There are aspects of my character that I hid for so long. To be honest I can name a few still lying dormant waiting for “permission” to be visible. I’ve spent more time analyzing the various outcomes instead of simply BEING Briana Ariel. I’ve wondered how my giftings would challenge and change those around me. I’ve also felt not good enough and more than enough often in the same breath.

Ahhh I am just now getting to my journal because I have been engulfed in a sewing project. Nothing major, but it mattered to me. Having a few moments to “woosah” and allow my mind to focus on taking fabric from nothing to something means so much!

I just wanted to pop in and say I am incredibly thankful for the women who read my blog. You women are so special to me and I am so grateful to have you all in my life. And I know I don’t know most of you personally, however, I’m sure that there is someone in your life who you inspire and who is encouraged by you. I just wanted to tell you that you are appreciated and to continue to reach out to the people whom you serve.

One of the greatest lessons I am teaching my children is to love themselves - well!

So often we (present company included) can effortlessly encourage a friend who’s having a bad day and go home and become hyper-critical of ourselves. I am baffled how I can write books of affirmations and uplifting poetry books and still wrestle with loving myself WELL.

If you’ve been around for more than 2 seconds then you know that I am a creative soul. Highly structured and analytical mixed with a wildly creative brain. I operate best when my day consists of structure and taking creative liberties.

I love being able to have an online community where I can come to share some highlights of my life. However, I would be doing you all a disservice if the highlight reel was all you saw. Life has ebbs and flows. Over the past month, the pendulum has swung from one end to the other sometimes within minutes. I looked up and a month has flown by.

Now more than ever I have been prioritizing being in a creative flow. Everyone has their own version of their happy place and mine happens to be when I am creating. Sometimes that looks like designing a website for a client with my branding company, Forever Green Branding, sewing outfits for my children, making a quilt (big or small), or painting a portrait. I just know when I do those things, I feel good.

I am learning to move slower with greater intentionality. I’ve moved at such a fast pace for the past decade, that it feels weird to go slow. I am the queen of multitasking (which is a learned skill I am not proud of). My mind is running at supersonic speed often. It takes a conscious effort for me to be fully present and focused on one task at a time.

I wrote this poem as a reminder to myself to slow down and focus on what truly matters.

The year hasn’t officially started and I already felt the first wave of being overwhelmed. The feelings can come, but I don’t want them to stay. This poem reminds me to keep the right perspective as I enter a new year and new season.

What if the last year of your life was turned into a silent movie displayed for the world? No words, no explanations, no filters… just your actions. What would people think of you? What would you think about yourself? I know there are a couple scenes that I wouldn't want aired publicly.

Exploring different art forms throughout the years has been a journey I love to embrace. At times I wish I focused on one and perfected every aspect, but the world is so creative. God is creative and His spirit within me is creative. So why not explore?

How did I find my way back after utter heartbreak? Honest answer, I didn’t. I let God take the rubble, expose the fallacies of my heart and build something new. From the inside out transformation has been a daily process of chipping away old thoughts, overcoming current challenges, and holding onto future hopes.

It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m going through some of the photos on my phone to clear space. I was so disappointed earlier today when I went to take a picture and received the ugly iPhone message that my storage was full. How? I pay additional monthly for storage and even that was full. I guess with 99,000+ pictures, I may have used the phone and cloud to their absolute max.

I just spent the past hour and a half combing through my personal Instagram followers. I removed hundreds of people whom I either did not know or no longer felt the need to share what “little” I share on that platform with. When I started, I felt bad, felt like I would be offending some people, and ultimately wanted to stop.

Today, I lost someone near and dear to my heart, my Great Aunt Mae. Her wisdom, support, and love have nourished my soul in some of the lowest points of my life. The initial notice of the news sent my heart into a pit only momentarily and then I went into full support mode for my family members. I purposefully didn’t give myself space to feel. I wasn’t ready.

As a photographer, I am accustomed to taking tons of pictures in a setting. Since cameras have changed so much since I started photography I no longer have to be super selective about my images.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen my community show up for me in such an incredible way. As soon as I begin releasing the pride that has settled in my mind, I was able to be more transparent with those in my circle. In my opinion, HEALTHY relationships require deposits and withdrawals. Previously, I would primarily deposit and seldom take withdraws even when offered. In this season of my life when I needed the withdrawals my community showed up!

Over the last couple of months, I’ve experienced some unique health challenges. It’s been a private battle, but one that has exposed pride as well as my need to be vulnerable. With every hurdle and the need to be dependent at times on someone other than myself, I felt like an onion being peeled back.

I wish I could say I’ve always been mindful with the words I’ve spoken, but if you were only a fly on the wall years ago (you already know that’s not true.) Recently my husband, Stephen and I received some disappointing news. We knew it was a possibility of this, but when the call came in it was a wave of emotions.

I’ve wrestled with this idea of vulnerability for decades. What does it look like and is it even necessary? Recently, I’ve been challenged to show up raw to the utmost degree not because I really want to, but because I felt called in that moment.