You Are Not a Before & After Photo + What I’m Reading | 2.20.25
SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE :-)
Hello Beautiful,
Everywhere we look, we’re told that we should be striving toward a transformation. Before-and-after photos flood our feeds, showcasing weight loss, makeovers, and so-called “glow-ups.” The message is clear: the “before” version wasn’t enough. But I want to challenge that.
Because you are not a before and after photo. You are not a project that needs fixing.
When women contact my studio, they sometimes express nervousness, almost as if they’re hoping for a drastic transformation. They’ll say things like, “I don’t know how to pose,” or “I need to lose a few pounds first.” They expect boudoir to turn them into someone else, but that’s not the point.
Boudoir is about capturing who you already are, your depth, your fire, your softness, your resilience. It’s about seeing yourself fully, maybe for the first time in a long time.
It’s not about a “better” version of you. It’s about recognizing that THIS version of you is already worthy.
The idea of a “before” and “after” suggests that there’s a defining moment when we finally become acceptable. But life doesn’t work that way.
You were worthy before you lost weight. You were worthy before you changed your hair. You were worthy before you found confidence. You are worthy in every version of yourself, past, present, and future.
When we see ourselves only in terms of improvement, we rob ourselves of the joy of simply BEING. We hold back from experiences, waiting until we feel “ready.” But what if you’re already enough? What if you don’t need to change a thing to deserve feeling beautiful, sensual, and powerful?
Here’s a truth I want you to sit with: the way you look right now, in this moment, is worth celebrating. Not because of some future goal. Not because of external validation. But because YOU exist. Because your story matters.
So how do we break free from “before and after” thinking?
1. Notice when you’re comparing yourself to past versions of yourself or holding yourself to impossible standards. Ask yourself: Who told me I need to change?
2. Too often, women say they’ll book a boudoir session AFTER they lose weight, AFTER they tone up, AFTER they feel more confident. But confidence doesn’t come from waiting, it comes from showing up for yourself now.
3. Beauty is presence. It’s the way you throw your head back when you laugh. It’s the quiet strength in your eyes. It’s how you move, how you love, how you take up space.
When you step in front of my camera, I don’t see a “before.” I see YOU. Your energy, your essence, your unique beauty. And my goal is to help YOU see that too.
Because you are not a draft waiting to be perfected. You are the masterpiece.
You are already art.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
What I’m Reading
Some books are just interesting. Others shift something inside you. The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck was the latter for me. It wasn’t just a book I read—it was one I had to re-listen to, letting its ideas sink in deeper.
Integrity, as Beck describes it, isn’t about being morally upright; it’s about living in full alignment with who you are. And that’s harder than it sounds. We’re conditioned to follow expectations, smooth over discomfort, and stay in familiar patterns, even when they don’t serve us. But what if the resistance we feel—the burnout, the discontent, the feeling of being stuck—is actually a sign that we’re out of alignment?
This book made me consider that question. It nudged me to examine where I’ve made choices out of habit instead of truth. It reminded me that real change doesn’t come from forcing things but from removing what isn’t real in the first place.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re moving through life on autopilot, The Way of Integrity might be the kind of book that doesn’t just give you answers—it makes you ask better questions.
XX, AMY
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