Winter, Quiet Season, and a New Little Side Hustle

As many of you know, winter is my quiet season. That’s partly because, well... it's winter. The weather gets cold, and sometimes it’s just not that inspiring for outdoor portraits. Bare trees, grey skies, and slushy sidewalks don’t exactly scream "photo magic." But honestly, the other reason it’s quiet is by design. I've intentionally structured my business this way so I can slow down, travel a bit, and try new things during the off-season.

Sometimes those new things are related to my business; like taking a class, experimenting with a new workflow, or brushing up on something I’ve been curious about. Other times, it’s all just for me. For fun, for wellness, for the sheer joy of learning something new. Over the years I’ve taken art classes, walked on beach and sat around pools, and even sat through some pretty intense business seminars. It’s a time to reset and recharge.

But this winter felt different. I found myself restless, a little uninspired, and honestly, still feeling the loss of Molly. Grief comes in waves, and just when you think it might be letting go, it finds a way to sneak back in. Her absence left a quiet that even winter couldn’t account for.

One day, while scrolling through photos of my dogs; something I do often, as you can probably guess; I started playing around with an idea. I ended up creating something that turned into a sweet little side hustle: notebooks. Not just any notebooks, but ones featuring the faces of my pets and a few of my friends’ pets (with their blessing, of course).

It felt like a way to bring a bit of joy and memory into something practical and everyday. Most of us use notebooks; for lists, journaling, gratitude, ideas, sketching, or just the random thoughts we need to jot down before they disappear. There’s something kind of lovely about opening a notebook and being greeted by the sweet face of a beloved pet.

And now, those furry faces... Molly’s included, can live on in a small but meaningful way, shared far beyond my own home. It’s not a big thing, but it feels like a good thing. A little spark of creativity that came out of the stillness. And who knows where it might lead next?

You can check out all the notebooks here.