Time Flies When You Do What You Love :)

So recently I took a breath in between post-Artist Project and pre-One of a Kind chaos, and realized that this May marks the 15th anniversary of the start of my business.. !!
At first I was shocked (surely I'm far to young to have a 15-year-old business! Haha), but when that passed I felt mostly two things: proud of how far I've come in those 15 years, and super-excited about what the next 15 or so will hold!

When I first started my business, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. No clue that I was signing up to work pretty much 7-day weeks, almost every week of every year. No concept of what it's like to get pneumonia and not have a drug plan or paid sick days, and have nobody who could do my job while I was recovering. I now know all of this, and wouldn't change a thing :)

15 years ago, I actually had a full-time job as well as a business. This was back in the days of film and darkrooms, and not being able to "fix it later" in Photoshop. I learned a lot from the people I worked with, and most importantly learned that I didn't want to work for a big company. Which is a great thing to know, because it's made me never regret how hard I've had to work since going out on my own :)

I haven't gotten rich in money, but can't even begin to count the riches in other parts of my life.. I've had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places, I've worked with such an amazing and talented group of people, and I've been able to chase my dreams and inspirations where they have led me. I'm filled with so much gratitude that I've been able to do what I love over these past 15 years.

This actually feels like a much bigger milestone than any birthday I've ever had - after all, birthdays come whether you actively pursue them or not ;) So to celebrate, and to spread some of this excitement around to the people who've made it possible, I've decided to spend the next 15 months giving little perks and bonuses to my clients! One a month will bring us right through my 15th year, with the final month being May of 2016.

The first one is immediate: I'll be exhibiting at the Spring One of a Kind Show in Toronto a week from now, and anyone who stops by my booth to say "Happy Anniversary" will get 15% off anything in my booth :) This will be my first time doing the One of a Kind show as an exhibitor, and I'm really excited to branch out into this fantastic community! The show runs March 25th-29th at the Direct Energy Centre (at the CNE), and I'm in booth M19 - hope to see you there :) I'll be sharing some work in progress pictures over the next few days on instagram, facebook, and twitter if you like the "behind the scenes" type of stuff. *use this link to save $3 off regular admission to the show!

As for the rest of the perks, I'll be sharing that information every month on facebook and twitter, so be sure to follow! I also have an email list that you can sign up for - here's the link for the Fine Art news and updates, and here's where I'll announce any specials for couples or family portraits.

A HUGE "Thank You!" to everyone I've worked with over the past decade and a half - many of you have trusted me with the most precious moments and memories of your lives, or the promoting of your own small business dreams, and many others now have my whimsical depictions of far-away places hung on your walls.. all of you hold a special place in my heart for the role you have played in allowing me to live my dream :) I look forward to seeing you sometime soon!

xo Jessica