For yeeeaaaarrrrssss I have loved circles…I love all that they mean to me: connectedness, fluidity, the full moon, strength, femininity, curves, that what goes around - comes around, bounce, simplicity, family - that we’re born into or that we choose, and motion. When I was working on combining Bella Faccia Photography and Bella Forza Portraits under one brand I knew that ‘the circle’ would play a role.

In Spring 2018 my beautiful friend, Vicki, gifted me a book for my birthday, Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit, by Candice Kumai. I’ve loved the art of kinstugi for years - it, in fact, was a touchstone for me during a very difficult time in my life years ago - but I’d not ever heard of the more encompassing philosophy around kintsugi: wabi-sabi. This ancient Japanese philosophy encourages us to focus on finding beauty within imperfections. From the History of Ideas video on wabi-sabi, “…respect for what is passing, fragile, slightly broken, and modest. Wabi-sabi believes that things are always more beautiful for bearing the marks of age and individuality.” We live in a time where the prevailing message - especially to women - is that perfection is everything…but perfection is a myth and lacks the authenticity we’re all craving in this big ol’ world! So, instead I will encourage myself, my daughter, and my clients to embrace our beauty, to celebrate our war-wounds that pay homage to our journeys, and to stand lovingly and without apology in our full truths. We have but this one life, let’s enjoy it!

The second key design element —> the dragonfly. A symbol of lightness of being, joy, and change. In Hopi and Pueblo tribes, the dragonfly was associated with healing and transformation and the Plains Indian traditions believed dragonflies to be symbols of protection and invincibility. I can't think of a more beautiful symbol for the women who enter my studio or for the work we will create together.