What Influences Shaped Who You Are?

When I was very young, I loved stories about knights and chivalry. Many were staples of reading and movies for children. Themes were often about bravery, service to a kingdom, and protecting and rescuing those in distress. Saving a princess was a part of many such tales. The thing I took away most from it was a sense of elegance and romance. These themes were a huge part of Hollywood as well. As a photographer, I find these themes are still envisioned when young women are planning and envisioning their wedding day. The desire for elegant beauty is in us all, and found in every beautiful sunset.

I've been thinking about how important things we're exposed to when young form our life paradigms. Whether from literature, parents, entertainment, or media, we're now forming the future minds of children as we speak.

Quality books and movies are still available, although rarely mainstream. With that said, it's still possible to provide children with such valuable influences if we're willing to hunt for them. Aren't chivalry, bravery, and elegance still nice seeds to plant in children? Aren't they the very core of eventual service to others, as well as living with hope in an always challenging world?

Whenever I find my photography expressing themes of elegance, a beautiful princess, or a brave knight, I'm glad my home exposed me to such magical and romantic ways to look at life, no matter how difficult in reality. It's the ability to envision beauty that allows us all to persevere, regardless of day-to-day struggles. And if we don't see enough beauty, we're then motivated to create some for ourselves and others!