Tell me about yourself.

I am a native to Northwest Arkansas, which is somewhat rare these days. NWA was so different back in the day. This was a small place with nothing to do as a kid. As a young kid, I spent most of my time on my bike or in my bedroom listing to music. As a teenager, I got a job the first chance I could and spent a good part of my time in the activities that came with being in choir, drama and debate/ competitive speech. I am so thankful I was able to do these activities in school because they became my outlet and solace from the turmoil of my home life. I won't elaborate on that but it definitely shaped and developed a very long journey of insecurities and self-criticism. I am 41 years old. I have worked in Information Technology for nearly 20 years. I started my baking business, Sweet Madness Baking, in 2017. It is my creative outlet and I enjoy doing it as a side business for fun. This year I started a new venture, Grout & Grit Home Renovations. I love all things DIY, power tools, building things and renovation projects. I am self-taught but I feel like I picked up my knack for it from many years of watching my dad do handy work on his own while I was growing up. I love seeing the results and being able to do these things gives me a bit of pride. I have 3 amazing kids and honestly they are the motivation for why I work so hard and do what I love doing. I want them to know that anything is possible no matter their age, gender or any other factor. I also want them to know that hard work is necessary to achieve these things too and nothing comes easy.

Outside of all this, I am a pretty simple woman. I don't need a lot or expect a lot. A comfy pair of jeans is much better than getting all glam. I dig tattoos and have many. I am crass, weird and can be outspoken. Music has always been a huge part of my life and I love all kinds in many different genres but my first love in hard rock. I love road trips and one day plan to own a camper so I go on some pretty epic adventures.

How has your photo shoot experience shaped how you view yourself?

I was so nervous prior to the shoot and I know I over-stressed far too much about the outfits for the shoot. As I was heading to the shoot, I really struggled with the negative self-talk. I worried I would look awkward, over-weight, unattractive... the unfortunate truth of how I often view myself. After my hair and makeup was done and I got in front of the camera, I found myself relaxing and even enjoying the experience of changing outfits and posing. I was excited that I got to do some of these photos with my daughters, who inspire me so much. By the end of the shoot, I was a little sad it was over. I had SO MUCH FUN. Fast forward to reveal day... When I walked into the studio to a wall full of these photos of my girls and of me, I was speechless. I was in awe of the woman looking back at me in those photos. That woman was confident, fierce, strong, stoic and beautiful. She was proud of who she was. Kelsey was able to capture the very essence of who I want to be, who I have fought to be and who I am. As I looked at those photos, I cried and I felt incredibly beautiful... and that has been a struggle for me all of my life. I am beyond thankful I got to be a part of this incredible project because it gave me a chance to see myself for so much more. I really needed that.

What message would you like to give other women that are going through a difficult time in life and might not feel worthy?

I am extremely passionate about mental health. All 3 of my children have been diagnosed with ADHD with my youngest also being diagnosed with severe anxiety and dyslexia. It has been important to me to get my children any help they need to help with the struggles that come with these challenges. It has been especially important to me to teach my children to embrace their disorders as parts of who they are and that became even more important when I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40. I have struggled with anxiety and depression all my life and knew there were other challenges I was facing. When I finally got my diagnosis, I poured myself into researching and learning as much as possible about mental health and neurodiversity. This has allowed me to be more diligent about teaching my daughters to embrace the strengths and differences that come with ADHD and anxiety. I want to make damn sure that they never feel "less than" for how their brains are wired. I want them to feel comfortable talking about that part of themselves without any shame. I am very vocal about my own mental health. Mental health has enough of a stigma and we really need to change that. So when it comes to a woman, or anyone, going through a difficult time and struggling with their self worth and/or mental health, I would encourage them to give themselves permission to feel everything they feel. If you need to cry, do it. If you need to quit, do it. If you need to go scream in a pillow, do it. You cannot move on from what you won't allow yourself to face. More importantly, I encourage any woman struggling to talk to someone. There is no shame at all in seeking help, whether that be venting to a friend, see a therapist, or get some sort of treatment. Struggling with self-worth, going through difficulties, having a mental health disorder and making mistakes does not make you a failure, flawed, less than, ugly, defective or any other negative term someone could come up with. It is okay to fall sometimes and it is okay to lean on others to get us through. Just remember that you are resilient, capable and strong. Even the worst of times shall pass. Give yourself permission to go through the struggle. I promise it does get better.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I'm pretty sure I could fill up an entire notebook of things I was say to the little girl I was. A few things that come to mind would be to tell her to care less about what other people think, to accept who she is, to focus on what makes her happy and that this too shall pass. But mostly, I would just hug that younger version of myself and hold her as tightly as possible. I would want her to feel safe, deserving and loved....

What would you tell other women about stepping out of their comfort zone and doing a photo shoot?

I would highly recommend to any woman struggling with their self worth to step out of their comfort zone to do this photo shoot or anything else they have never done before. Do the photo shoot, go on an adventure or learn a new skill. It is outside of our comfort zone where we truly grow the most and become stronger versions of ourselves. So, go do that thing that makes you uncomfortable... because you will find an incredibly capable, brave, dynamic part of yourself that you may not know existed. And everyone deserves to feel amazing and proud of who they are. We are, after all, so worthy.