Should I Have Bigger Goals?
Is it ok to just be happy with what you’ve got?
My cousin and I asked ourselves this as we sat chatting on speaker phone in our respective backyards, admiring our gardens and listening to the birds.
Should we be striving for more?
For some reason, I keep telling myself that I really should.
I should be doing more, making more, acquiring more.
So I sat down and wrote out my REAL goals, you know, the ones I’d been holding back on…
Collaborate on a book with Madonna
Become a brand ambassador for Dior
Buy a penthouse in Saint-Germain, Paris
Own a chateau in the South of France and host fabulous gatherings all the time
Sigh. SO MUCH TO DO!
But then I looked out at my roses.
I put on my noise cancelling headphones and pumped the set list from Royel Otis’ latest concert. I danced as I flung my drop sheet out over the verdant overgrown lawn. Squeezed out some metallic silver acrylic into my vintage cut-glass trinket bowl watching as the sun caught reflection on all of the pigments and danced with me. I dug out my favourite brush from a set I bought from a beautiful young artist in Port Douglas.
The sun pashed my shoulders, bare in the black and white striped Zara playsuit I bought for 8.99 euros in Spain when my daughter was 2. She’s eleven now. I have worn it over 1,000 times. (Yes, I actually did the math) It’s polyester but it has outlasted everything and continues to draw compliments to this day. 9 euros. 9 years ago. That’s a cost per wear of less than ONE CENT. Fuck I’m awesome at investments.
But I digress.
Can I please just play in my garden and make art and just sell it from my garage?
Then I don’t need to be on the internet. I won’t worry about hackers. I won’t stress about forgotten subscriptions on auto-renew that slowly erode my bank account, each one reminding me what an absolute failure I am at ‘adulting’.
Instead, I will engage in genuine conversations with people as they come by, greeting them with warmth and a cuppa. As we chat, I will witness their hearts crack open a little more. I will give them gifts of twine-wrapped rosemary and lavender from my garden… I will soak up the energy of their smiles.
Maybe that’s all I need to thrive…
Smiles. Connection. Sunshine. Flowers. Light. Music. Art. Dance. Sparkles. No internet required.
This sounds like a nice life to me.
I Didn't Need to Burn it All Down... I Needed to Flip It On Its Head
Oh god. A moment of clarity.
Thank fuck for that. I was starting to lose my bloody marbles.
Just when I think I’m about to lose my shit and go back to ‘doing what was working fine’ and was ‘silly’ to throw away I get thrown another piece of the puzzle. This one lands with a satisfying thud.
I had to burn my identity down so I could gather alllllll the pieces of what led to now.
I couldn’t make sense of it in advance. It needed to unfold organically. Each seed of doubt holding me up, ensuring I wasn’t rushing into something out of panic. I needed to trust. I needed to wait.
And now, when you read it below, it will probably sound plain bloody obvious. (This life continues to crack me up.)
But I had to take the long road to get here so I could get all the material to fuel what is ahead. Sometimes I get shown the big picture first and then I get absolutely paralysed with the details of making it happen. Not this time. I am being drip-fed instructions so I can’t get overwhelmed.
And now I get it. Like, reallllllllllly get it.
LIFE… It gets to be easy. It gets to be joyful. It gets to be sexy.
It’s just too damn easy to forget it. Why do we keep forgetting it?!
When I started my photography business over 10 years ago the world was more sexually repressed than it is now. I charged top dollar and took privacy very seriously. I hardly shared any of my work. Women were paying for my style but also privacy and discretion.
Now I want to do the opposite. I want to create and SHARE. No more hiding. No more hiding our sensuality, our PLEASURE. I want to SHARE the alchemical art that turns shame to love; stagnation to joyful expression. The energy you can feel. The beauty of the feminine so exquisite it must be witnessed by the internet. So here’s how its going to go…
GROUP SHOOT SESSIONS
START WITH WOMENS CIRCLE
DANCE AND MOVEMENT
PHOTO SHOOT
CLOSING CIRCLE
Its a celebration of the feminine. Time to remember you are not A goddess. You are THE GODDESS. We are all.
So let’s celebrate.
Welcome to the Church of Self Love.
(Honestly, it has taken me so long to work out how Church of Self Love is going to go and what it actually is. I had SO many ideas that I paralysed myself with it. But today I finally realised it will be different on whichever day I start it. It moves and morphs. I just need to start. And it will be what it will be. So I choose today. Here we are. Welcome to Church. I’m excited! It’s going to be magic.)
The Slow Life...
I’ve been noticing lots of changes recently.
My body has been speaking up in all kinds of new ways. Demanding my attention.
Crippling back pain. Stomach cramps. Severe headaches…
I have been trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on.
Whilst on this mission of discovery, my nautral awareness of everything has increased.
I recently realised that lots of people ask me “How’s your photography? Are you busy?” or “How’s work going? Are you keeping busy?” Like busy is the barometer of business health. I get it. I know what they mean but I started to really question it…
And I’ve decided to start answering honestly…
“No, actually I’m not busy. Since recovering and rebuilding from a very stressful few years I’m actually doing everything I can to AVOID being busy.”
“No, I’m not actually. I get lots of enquiries but I seem to miss them or sabotage them because the fear of being busy again is so great it’s holding me back from making the moves I know I need to take”
“Actually, I think I might be allergic to being busy. Even the word busy makes my heart race and my skin itch. I prefer to be slow and chilled. I’m learning to structure my business better so I can manage my commitments and still enjoy as many moments of this beautiful life as possible”
“No, I have priced my work in accordance to how much of my energy it uses so I can ensure I don’t over commit and over extend myself”
And it hasn’t just applied to my work… I notice my need for the slow life is creeping in and cockblocking my social life too.
I am writing this while I was meant to be at a dear friend’s birthday celebration. It has been in the calendar for weeks and I was so looking forward to it… A couple of hours before the event my stomach starts playing up. Cramps, nausea. General yuckiness. The thought of going to a busy place with lots of noise and people totally freaked me out. I just couldn’t even bare the thought. I had to cancel last minute. I felt awful but I literally could not get my body dressed and out the door.
A few hours later my period arrives. Ohhhh this is why I need quiet and rest. This is why I was feeling yucky. It was my body begging me not to push myself and go out.
Which is what old Jodi (or do I say young Jodi?) would have done. I would have pushed through and made myself get there because I had made a commitment and didn’t want to let anyone down. ( I think this falls into the category of People Pleasing?) Now my needs are being screamed from my body so I can no longer gloss over them or ignore them. My body is DEMANDING respect. And rest. And slowness.
Today, as the FOMO starts to swirl my mind I gently ask it to be quiet please so my body can rest. I trust that taking this time will make me an even better catch up next time I see all my friends.
(For those into Human Design, I am a 2/4 - Hermit/Opportunist. A hermit mixed with a social butterfly - I felt so seen when I discovered this! The 2/4 Hermit/Opportunist is a unique combination that brings together two distinct flavors: the introspective nature of the Hermit and the social adaptability of the Opportunist. Individuals with this profile often find themselves needing solitude to recharge but, at the same time, thrive on the connections they make with others. This dual aspect allows 2/4s to be both reflective and engaging, offering a beautiful balance between self-discovery and social interaction.)
How I've Recently Uplevelled my Life...
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I have a thing with Paris. I think about it so often. I love Paris. I CRAVE Paris.
One of my dear clients, in the car on the way to our second shoot location, led me through a ‘personality test’ which highlights things from your subconscious about your life.
The room I was asked to imagine (unbeknownst to me at the time) symbolised my life.
I had imagined a light filled Parisian apartment. Polished timber herringbone parquetry floors, ornate cornices, sunshine hitting the walls making shapes on the art and photography decorating it. It wasn’t a perfect apartment, the paint was peeling and there were some cracks in the walls but they were endearing in that old European building kind of way. Beauty at every glance. The room felt warm, inviting, inspiring.
This, according to the test, is how I perceive my life.
When I ran the test with my Mum she described a Balinese room similar to her lounge room. All of her answers reflected some connection to that tropical Bali style and it dawned on me - “Oh my God! Mum!! You still haven’t been to Bali!” (I had booked to take her there for her 60th but COVID ruined that)
I started to gush about Bali and how much she would love it and how we HAVE to go.
She looked at me and said “Hon, I don’t think I need to go to Bali. I have created my version of Bali here”
I’m not sure if my Mum realises how wise she is or if she does and just downplays it. But it got me thinking… What IS it that I crave about Paris? Why do I always dream of being there? What is it about that place??
And then it clicked…
“The first time I walked in Paris there was a great remembering of a thousand different dreams”
When I am in Paris, I feel my most fabulous self. I dress up every day, even if it’s just to pop outside for a coffee. Normally I CBF’ed about make-up but in Paris I wear winged eyeliner every day and add volume to my hair, Brigitte Bardot style. I smile and say Bonjour to everyone who makes eye contact in the street because I am just so damn happy. I buy fresh flowers. I flaneur… (wander around with my no destination in mind, just for the joy)
If that is the place where I feel happiest and most alive then why am I not doing those same things here? In my everyday? What do those things represent for me?
I looked at the things I do in Paris and, as an experiment, have been applying them to my life here in the casual beachside small town that I live in and love… It’s been a week now and my joie de vivre has expanded exponentially. ‘Joie de vivre’ means a ‘Hearty or carefree enjoyment of life’ and ‘Enjoyment of living; happiness, ebullience, zest for life’
Now, just to be clear and honest, I was enjoying life before this little experiment but here are some of the things I’ve been adding in to my days…
I take extra time to get ready rather than pulling on the first thing that’s laying on the ground.
I light candles for dinner every night.
I use the good crystal for my water glass.
I’ve traded my comfy flats for fabulous high heels for dinner dates.
I’m being more daring with my outfits. (Moira Rose being my inspo just so you can get a visual!)
I smile and say hello to ANYONE who glances at me. (I was already doing this but I feel I have turned up my radiance and the effects are noticeable.)
I will just go outside and bask in the sun.
I stop to smell flowers in the street and don’t care if I look like a weirdo.
I wander shops without buying, just to admire pretty things and chat with random people.
My home is filled with jazz and soft French music.
I read books, old magazines and newspapers rather than watching TV.
I flit around the house in oversized white shirts and black lace knickers… because PARIS energy.
And I have no doubt this list will continue… because what I realised is I’m not craving Paris. I’ve been craving my authentic expression… and for whatever rhyme or reason Paris is the place where I first truly felt that.
There are many things that lead us back home to ourselves and our true unique expression… Our never ending task is to recognise them.
When we stop and look inside we find it’s all there just patiently waiting to be revealed.
Happy hunting…
Bisous xx
WHY?! Tummies, tummies, tummies...
I have a confession.
Last weekend I spent $50 on a pair of Spanx to hold my tummy in.
Even as I was walking to the check out I knew it wasn’t right… I was conducting an inner battle in my head which was so loud I thought the Myer lady might have heard it.
I was wearing a certain dress for a wedding and I wished my stomach looked flatter in it.
This is the part of my body I struggle with. (Oh and my increasingly deep frown line that I refuse to Botox) I didn’t even realise I had such a problem with my tummy until I was handing over $50 for constricting jocks.
I know I’m not the only one who has insecurities around their tummy. Actually, there’s bloody heaps of us… Spanx had an estimated revenue of 400 MILLION DOLLARS last year alone. FOUR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
Whoa. That is just ONE company selling these things. God knows what the actual total is.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? I am promoting body confidence yet here I am worrying about how much my belly sticks out. What the fuck.
I miss Spain.
When we lived in Spain the beach trips were a daily reminder of the variety of body shapes, colours, ages and sizes. Everyone close to naked enjoying their bodies out in the sun. It felt so liberating. Young girls through to old ladies running (or lazing) around topless, no shame, no hiding. Big bellies. Round bellies. Wrinkly bellies. Stretched bellies. Pert boobs. Saggy boobs. Uneven boobs. Everything and anything.
I was just talking about those nostalgic memories with my nine year old daughter and she said Spanish beaches were like dog beaches but for humans. Where everyone just embraced how their bodies looked and had a great time! We often joke about how if dogs were insecure about their different shapes and abilities that they wouldn’t enjoy the beach as much. Have you been to a dog beach? It is PURE JOY!
So, clearly the conditioning around body image run deep… Even she who preaches it finds herself a sucker sometimes.
I don’t know the answer but felt I needed to confess.
PS. I am writing this with my tummy hanging out, which is where it will be free to be from now on…. Sorry tummy, I love you. xx
PPS. I’m off to re-watch the Embrace documentary to give myself a top up of self love and body confidence.
Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself... (AKA The Return to Social Media)
Oh hello there.
It’s been about five months since I said cheerio to Instagram. Now I have an urge to return. This most recent deep dive made me realise that I’m not going back on there for ‘business’ as such (which is why none of the pep talks from sales focued biz pals worked on me) I am on there for community. (Which yes, I get it, does feed my business overall but I’m just looking forward to sharing what I hope is helpful stuff with other humans, know what I mean?!)
Back when I was going through a really dark time I had someone DM me with “I hope this isn’t too forward or out of line but I just wanted to check you are ok? I love all of the sunrises you post but I can just feel something sad underneath. I know we don’t know each other but just wanted to say I hope all is well. Hopefully I’m wrong but sending this anyway.”
Months later when I told my sister about this she said that’s why noone knew how bad I was… Because my life looked so beautiful on my stories.
Since then I have gone through so much healing and know to speak up when things are getting too much but at that time, on that day, that DM from a stranger really touched my heart.
It’s funny how you forget these things until it comes time to writing about why you’re returning to Instagram…
I really did need the break. I suffer from overwhelm. I think that’s most of us these days right?! I was not good at boundaries (still a work in progress) and now I’m giving it another shot. You can follow along @jodiplumbleyphotography for new updates but while I’m here I wanted to post some tips for if you are ready for a social break of your own…
FIND A POSITIVE SUBSTITUTE APP
I didn’t actually realise how much I picked up my phone to check Insta. I decided that my substitute was going to be INSIGHT TIMER. I would open up and do a quick 5 minute meditation or do a lesson from a course I’d signed up to. (This involved spending about $88 to upgrade the app for the year but it was a worthy investment IMO) Thanks Insight Timer for all the healing and encouragement since!
My other go-to which I plan to keep up is DUOLINGO. My French is getting polished up faster than Versace silverware. J’ai besoin de pratique et je l’adore!
MAKE SURE YOUR PALS KNOW YOU’RE OFFLINE
Otherwise you risk just looking like a rude bitch.
DON’T SET A TIME - JUST FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION
I never say never (apart from just then) so I treated this as an experiement. I went to return a couple of times but then something threw me off it again. Go with your gut and make up your own rules.
BE PREPARED TO BE TOTALLY OUT OF THE LOOP IN GROUP SITUATIONS
Luckily FOMO is something I don’t suffer from too strongly so I didn’t mind being in this situation. It was also really fun to find out news first hand from friends! Like in the old days!!
MAKE A POINT TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE MORE IN OTHER WAYS
A long lost friend and I reconnected over our shared exit from socials and we shared texts, voice notes and family photos with each other. We both found how special it felt to receive photos with news intentionally sent rather than just ‘broadcasted’ If you’re an old school romantic like me get out the ol’ rollerball and write a letter… Snail mail is the best surprise and an act of love.
GO EASY ON YOURSELF
Like everything, you need to find what works for you. If your mental health is suffering then try taking a day’s break, or a weekend first. Baby steps and remember it’s all there waiting for when you want to return!
And from a business point of view - although 90% of my enquiries come from Google (thank you Thea Media for my awesome SEO) I ran into a lot of local people who asked if I was still shooting… they hadn’t seen my ‘exit news’ and just thought I wasn’t shooting anymore. Interesting how these things ripple out… So while I have no clear stats I think it did impact my business slightly. Although if I had got my ass into gear and done the Pinterest marketing I was meant to then I think I could have evened it out… I will never knowwwwwwww… Isn’t that the fun of it all?!
Wishing you empowering scrolls and timely breaks when you need.
See you on the Insta squares…
Peace out, JP xx
I'm Doing It... I'm Getting Out!
Anyone who knows me, or heck you can probably just pick up on it from my sporadic enthusiasm… knows I have long suffered from an intense love-hate relationship with social media, namely Instagram.
With every energy audit of my life, social media is always on the drainer list.
Now don’t get me wrong, I get a lot of positives out of Instagram but FOR ME, the negatives outweigh them.
I have written and re-written my love letter to social media, I have tapped through limiting beliefs, I have tried three different scheduling programs (paid and unpaid) I had someone managing it for a while. I feel like I have put a lot of work into this relationship but it’s still not working for me and it’s time to walk away.
I actually got to this point about six months ago. The decision was liberating.
But a trusted friend suggested to me - ‘do you think you’re scared of being seen?’
Oooh, interesting concept. Yes, there was definitely truth to that. I have spent the past six months really diving into it… there was (and still is) fear around success which for me, means being seen. I have worked, and continue to work, on that. But all the gripes I have with socials haven’t changed. And this decision to leave really does feel liberating.
FOR ME.
I put that in capital letters because I am not writing this as a diss to social media.
Hell, I wrote some pretty bloody romantic love letters to it let me tell you. I appreciate the power of it and the free access we have to tap into people all over the world. We can share ideas, get inspiration, so much good stuff. I have made amazing friends through this app!
But, FOR ME, as a highly sensitive person who is SOOOOO EASILY DISTRACTED I think it’s time to experiment how my life looks without it.
This past year, I have been really concerned with my daughter’s screen time. Her obsession to the i-pad and it’s unlimited content. I have read many books and articles on the dangers of too much screen time for developing minds and psyches. In knowing this, I had to examine my own behaviour… after being called out.
Lila would ask me a question which I wouldn’t hear because I am deep in the Instagram scroll. It’s become a thing that she calls out from upstairs when she is waiting for me to answer something… “Mummmmmmm, are you on Insta againnnnnnnn??”
Damn it. Caught.
I am guilty to admit she is right 89% of the time.*
I cannot control my scroll.
There I said it.
I have set timers. I just ignore them.
I have frickin’ admirable self control when it comes to a LOT of things but the old Insta scroll is just not one of them.
All of the texts I forget to reply to, articles I don’t write, paintings I don’t start, odd jobs I put off, calls I don’t make. I reckon cutting myself off from the scroll will help with all of this. (I am not a blind optimist, I could just develop another distracting habit but I will report back)
But Jodi, what about your BUSINESS?!
Yes, this is what has kept me there for so long. (My personal insta is stuck on an overseas trip circa 2018) I realise the power of Instagram for business but the detriment to my mental health is over-riding those benefits.
For you darling people who enjoy my content, I will be funneling all my creativity into my newsletters aka Love Letters (which I trust will become less sporadic) and articles such as these where I can deep dive into the random shit I think and worry about… Which hopefully brings some solace knowing we’re not the only ones thinking it.
Yes, I will miss the memes. And the banter in my DM’s.
I won’t miss the worry of what to post.
I won’t miss the distraction of capturing every pretty moment of my beautiful day just in case I want to post later but then don’t anyway.
I will miss seeing what my pals are up to. And their cute kids (and dogs)
I won’t miss that horrible feeling of knowing I’ve missed replying to DM’s or comments.
I won’t miss the heart sinking or the stomach sickness when something that shakes me shows up in my feed.
I will miss the astrological updates but then realised that I can subscribe to people I love and get their best content there WHILE supporting their business.
The point of me writing this, rather than just disappearing into the analogue sunset, is that sometimes you have to make calls that go against the grain in the pursuit of finding what works for you.
For any other business owners reading this consider me a crash test dummy… As a service based business I’m going to see what happens when I go quiet on socials. I have a feeling I will end up more on Pinterest, which for a Pisces daydreamer like me is virtual heaven.
Anyway, if you’ve been considering something that feels like the ‘wrong’ way to do things but your gut won’t shut up about it, consider this your permission slip to give it a try.
What is the worst that could happen?
PS. If I end up a social leper due to this decision, please remember the good times you had with me. I love you.
* Please note that 72% of my statistics are made up
Getting Ready for your Shoot
Getting ready for a boudoir shoot is like getting ready for a date… With yourself. You want to be taking your time to do everything you can to feel GOOD! Seriously, I think a boudoir shoot should be the ultimate in self care. And I’m a big believer that’s its not how you look but how you feel.
When you book a shoot with me you receive a full guide on how to best prepare however here’s a little wrap up of some things to consider when getting ready…
TIME - make sure you’ve carved out enough of it so you’re not rushed and stressed. Luxuriate in the spaciousness of your time. Been outrageously SLOW. Take pleasure in all the processes. Have your bag packed the night before and leave plenty of time for travel so you can rock out to your favourite tunes on the way!
SCENT - smell is such a powerful sense and it’s a great idea to anchor your self-love photoshoot experience with a special scent or high quality essential oil. That way, when you smell that scent in the future you’ll be transported back to how damn fabulous you felt at the shoot. If you’re interested I can go into the science of olfactory programming and the studies of neuroscience. It’s so fascinating how our brains work and how we can make easy tweaks to help rewire the positive pathways!
SKIN - hydrating yourself in the lead up to the shoot is a great idea. Well hydration is a great idea anytime right?! Being well hydrated will not only give you a beautiful glow you will be feeling much better for it.
MUSIC - a getting ready playlist! An absolute essential in my opinion. You can check out my Spotify playlist HERE for some inspiration.
TAPPING - if you feel the inevitable nerves creep in just thank them for their excited energy and keep getting ready. Do a little dance and shake it out. When you arrive at the shoot I have some fun little rituals to help get on top of the nerves. If you feel you really need a boost of confidence you can try EFT… Here’s a little sequence I love doing from time to time: FIND IT HERE
All in all, treating yourself to a boudoir shoot is one of the most empowering gifts you can give yourself so the more you can stretch out the experience, the better! As always, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me here.
Jodi x
Nothing says welcome home like a man rifling through your knickers and taking your phone.
Sounds kind of creepy doesn’t it. Welcome to Australian Border Force. The sun has just risen on a crisp and glorious Gold Coast morning and despite the amazing break you’re happy to be home. You’ve come back clear, refreshed, with a sense of clarity and purpose. Your to-do list is ready for you to hit the ground running. Sure, the overnight flight was a killer and you’re a tiny bit delirious but the promise of a strong coffee is on the other sides of those gates.
You manage to shuffle your overtired yet unbelievably perky child past the confectionary temptations of duty free and join the immigration lines. The taste of coffee and the long drive home to your puppy getting closer with each passport swiped!
Luggage collected and just one last line, almost there. Friendly faces all through the airport. How could you not be smiling, it’s one of those glorious GC mornings and no matter how good a holiday is getting home just has that feeling.
“Aisle 4 please”
Ok, open all your luggage. The routine questions… Delivered with such gravity the airport feels darker all of a sudden. Yes, I packed my own bags. Yes, I know the contents of them all.
One by one, carefully rolled silk dresses, bras, knickers, sparkly pants (of course) all laid out on the long stainless bench for all to see. Dirty washing bags unpacked and laid out a bit too close to all your clean clothes. But you go along with it, answering the tedious questions about your holiday and how long we stayed and what we did while we there.
Then a request for your phone.
Pardon?
We need to take your phone for investigation.
Why? I ask.
You don’t need to know the reason, it’s part of Customs Law. If you travel you agree that you will have everything searched upon re-entry to Australia.
Well fuck me, it’s been a while since I took a holiday but didn’t know this was now part of the fun.
Where are you taking it?
Into another room where I am not allowed.
What are you doing with it?
We are downloading all the contents.
But WHY? Have I done something?
This is a random routine check. Happens every day they say.
How long will it take?
We can’t say for sure. Probably a couple of hours. Maybe longer.
My delirium and lack of coffee starting to scream inside my head. My daughter looking at the whole situation incredulously.
I’m sorry - WHAT?
I think of all the nude photos on my phone. Yours and mine. The intimate family photos. The notes section for my next therapy session. My late night rants dictated into notes about how I don’t trust the government.
I feel violated. I feel pissed off. I feel highly fucking decaffeinated for this whole situation. Oh not just me, my partners’ phone too. Taking them both. BUT WHY?
We don’t need to tell you that.
I look at Lila. I think of the THOUSANDS of photos of her on both of our phones.
I look the AFP officer dead in the eye and say I know you are trying to find people doing bad things BUT HOW DO I KNOW WHO WILL BE LOOKING AT PHOTOS OF MY DAUGHTER???
No answer.
I ask to call a lawyer. Nope, not allowed.
WHAT?!
I am stunned. My overtired brain having a fucking hard time processing all this. Well what a nice welcome home to Australia.
When do we get them back?
We will call you when we are finished with them and you can come collect them.
But you’ve taken both our phones - how will you call us?
Um, we can email you.
We live over an hour away, our emails are on our phones. Everything is on our phones. We have three businesses to run, we were meant to hit the ground running today. You’ve taken our only communication.
Ummm, you can call us?
ON WHAT?
So we wait the suggested two hours, driving around aimlessly, pissed off with no sleep. Unable to locate a payphone anywhere I ask a nice lady at a petrol station if I can please make a local call on her phone.
Nope, still not ready. Hang on, I’ll check on how much longer it will be… We get cut off.
I call back.
What’s the number to call you back on? The customs lady asks.
THERE IS NO NUMBER TO CALL ME BACK ON. YOU HAVE TAKEN BOTH OF OUR PHONES. I explain that unable to find a payphone I have used a stranger’s phone to contact them.
They don’t know how long it will take. Could be hours.
Ok, that’s it. My sleepless delirium has kicked in and I need to get home.
We get home after ten days away with no phone contact. I use my computer to send the more pressing insta messages to people. Like Mum, wondering why she hasn’t heard our 7am flight has landed yet when it’s pushing lunchtime.
Or brains both overloaded on everything we needed to do today work wise. Still trying to comprehend how the hell you are not allowed to call a lawyer or get any answers when in this situation. Wondering why we had been chosen for this.
I start googling…
Oh shit! This HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!
WHAT THE ACTUAL?!
“Figures obtained by Guardian Australia reveal Border Force keeps roughly one in every 40 devices searched at the border. This comes after data released last month showed officers had searched phones, computers and other devices at the border 41,410 times between 2017 and the end of 2021.
Under customs law, Border Force officers can examine people’s devices without a warrant when they visit or return to Australia.
The practice has been shrouded in mystery, with information on its operation having to be extracted from the department through formal freedom of information and parliamentary processes in the past few months.”
I implore you to do your own research so you can be prepared for what may happen when you re-enter our “lucky country”. If I had any idea of this it might not have been so infuriating. Being treated like a criminal in front of your child when coming back to your home city.
You may or may not have noticed but I’ve been off Insta and socials for a while now, prior privacy intrusions being the main reason. As a boudoir photographer I take privacy VERY SERIOUSLY. I have had a severe aversion to phones for the past few months… Not just the constant pressure to keep up but the constant scam messages, getting more elaborate by the day.
Being without our phones for 24 hours also made me realise how reliant we are on them. But that’s going to be another story…. I think perhaps this happened to me so I can continue my rant about technology and how much we are giving away. Like a crazy lady ranting, this is me now.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this…. I always thought that if you’re not doing anything wrong and have nothing to hide then police powers and searches shouldn’t concern you but turns out when it happens it triggered a severe mama bear reaction in me… If I’m going to be searched without a warrant I want to know WHO the hell is looking and WHAT they are doing with it.
“This is a prime example of the kind of privacy violations that can occur when you don’t have fundamental human rights,” she said. “A federal charter of human rights is long overdue in Australia.
“It is completely unreasonable that people should be subject to such an invasion of privacy without so much as an explanation.” - Samantha Floreani, program lead at Digital Rights Watch
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to write to Home Affairs to kindly request that my data gets deleted and private family photos of my beautiful young daughter don’t end up in the wrong hands. I doubt anything will happen though. Once you’re compromised, you’re compromised. This world is getting wilder.
PS. Also realised I do need to show up on social media as ran into someone who thought I wasn’t photographing anymore. Oops. Yes I am here, still going. I also appreciate the power of social media to share these topics. (That is, unless you read the recent article about how many people the Australia Government censored on socials the past few years. Ugh.) Keep fighting the good fight people xx
Why I *Was* on a Brief Hiatus
In case you didn't know, about 18 months ago we decided to buy a bar and restaurant. My head said no but something else told me yes... When I asked the universe for a sign I googled the business and it said "A little slice of Paris by the sea in Byron Bay" Paris?! Need I say more?!
Obviously, the past 18 months have not been the ideal time to own a hospitality venue! It has become a family affair with all hands on deck - even Lila was working the door some nights! (And doing a fantastic job by the way!)
Throughout this time I have kept juggling my shoots but for my own mental health I just can't keep up the juggle any longer. Sometimes you just need to surrender and let go. It's for this reason I've made the tough decision to put a pause on my photography bookings for a while. I know my life purpose is to help people feel better about themselves so it's just a small hiatus while we concentrate on this Supernatural adventure... Of course you know I've asked for signs, and they are all there. Loud and clear. Surrender. (And focus)
When we would travel around Europe, Grant and I used to talk about owning a little bar one day… And because of this we really want to make sure we give this place a good go!
We will be making some changes to Supernatural to truly make it our own, something we had planned to do when we bought it but didn't make sense then. We were purely in survival mode. But now, we're taking a deep breath and starting again... We will close on 31st July for renovations and re-open on 11th August which just happens to be the Sturgeon Full Moon - the 'coming of harvest,' This full moon moon harnesses the power of resilience and perseverance. How bloody fitting!
So while we concentrate on this project I won’t be taking on any new photography jobs. I can’t say exactly how long my photography hiatus will be but I know I will be coming back with more gusto and inspiration (or I’ll be a completely jaded and burnt out hospo worker - ha ha no, surely not?!)
To my incredible repeat clients and everyone I've worked with this year I bloody love you and so thankful you trusted me with your photos. Anyone already booked or quoted on will be honoured of course, I just won't be taking on any new bookings. Please stay tuned though and sign up to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram HERE to be the first to hear about when I am back shooting.
And if you feel like a vino and a sexy night out in Byron Bay, you can find me at Supernatural... @supernaturalbyronbay
JP's Journal:
Recent shoots, travels, adventures and musings... Also sharing the things that make my heart sing...