By 
Starving for Fresh Content.
As COVID-19 lingers, creatives are working very hard to continue to maintain relevancy in the midst of dreaded social media algorithms. As the months pass on, I find myself along with many other creatives broadening their horizons, developing new and sharpening old skills. One of the biggest problems that I have had is that I just don’t have a lot of really great photos. I can lightroom my photos into something presentable, but I decided that I just needed more content for consumption… so I booked a photo shoot with Favor Films, and and got some concepts together.
COVID-Calories and my new Reality.
Being an Active Duty Soldier and a clinician, I have not been as physically active and put on 10 pounds since I got back from Trinidad Carnival due to COVID-19. My beloved CrossFit gym closed as quickly as it had reopened due to a spike in cases. But I told myself that I had time to trim down because the photo shoot was at least a month or so away.
But life got in the way and I quickly found myself days away from a shoot, standing on the scale, and rethinking my life choices. I started to ask myself if now was the good time to really do this shoot. The night prior to the shoot I found myself stressed wondering whether or not this was a good idea. My cycle is days away which means that the definition in my abs would not be present the following morning thanks to bloating.  I was worried about what people would think now that I had gotten a bit softer. How the definition in my quads were gone. I wondered if people would notice that my bum didn’t sit as high as it once did when I was having frequent sessions with the barbell. I thought forward and realized that If I didn’t take this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another until September. I wanted to look my best and I was just got feeling this COVID-body at all.
Honoring my Accomplishments.
Here I go again being so hard on myself, spiraling down the slide of negativity. I forced myself to reflect on the past four months, and reminded myself of all that I have accomplished since COVID-19 started:
- I built a website.
- I started a YouTube channel and added content.
- I learned how to use Adobe Lightroom.
- I learned how to use Adobe Premiere Pro.
- I studied for and successfully earned my Drone Pilot License.
- I learned new Makeup Techniques.
- I attended online drone photography and cinematography workshops.
- I started a small business (Lyon Hart Done Photography).
All the while still meeting the needs of the United States Army, and dealing with the loss of friends, family, and a brother in arms from COVID-19.
Im still beautiful at any size, and I can still deadlift a running back. If that’s not dopeness, I don’t know what is.
Forward Thinking.
Photo shoots are just superficial representations of who you are, and not everything that you have accomplished and endured. What was a photo shoot turned into a mini-celebration of my life for the past four months. Sans the alcohol.
Life happens, but you deserve to celebrate yourself any given time of the day, month or year.
COVID-19 is a tough period for us all. And if you’re just getting through the day, that’s an accomplishment. So go take that selfie, boo. Show off that sexy fluff you’ve gained. You’re amazing. We got this.
