The Power of Creative Community


Creativity often feels like a solo journey, but some of the most inspiring moments happen when we gather together.


At the start of 2025 I decided I needed a word of the year. A word to focus on, a word that felt important, a word and a feeling that would bring me back to the passion and artistic drive I felt in grad school.


It’s been 12 years since I graduated from VCFA, where I received an MFA in Visual Arts. I found myself wanting to reconnect with that environment: the shared ideology, the support from fellow students, and the bold questions asked by faculty members and peers.


My word for 2025 was Community.


Sometime in 2024, I was introduced to Lens & Light, a community of photographers focused on education, inspiration, and connection. It sounded exactly like what I had been searching for.


In May of 2025, I attended my first Lens and Light Workshop called ICONIC hosted by Cait Fletcher. I've always been drawn to continuous light, but never really had the opportunity to experiment with it—except during wedding receptions when videographers had their lights set up.


At the ICONIC workshop, we were encouraged to play.

Play. Something so simple, yet when you're at a workshop hosted by someone you admire, it’s refreshing to hear—and a welcomed reminder.


In November I attended a workshop in New York City hosted by Brandi Nicole and Emily Teague, two incredible professional photographers based in Brooklyn. It was another opportunity to learn, create, and connect with other artists.


Experiences like these reminded me why I love photography so much. I find so much joy in learning from other photographers, being inspired by fellow artists, and discovering things that truly excite me.


Creativity doesn’t thrive in isolation. It grows when we gather, share ideas, and encourage one another to keep creating.


Community has a way of bringing us back to the reasons we started.


And that sense of creative energy carried with me into my first Lens & Light Summit—an experience that deserves a story of its own.