smile and I see both of my parents in it. It makes me happy.
P.P.S. For every person I’ve ever made stare into the sun for a photo, my debt has been paid. 🙃
THL Self-Portrait Challenge | Day 4
Self-compassion doesn’t come easy. But I’m slowly learning how to take a step back and treat myself like a friend. Being goofy certainly helps, even when no one else is watching. (Scroll through, you’ll see.)
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Shout out to @austincurrent_ for his patience and willingness to crawl into our half-person shower at 9pm after a long day of work when I was having a hard time figuring out how I was going to make these self-ports and needed a subject to practice on first.
After a couple of minutes he said, “I’d like to leave now” and slowly crept out of the bathroom. 💀
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Self-portraits, creative challenge, photography challenge, Denver portrait photographer
THL Self-Portrait Challenge | Day 3 I spent the first 23ish years of my life thinking I was dumb. So I did my best to just be a really hard worker and stay involved in my classes, community, and jobs however I could.
I had no idea that I had severe food intolerances until I was 23. I had chronic inflammation, digestive issues, and brain fog/mild headaches for my entire life. It was just my normal baseline. I didn’t know what feeling good and clear-headed actually meant until after I graduated from college and eliminated two simple things from my diet. I didn’t realize that I was a slow reader when I was younger because of said brain fog and undiagnosed ADHD until I was 28. It’s not that I have a difficult time with comprehension, it’s that I have a very difficult time with concentration. My mother was diagnosed with ADHD when she was in her 60s, and it prompted me to find out if that was what was responsible for my squirrelly, overactive brain as well. I really wish we would’ve both known a lot sooner, but I’m glad we know now.
It’s a freaking super power when you understand it and know how to work with it. All that to say, I spend so much time “in my head” that it takes quite a bit of work for me to drop down into my body. I spent over two decades (and built my entire life’s foundation) over functioning mentally and physically—but not in ways that served me well. So I have to be very mindful and intentional about really feeling into my body. Challenging myself physically helps. It forces me to be present and actually feel what’s happening in my body, not just my mind. And then it’s so cool to see how that energy flows back to my mind in positive ways. It took a long time for me to learn what it means to operate from my “higher self” and I absolutely do not do it all the time. But I’ve learned how to make simple, daily actions that help me function in ways my younger self didn’t even know was possible.
THL Self-Portrait Challenge | Day 2
Sacred space.
Forming a new habit is hard. The acts themselves are simple, but consistently showing up for daily routines can feel like a drag—especially if you’ve been blessed with an ADHD brain.
So, I’ve treated this little spot at my dining table like a little safe haven. I’ve devoted my mornings to this ritual:
I wake up earlier than I used to.
I make coffee and pour it in a cup made from an artist’s hands.
I light a candle from a local maker.
I sit down in the chair closest to the wall to see the morning light change in the window.
I feel the sturdiness of my grandmother’s table beneath my hands and elbows and think of the decades my family has gathered around it.
I read something positive or inspiring or that makes me think with more intention.
I write at least one full page in my journal. (Morning pages. 💛)
The simple things really do make a world of difference.
THL Self-Portrait Challenge | Day 1 Like many, I’ve been trapped in the media hellscape.
I feel like my psyche has been a pawn in their game—those I agree with on one level or another and those I don’t.
We’re all addicted and spun up in this weird, awful web.
It’s impossible to balance the weight of it with the weight of our own life’s trials.
I read something recently that suggested we’d all be better off if we tended to the part of the garden we could reach. (I believe this was from @adamleerussell .)
So, over the past few months I’ve decided to give rage bait less attention. I’ve been observing what’s happening around me in my community. I’m looking at the insane landscape that is essentially right out my backdoor as often as possible and showing gratitude (real, deep gratitude) for every small thing that is mundane and holy and wonderful in my life.
I’m zooming out.
I’m honing in.
I’m choosing kindness and curiosity and other things I can actually control.
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P.S. I added some tips for how I made these. Hope it helps. 💛
#thlselfportraitchallenge
I love making self-portraits for so many reasons.
They’ve allowed me to document my life in a way that feels honest—in a way no one else can.
They’ve made me a more skilled and compassionate photographer.
They’ve shown me how to have fun in my own company.
They always remind me that nothing will turn out exactly how I want it to but always how it should.
They are forever a gift to my past, present, and future self.
I would be honored if you join me next week to celebrate ten years of The Humble Lion, and a decade full of making and sharing art.
Here are the details: DATES
April 20 - 26, 2026 PROMPTS
Sent via email every morning.
TWO WINNERS
One pro, one hobbyist. Everyone is welcome. HOW TO WIN
This is the best part — this challenge isn’t skill based. I want you to create freely, without the pressure of creating what you think others will like and choose. I draw the winners’ names from my uncle’s old, sweaty hat.This is the best part — this challenge isn’t skill based. I want you to create freely, without the pressure of creating what you think others will like and choose. I draw the winners’ names from my uncle’s old, sweaty hat.
PRIZES
A ceramic mug and a candle from local Colorado makers. THE “RULES”
Again, this challenge isn’t skill based and I want you to take my prompts and run like hell with ‘em. You don’t have to share them on social media (though you’re more than welcome to so me and my community can hype you up!!). You just have to email me all 5 images you created in one email entry by 11:59pm MST on the Saturday after the challenge. Sign up at the link in my bio. 💛
@backwoodsboudoir — an intimate, celebratory experience.
Our 4th annual BB Studio Session at @realmdenver is next weekend on March 14th.
We only have two 30 minute sessions or one full hour session left to snag between 12pm-1pm.
Are you ready to make magic with us? 🌾💫
Check out details at the link in my bio.
P.S. babies + pets are always welcome for a beautiful, sacred portrait experience, too.
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Florals + Set Design: @drawntoflowers
Photography: @kasmitchell
Had the absolute pleasure of working with @sc_creativeco twice in January. This is the most stunning kitchen I’ve had the privilege to photograph to date, and we had the honor of working with legendary stylist, @natalie_warady . 💫
Shoutout to @dudleyprecisionllc for the most beautiful cabinetry I’ve ever seen in person.
#denverinteriordesign #denverinteriorphotographer #coloradointeriorphotographer #kitcheninspo #cherrycreekinteriors
Mark your calendar. @drawntoflowers and I have officially booked @realmdenver for our annual Backwoods Boudoir Studio Session on March 14, 2026.
In the past, we’ve always booked these for the first week of February so you have the final gallery by Valentine’s Day. This year, we’re both nursing burnout and needed a little more time.
We’re brainstorming three sets for you this year:
• Full light set
• Tight dark set
• Completely bare set
We’ll share some inspo for our the sets soon, but for now, comment “BB STUDIO” below and I’ll send you the link to our waitlist. 💫
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Colorado boudoir | Denver Boudoir | Body Art
One thing I’m calling in this year: more sacred work.
Every time I log onto this app it feels a bit more dystopian. In an effort to keep myself sane and put some good out in the world, I want to work with more women during the most divine moments of their lives.
I’m not giving up commercial or brand work, but I’m certainly trying to attract more of this. 💫
If you’re interested in a maternity or motherhood session in the Denver area this year, I’d love to discuss how we can work together.
Photos above created for my dear friend @rachelnsmith .
