The other day I was scrolling through some blogs and pictures on instagram and stopped myself. I realized I was starting to second guess my style, or if I even had one. I had seen several well known bloggers/folks starting to dress their kids and such in a certain style and just couldn’t really get into it. As I was looking through pictures I starting thinking “maybe I should start wearing that too or have Leland wear….” but I couldn’t get into this certain trend. Often times, I just can’t get into the trends. Sometimes, I really hate that because I think it makes me go against the grain but all in all it’s just that, a trend. It comes and goes. Next year, it will be something else. It won’t be chevron blankets and juicing, it will be something different.

Then I realized, it’s ok. It’s ok to not go with the ebb and flow of trends. As soon as I started to contemplate a different style, I started to lose my own sense of style (any that I may have-ha!) and what truly inspires me. This is true in photography and my life in general. I was frustrated that I couldn’t dress like a certain person or edit like a certain photographer or decorate like so-and-so. Then I asked myself questions like these:

“Where do I feel the most at peace?”

“What inspires me? Like, really inspires me??”

“What colors, places, and things bring me joy?”

I don’t use pinterest but I answered all of these questions with a small pinterest board I made. After creating it (some of the images are above) I quickly saw what inspired me, what my style was. Pictures of barns, farm life, mason jars, and simplicity. Being in the country, journaling, wearing browns and tans and pinks. There was a little “Ah-ha” moment. I quickly saw what brought a sense of peace in my life and it was definitely not anywhere close to “trendy.” And that is ok. It’s just the way God made me- he makes us all different, with unique tastes and individuality. There is beauty in that.

“Confidence allows us to face life with boldness, openness, & honesty. It enables us to live authentically. We don’t have to pretend to be somebody we’re not, because we are secure in Christ- even if we’re different from those around us. I firmly believe that confidence give us permission to be different, to be unique. God has created every person in a unique way, yet most people spend their lives trying to be like someone else- and feeling miserable as a result. God will never help you be some other person. He wants you to be you.”