08/23/2026
I've been looking back at some of the places my photography has been exhibited and published, and I keep having one of those moments where I just sit back and think... WOW.
If you had told that little Inuk girl from Iqaluktuuttiaq, who had Calvin Klein ads up on her bedroom walls, that one day she would be creating photographs that made people feel empowered and beautiful, and that people would actually ask to show those photographs around the world, I don't think she ever would have believed you.
Honestly, I don't remember having a big dream when I was younger. I don't know if I really had a vision of what I wanted my life to be.
I was simply existing and surviving.
Photography became more than something I enjoyed when I started noticing how a photo could make someone feel. I loved taking a photo of a woman and watching her see herself as beautiful. Sometimes it felt like she was finally seeing the beauty her family and loved ones already saw when they looked at her.
At a time in my own life when I felt invisible in so many ways, it brought me joy to make someone else feel seen.
Then I had this little idea for a photo series.
Gold is something special. It's something sought after. We give gold medals to people for being the best. And I thought it would be cool to photograph Inuit women in gold because shouldn't we feel that special about ourselves too?
The very first Gold Series photo I shared was completely out of camera. No editing. Nothing. It was just this thought and vision I had in my head suddenly becoming real.
Then people started reaching out saying they wanted to be gold too.
That's when I knew I had hit on something much bigger than me.
Since then, my photography has ended up in places I never could have imagined. And I think one of the most humbling parts of all of this is that not one single exhibit or opportunity came from me reaching out and asking.
They found me.
Somewhere, somehow, they knew who this little Inuk from Iqaluktuuttiaq was.
Even today when someone realizes I'm the person behind the Gold Series or Breath of the Nuna, I get so proud and so shy at the exact same time. 😂 There's still a part of me thinking, wait... you know my photos?!?!?!?!?
Being part of the current exhibit in Sweden is something I'm especially proud of. Not only because my photography is being shown across the world, but because this isn't simply an exhibit about Inuit tattoos. It brings together Indigenous women from around the world who are carrying their traditional markings.
And when I really think about everything that has happened, I realize the biggest feeling I have isn't pride in myself as the photographer.
I'm proud of US.
I'm proud to be Inuk.
We have survived the harshest climates. We have lived through so much trauma and incredible change. We went from igloos to iPads in such a short amount of time, and now we are the ones taking control of sharing our stories and claiming our culture.
Our stories are ours to tell.
I've also been finding that the words I write with my Breath of the Nuna photographs are resonating with people in ways I didn't expect. That means so much to me because maybe this has always been what photography was about for me.
Making someone feel seen.
If I could go back and talk to that younger version of myself, I would tell her that her past doesn't define who she is today. There is so much more life to live.
We all have our own story, and what you grow up in doesn't have to become your future.
We get to make our own path.
Success looks different for every one of us, so be proud of every win you have. Make mistakes. Learn the lesson you were meant to take from them and try to make tomorrow better.
I truly believe we are always one decision away from a different life.
And even if you take a wrong turn, it's never too late to get back on track.
Most of all, push yourself to become the person you needed.
You really never know where one decision, one idea, one photograph, or one little dream might take you.
I certainly didn't.
And now I get to sit here sometimes and think...
WOW.
That little Inuk girl did all of this. ❤️
And since apparently people looking for exhibits have been finding me instead of the other way around...
I'm just going to casually leave this here. 👀😂
Breath of the Nuna is waiting for its time to shine too. 🔥🌬️🌊 And we have passports, ready to fly
