Queen Rose

After high school, I just knew I wanted to be a graphic designer. I wanted to change people’s lives with my logos and images; I wanted them on big huge billboard and I wanted the “awe” factor.

I went to UMKC, thinking of all the possibilities of where I could go with my career once I got my degree, I thought about all the paths this could open for me. Then the news came; during my second year, they discontinued my major at UMKC.

The news killed me. It crushed my hopes and dreams. I lost a sense of pride for MY school and myself. I didn’t care. I didn’t want it anymore. I was good at graphic design but it isn’t something that kept me as interested as it used to. I had no motivation to want to show everyone my work. I felt showing people my art work on billboard meant nothing. It was not an accomplishment, that was simply me wanting to show off. Who does that making happy? Myself and solely me.

I haven’t been in school for 2 semesters. About 3 months ago, I was down on myself and wondering what I was going to do with my life. It’s a terrible feeling.

I have an amazing boyfriend, who has an incredible son, and we are something like a small family. I realized, recently, that there are women put in this world who are meant to make difference, women who are meant to be a CEO, women who are meant to empower others, and some women are meant to be home and take care of their family. There are also women who do a variety of those things and still proceed to live happily. Some women have full time jobs and are full time moms. My mom was.

I thought about it and I thought hard. I came to the conclusion, I feel like something is missing because I’m not doing what’s making me happy. I’m simply doing enough to get by. I’m doing enough to pay bills. But that’s it. I had to think to myself, “What makes me happy?” I couldn’t answer it. I didn’t know.

I figured it out when I visited my family in Colorado. We got our family photos done while I was there. That was the clue.

Meanwhile, My father asked me, “Its instinctual for women to want children and take care of people, you are fighting those instincts, thus fighting yourself. How can you be happy fighting yourself?”

He had a point. So as I thought about it, I realized, a family is definitely something I want, but I’ll start that later, in a couple of years. I want to accomplish things and build a career before I establish a family and bring other beings into this world. I then could see what makes me happy; photography. Family photography, making others feel great about themselves and their families. That was it!

I’m a 21 year old woman, with a dedicated family and I’m building my Queendom by starting my own Free-Lance Family Photography business. I’m realizing more and more that the possibilities are endless once you put your mind to it. Hard work and dedication are key to success and fulfillment. THEY are my motivation, my family; hard work: my boyfriend, dedication: his son.