It’s been over a week since I was a part of the Feet First Session with Margaux & Max Wanger and Jesse and Whitney of Our Labor of Love, and I still feel incredibly invigorated and inspired. These four artists have carved out an amazing place in the industry, probably because they’re never afraid to try something new or create something out of the ordinary. They not only taught about their techniques and businesses, but about their approaches to life as a whole. They truly listen to their own hearts and don’t waste time comparing themselves to others.

This lesson really couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Although I feel like I’ve made strides since leaving Forever 21 a few months ago, I needed this push, and this added encouragement. Sometimes we all need something that tells us we’ve made the right choice, that we’re following the right path. This workshop was undoubtably that for me.

Believe it or not, I didn’t take nearly as many photos as I normally do – mostly because I was trying soak up all of the information I possibly could. Although I frequently experience life through my camera lens, I can definitely get distracted trying to compose the perfect shot and tune out what’s around me (being deaf in one ear probably contributes to this habit as well). That being the case, I really made a concerted effort to put my camera down and listen. Here are some of the photos I took during the weekend, most of which came from our morning spent learning new techniques with two awesome couples as models.
Whitney, the fearless driver:
(I processed most of these images with the new VSCO 03 Instant Film pack, just for fun)

Our Feet First LA Tumblr is still being updated with Instagrams from everyone – be sure to check it out. For anyone who saw the #feetfirstLA obsessively posted on my personal Facebook page, this was why!

I’m extremely grateful for this experience and to Whitney, Jesse, Max, and Margaux for being such wonderful, honest teachers.
Thank you.