Guided

Joy is in the journey and it’s so much more fun to play in the magic of the unknown!

– Brittany Charboneau

People like Brittany Charboneau are like gems that come into your life. They spark nothing but joy and light and you cannot help but to be mesmerized by their energy. She’s a pretty amazing human being and I am a total fangirl of hers. She teaches and does improv at the Bovine Metropolis Theater here in Denver and she is amazing. Last year, Brittany performed a whole solo show on her career as a runner. Her show made me fall in love with her, I just wanted to be her friend so I immediately added her on Facebook and followed her on Instagram. She’s also a busy lady since she teaches and is currently training for the Olympics so for a while she didn’t entirely know who I was. Then, one day she saw that I interacted with her Instagram and checked out my art and turns out that she totally fangirled me hahaha. So basically, we are fangirls of each other! And being the bold Anna that I am, I asked her to model for me and together we came up with this concept.

Brittany is one of those people that just spread joy no matter what. She wanted something that depicted light being cast upon darkness. It was important to include her spirit animal the hummingbird. She has also picked up trail running within the last year so she wanted something in the mountains to show her in an environment that has challenged her and helped her to become stronger as a runner. The pink dress has a lot of sentimental value to her and her favorite color is pink. Her lucky number is 8 so I included 8 hummingbirds surrounding her and guiding her way.

In the original concept, we talked about having her run out of the darkness into the light. I decided, as the artist to reverse that. I believe that Brittany, as well as so many people, carry their light with them into the darkness and light their own paths. Having the lighting work this way also plays to the quote she shared with me in the beginning of this blog. The unknown is the darkness, the image (created in a whimsical way with her pink dress and glowing hummingbirds) itself is playful and magical and she is on her journey feeling ever so joyful, guided and protected by her spirit animal.

For me, this image has extra special meaning. Those hummingbirds in the photo were actually just one little bird we saw while on a trip to Vail that we took with Adam’s mom before she passed away. It was a very special trip for us and it was so lovely to be with Adam’s family for a few days in the mountains. I never photographed that hummingbird for art. I just remember thinking how special it was of the Universe to allow me to come close enough to it and not spook it. This little hummingbird stuck around for a while and didn’t mind its photograph being taken. The location of this piece was the same one I used for my Sony Female Alpha grant image, “Live Free”. I remember thinking that it was such a special location because I really wanted to showcase “climbing the highest mountain for my dreams” and letting go of everything that held me back.

So as I conclude this blog, I wanted you to have a takeaway from this image. Believe with all your might in the magic that surrounds you. You are surrounded by light, if you allow it into your life. It guides you, protects and supports you. You also have the power to share that light with others. Let your curiosity for the unknown be the path you take. Bring joy and breathe life into everything that you do and never apologize for the beautiful person that you are.

You can find Brittany online here or on Instagram