Hey guys, hope you’re having a lovely start to the month of Spring… Happy September! This one’s a little different from what I always write. It’s about the experience I had this past weekend, as a photographer. As you all know, event photography is one of the services I do offer but this weekend it was more than just an event for me, it was different from the usual, and something I really feel the need to share.

On Saturday 31st August, I photographed an event that was hosted by Mom Boss Kenya called ‘Lets Flamingle’. Momboss Kenya was founded by a “Slay at home Mommy”, Lauren van Rooyen, with the hope to “motivate and connect people together”. It’s not only a group but rather a community of women that support each other with the aim of forming new friendships & growing support for your business and for yourself. Remember, the group is not only for moms but rather for women in general.

The event on Saturday was the official opening/ inauguration for MomBoss Kenya. Despite being the first one, it was a hit! There were a huge number of ladies I met that were so inspiring in different ways; either in what they did or what they had to say. There were a number of speakers, well chosen, that definitely gave all the women siting in that room, including me, a massive confidence boost. At some point, the subjects got a little heavy focusing on the different problems that women and mom’s face in today’s society. At the same time, there was a lot of humor and fun jokes that got the whole crowd laughing hysterically.

On a light note, to start off the event we all got a few short tutorials on simple hairstyles by the wonderful Joey Richard. She did three different options; the messy bun, the plated bun and the low bun. All easy to do in just about 5 minutes, especially for those in a rush – like moms or women in business. A little treat just in the beginning of the event.

Health was the most focused subject at this event, since the main topic of discussion was Self-Care. Throughout the event there was live BMI and Diabetes Screening that was held by Arv Kalsi and her team. A huge number of women got themselves checked out. Another thing that’s usually looked over and ignored by most… this was a great way to remind them their health is important too!

The most important subject that stuck with me was the topic about the essence of life and what this means to every individual. Olivia Munoru, an MC, co-founder of SpaDreaming and the founder of Nairobi Soap Box introduced this idea of essence to the crowd. Giving small examples from childhood like dancing, or the excitement of a night out as a teenager or that first feeling of true love that everyone can resonate with.

How this changes as you grow up and how it almost feels as though the essence is no longer existent in our life. She used her own personal experiences to describe how she found that essence again. Her main point was to find this warmth on the inside from the small things in life, one example she gave was the time she spent alone with her daughter as she brushed her hair or the time she spent in watching a movie and eating ice-cream with her husband. She reminded each and every person in the room to focus on the little things that give you happiness which then eventually leads to the bigger picture… the essence of life! At that moment, all I did was go back and think about all these little things that I tended to brush off and ignore no realizing I was slowly brushing off my happiness.

The second subject focused on self-care not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and socially. Michelle Arscott Njuguna, an international life coach, took the crowd on a journey to connect with their inner selves and their heart, using some of her coaching techniques. It was very obvious the crowd loved this and after her small session, you could see the ladies were a little rejuvenated. The focus is to create a more positive mind set to allow yourself not only to love yourself but to appreciate yourself. To be able to cut out all the negativity and find your balance. Find a way to give yourself what you need to make you happy and feel alive. It was a reality check, at least for me, about how much I’ve done just in the past week to make me feel alive… and I was disappointed!

Self-care connects to your mental, physical and emotional energy and without it you’re creating an imbalance. ‘Self-care is a priority, not a luxury’, what does Self-Care mean to you? And have you practiced this in the last week? If yes, how has it changed your energy? Apart from being an international coach, Michelle Arscott also holds workshops and challenges to help you create a better life for yourself and connect to your inner peace. She has a mental detox challenge coming up on September 10th that will go on till October 4th (click on the link for more info).

Lastly, Dr. Roua Bennani, an aesthetic medicine, laser & cosmetic dermatology physician and owner of Taneet Medical Spa, talked about the definition of beauty and what beauty is. She emphasizes that all women are beautiful. Using examples she describes how we see ourselves according to what another person tells us. We look in the mirror and see insecurities created by another person or by society and not our true self. She emphasizes there is no real definition of beauty because every single individual is beautiful, they only think otherwise because of a third persons voice. This hit hard! There’s so many times I have started seeing less of myself and allowing insecurities to cloud my judgment only because of another person. It’s not worth it! It’s not you, it’s how people have forced you to perceive yourself!

I loved this event because it was an eye-opener and a confidence booster for me and I’m sure for most women that attended. But, I loved photographing this event more. Why? Because I saw the changes in the women’s faces, their expressions, their energies as the event progressed. I could see each and every single woman out there processing the information, reacting to what they were being told and feeling more confident in themselves. It was raw emotion that is very rare to see. I could see these women making life changes and life decisions in their heads and they were finally able to be themselves in this space.

Honestly, I am very grateful I was able to photograph this because not only was I able to capture some gorgeous portraits but there’s so much I learnt, about myself. I felt genuine happiness as I left that event, this was even before I had a chance to look at the photos. The reason I decided to write this post is because I have hope that you will feel a little bit of what I and the other women did feel at the event. A positive experience not just for me as a photographer but also for me as an individual!