My Favorite Creatives: Edition 1 // Peggy DesJardines

It can be a winding road to get to your dreams.

Peggy DesJardines has never been afraid of those switchbacks. She climbs and climbs. She looks up and takes breaths and never ever stops. I know this is a super weird thing to say, but if I could die and come back to earth as any of my friends, it would definitely be Peggy. Her brain is beautiful. Getting the tops of her mountains is not a “maybe” - as long as I’ve known her, she has been steadily gaining momentum.

In the 10 years I’ve known Peggy, she has: painted, drawn, written poetry & prose, become a certified yoga instructor, mastered mixed media art AND printmaking…culminating it all with an incredible installation at Georgia College and State University (where she double majored & got a minor); cycled, earned a Masters of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling, been a barista, made & sold gorgeous earrings, travelled the country with super well-known artist Crystal Wagner, and SO much more. She is a renaissance woman. She juggles self-care better than anyone I know amidst all of these interests, hobbies, & dreams.

Peggy didn’t just decide one day that she wanted to tattoo people. It wasn’t really a conscious thing. People just wanted her art on their bodies. Then they’d insist that they pay her. Then people wanted more. And more. So…she made it a real live thing with Stick And Peg.

If you want to see her in her element, go watch her prepare for a piece. She is meticulous. She has a professional demeanor but still loves to giggle & have fun during the whole process. She uses top-notch supplies & is becoming extremely well-respected in the tattooing community. To say I’m a proud friend is an understatement.

Stick and Peg Stick and Poke Tattoo Peggy DesJardines Colorado Emily Dukes Photography Athens, Georgia
Stick and Peg Stick and Poke Tattoo Peggy DesJardines Denver Colorado Athens Georgia Emily Dukes Photography
Family and Friends Band Athens Georgia Tuna Fortuna Emily Dukes Photography Stick and Peg Tattoo Peggy DesJardines
Family and Friends Band Athens, Georgia Tuna Fortuna Emily Dukes Photography Meditation Peggy DesJardines Stick and Poke

These photos were from a session with Tuna, who plays in a little band called Family and Friends.

Mindfulness

Part of my goal with Emily Dukes Photography is to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Who doesn’t want that, right? I have seen how much easier it is to live in the moment and appreciate small victories when I have been able to focus on my happiness along with (not in spite of) my hustle. And of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much easier work is when I have all the support in the world (looking at you mom & dad, amazing friends + siblings). BUT back to the point…all of this “balance” talk makes me think of the trendy topic of mindfulness, so I went on a quest to bring it into my life so that I could test it out for myself. 

Mindfulness is simply the practice of being aware of our selves, our surroundings, & our higher purpose in each moment, using a gentle & nurturing lens.

The concept may seem perfectly intuitive to some, while others feel it is an impossible hurdle to surmount. We may not even realize that we are not being mindful until someone shakes our core understanding of an idea or a situation, and we find ourselves thinking about it from a different angle. I know I have a tendency to distract myself from my emotions so much that I ultimately act on whims that make no logical sense at all, or I just feel nothing at all in my quest for happiness. 

I have asked a couple of influential women close to me to examine their idea of mindfulness and I have compiled their answers so that you can join in on the journey, knowing that mistakes and struggles are definitely the “norm.” Both women who were kind enough to be honest about their struggles with mindfulness are from different faith backgrounds. We all have a few things in common: we feel that our society does not necessarily help us achieve this healthy mindset, therefore, we have to make major choices and moves towards these practices on our own, which is often the biggest hurdle of all.

What does “being mindful” mean to you in a broad sense? What about day-to-day?

Hope: Mindfulness I think, in a broad sense, to me, is very much just trying to remember that everything isn’t only about me. Remembering to be present and aware of my actions and surroundings. That I don’t know what’s happening with the driver that just cut me off and not to automatically decide they are a terrible human... and even if they are being a terrible human to make sure that I’m not being one. To be aware of my emotions but not controlled by them - how they say you’re a mountain and your emotions are clouds - let them pass you by and don’t just decide to hold on to them (in a negative aspect).

Peggy: I think of mindfulness as simply a commitment to being present and aware. It can take a lot of forms in its practical application: awareness of the body, thoughts, senses, actions, combinations of all those or even all at once. It can feel like taking a step back from every single thing and becoming an observer rather than an “interacter.” Something arises in the space that is created by this--an aliveness, a vividness. That feeling is what keeps me coming back to the practice and what I associate mindfulness with. Watching all of the fluctuations of the world so closely and being with them so fully that there is no room for your reactions or preferences. Everything simply is. 

But I’ve noticed I have two kinds of mindfulness practices--one is for the purpose of detaching from fluctuations, and the other is for the purpose of fully experiencing. When I am truly, fully present with my senses--feeling the air move across my skin, letting every sound take its time dancing in my ear, noticing the details of every contour and shadow--I can experience a heightened state that feels like oneness, and wholeness.

That sounds lofty, and sometimes it feels that way, but sometimes mindfulness is just fully feeling into the movements of my body while I flush the toilet and stare at the bags under my eyes in the mirror. Or sitting with a painful feeling rather than instinctually distracting myself from it. And then crying like a baby. And being devoted to feeling the tears spew out as fully as possible.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about maintaining a positive outlook on the world?

HM: I think it’s easier to be sad than to happy in the world. Happiness and positivity take work. I think that somewhere we’ve always been rooted to look out for negative things whether that be a big cat or someone who disagrees with you - It’s easier now to be more negative and judgmental than ever - I think social media has given everyone a sense of entitlement to just how important theirselves/opinions are - which a lot of times is shoving very selfish, negative, and depressing information in our faces. Or even ideals/emotions that aren’t currently happening in our lives - jealousy and deep envy.

PDJ: Probably the absolute nonsense of it--no one deserves to suffer, period. Yet so many do, indescribably.

What advice would you give someone who feels that mindfulness takes too much energy? What would make the shift worth it, in your opinion?

HM: I think that I’ve never completed something difficult and not felt good about it; felt accomplished because of it. I think that obviously it’s better to be happy and considerate though it may take more work. Take the challenge: don’t sit and rot, grow! Don’t contribute to the exact things that, deep down, you despise! Don’t be the person that pulls out in front of others, don’t be the person in a fit of rage because their order got messed up - we’re all just humans - so be a human that tries.

PDJ: I would argue that mindfulness saves you energy. It may feel like an investment at first. But in every moment, a mindfulness practice asks/allows you to be present fully with whatever is directly in front of you. Usually we are concentrating on so many things at once--your body is in one place (but you’re not fully in it), your mind is in at least 3 other places every 5 seconds. There is so much movement in that. Mindfulness pushes all but the present aside and you’re left with room to breathe. That doesn’t sound tiring to me. It’s not easy either, but it’s a skill that is learned and strengthened over time. A lot of forgiveness is required--worrying about or shaming yourself for how “well” you think you’re doing at it or how much time you let slide by between practices is egoic and beside the point. Attachment to this requires effort of the mind, and you cannot effort your way into stillness. Any struggle precludes you from allowing calm to arise. You could argue that mindfulness actually takes zero energy. It feels challenging because we are so accustomed to exerting energy at all times.

When we are in-tune to what is happening in the present, we can more clearly see the past and move into the future.

It may feel challenging to get started with mindfulness, but the most beneficial realizations come when we push ourselves. And don’t forget to support others while they’re pushing!


P.S. If these ladies dazzle you as much as they do me, be sure to follow along with Peggy’s stick-n-poke tattoo journey here & Hope’s precious angel pup + plants here

Burning Questions: Edition 1 // Shooting at Sunset

Why does everyone seem to crave that sunset lighting? If you’ve followed any photographer on social media you’ve seen the gorgeous images where the light rays dance through the trees or cast brilliant shimmers onto human bodies. If you’ve booked sessions with me, you’ll probably recall that I tend to steer everyone towards booking right around when the sun starts to go down. I have a sweet spot for this “golden hour” light because the mood it creates is just unbeatable. 

When you look back on these photos, you will want to feel a peace about your moment in time.

The golden light that breaks through the trees is unmistakable. There is something undeniable about the stillness that accompanies the close of a day. We tend to start to wind down. Our bodies sync up with our minds, and we don’t “hold on” so tight. These are the physiological phenomena I want to play with in your photos. These feelings create moody, magical images that can’t exist with a harsh, blinding mid-day light. 

Its just logistically better!

When developing colors in these photos, I work so much less on creating a vibe. Its already there! I save so much time by getting quality shots from the start. Sure, I can edit a poorly exposed photograph & make it look like it was shot perfectly, but after editing a batch of sunset photos, it becomes obvious why they are simply superior. Part of the benefit of my learning photography on a film camera and developing only black and white photos for years, is that I learned how light plays in nature during the different hours of the day. When we have color to distract the eyes, we often forget how completely valuable light can be to the beauty of a photo. Sunset unleashes the softest, sweetest light, causing anything in its path to be swept up in the aura of its presence. 

Its nature’s photoshop.

Shadows fall without our permission. The difference in a face shot during mid-day bright light and a face shot at sunset is vast. The curves of our faces and the shape of our heads can tend to be distorted in bright light. Shadows are softer, gold-toned, and warm. Any blemish is assisted by the dramatic, rich colors that sunsets bring. Within the hour or so that we photograph during your session, we will have a variety of hues along the warm spectrum to choose from. From the beginning of the session, we’ll have those yellows & bright greens that create vivid, playful shots. From the middle, we’ll grab some light dancing through the trees to create subtle shades of gray. Towards the end, and during blue hour, we will get those moody, serene glimpses of gold that are totally timeless and classic. 

We can count on it!

No matter what the weather does, the sun always rises and sets. In the changing of each season, we can tend to feel a bit uneasy at what the thermometer will read, but we know that the sun will do its thing. Even if your shoot is set on a rainy day, the sun’s job is to illuminate, even though the clouds. It will always do its job when most every other variable is unreliable. 

Its fleeting.

Not to get too poetic on you, but the impermanence of the sunset is part of what creates its value. If we could always have soft sunset light, it wouldn’t be as special. That hurts a little to think about, but it really is true. The very best things are often fleeting or scarce. The moments we want to capture are that way, too. Photos help capture memories so we can free our minds to move forward. The looking back can sometimes feel like looking into the sun; we squint, then we smile.

Here are some of my current favorite local-ish photographers who know what they’re doing with sunset (& sunrise & darkness…& everything in between…) 

Elicia Bryan

Someplace Wild

Love Stories Co.

Twin Hearts