Where I’ve Been: A Letter to You.

For a long time, I’ve been quiet.

Not because I didn’t care, and not because I wanted to disappear - but because I didn’t know how to explain what I was going through.

My journey with photography started in the most tender, simple way: with little shoots in my hometown of Edzo. I didn’t have a big plan back then. I just had a camera, a curious heart, and a deep love for capturing people in their realness.

It felt easy. It felt like medicine.

Then, things started to grow. People started noticing my work. My calendar filled up. My inbox stayed full. I was getting bookings back-to-back, collaborating with clients I admired, and eventually… I saw my work on a billboard in downtown Toronto.

It was surreal. Beautiful, even. But also - overwhelming.

I didn’t know how to hold it all. The pace, the pressure, the momentum - it all came at once. I said yes to everything, thinking that’s what I was supposed to do. I was afraid to slow down. Afraid to fall behind.

And eventually, it caught up with me.

The burnout wasn’t loud at first. It crept in quietly - through missed meals, ignored emails, and the slow disappearance of joy. Then it got heavier. I stopped showing up - not just to my business, but to myself. I missed deadlines, I lost track of orders, and I distanced myself from clients I genuinely cared about.

I was ashamed. I didn’t want anyone to see me struggling. I thought hiding would be easier than being honest. I told myself no one needed to know - that this was my problem to deal with.

But the truth is: I cared deeply. And that made it even harder to admit that I was falling apart.

Eventually, I knew something had to shift. I needed to breathe again. I needed stability. So I stepped into a full-time role that aligned with my values - supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs. And that role has been such a gift. It gave me space to reflect, reconnect with myself, and contribute in a way that feels meaningful.

In the background, I’ve spent this past year making things right - reaching out to past clients, fulfilling orders even when they were late, offering refunds where I could, and most importantly… being honest.

And one of the biggest shifts in my life came earlier this year, when I chose sobriety. I quit drinking. That decision has changed everything - my clarity, my creativity, and the way I want to live and work moving forward. Sobriety helped me come back to myself. It gave me the mental space to feel again, to dream again, and to remember why I started creating in the first place.

I’ve missed this work. I’ve missed telling stories. I’ve missed the feeling of capturing something honest. But I knew I didn’t want to return to this work the same way I left it.

I’m not the same photographer I was before - and that’s something I’m proud of.

Today, I’m creating from a new place: one rooted in freedom, care, and clarity. My art feels like medicine again. Not a performance, not a hustle - but a practice of showing up with heart.

To those who showed me patience during this time… who waited, even when I couldn’t explain what was happening… who showed kindness when I didn’t know how to ask for it - thank you. I will never forget that.

There are exciting things ahead - new projects, stories, and offerings I can’t wait to share with you. But for now, I just wanted to say this first.

Thank you for being here. For holding space.
I’m back now - not perfect, but present.
And so, so grateful.

With so much love,

Jamie <3