The Feeling

There are spaces that simply hold beauty…
and then there are spaces that invite you to slow down long enough to actually feel it.

This Italian-inspired villa is the latter.

Wrapped in climbing ivy and warm stone, tucked behind archways and garden paths, every corner feels like it was designed for both quiet moments and meaningful connection.

Olive trees stretch toward soft skies.
Light pours gently through open windows.
A courtyard hums with the kind of stillness that makes you exhale without realizing you were holding your breath.

It’s romantic.
It’s whimsical.
It’s alive in a way that makes you want to create without overthinking.

And yet…
as beautiful as this space is…

this workshop was never just about where it’s held.

---

The Heart Behind It

Before photography became my full-time world,
I spent seven years as a public school educator.

I taught everything from 11th grade English to middle school English learners…
creative writing, photography, AVID Excel, yearbook, ASB…
rooms full of different personalities, different stories, different ways of seeing.

And what I loved most wasn’t just teaching content,
it was creating environments where something would click.

Where someone would finally understand.
Where confidence would replace doubt.
Where they would start to see themselves differently.

Those moments?
They stayed with me.

And even after stepping away from the classroom two years ago,
I’ve felt it quietly, consistently…

that part of me never left.

Because the truth is…
you can take the teacher out of the classroom,
but you can’t take the teacher out of the heart.

---

Creating What I Once Needed

Over the years, I’ve invested in education, attended workshops, and stepped into spaces meant to inspire growth.

And while so many were beautiful…
I often walked away wishing there had been more space to actually be.

To ask questions without pressure.
To try, to fail, to refine.
To not feel rushed or compared.

To not just learn, but to process.

So I created the workshop I wish I had.

---

This Is Where You Slow Down

Own Your Eye was designed intentionally differently.

Not packed.
Not rushed.
Not performative.

Instead…

You’ll find yourself photographing beneath archways wrapped in green,
gathering around thoughtfully designed spaces,
resting in between moments of creating instead of running to the next thing.

You’ll sit in spaces that feel like they were made for conversation.
You’ll shoot with intention, not urgency.
You’ll have time to actually practice what you’re learning.

Because creativity doesn’t thrive when you’re overwhelmed,
it thrives when you’re present.

---

It’s Not About Becoming Someone Else

This workshop isn’t about trends.
It’s not about copying what works for someone else.

It’s about coming back to yourself.

To what you notice.
What you’re drawn to.
What feels natural in your hands and in your heart.

It’s about learning to trust that.
To refine it.
To own it.

---

A Space for Real Connection

Beyond the imagery, beyond the content,
this is a space for people.

For conversations that feel honest.
For community that feels safe.
For growth that doesn’t feel forced.

No ego.
No competition.
Just creatives choosing to show up as they are.

---

An Invitation

If you’ve been craving something slower…
something more intentional…
something that allows you to create and breathe…

this workshop is for you.

Not because you need to become more,
but because you deserve space to return to who you already are and own it.

Own Your Eye: Style, Story & Self
May 15–16 | Southern California

An intentionally small, thoughtfully curated experience designed to help you slow down, refine your vision, and create from a place that feels like your own.