How is it that the time has gone by so darn fast? It seems like just a few short weeks ago we were in the throes of summer, and now, the festive season has come and gone and we are at the start of a fresh new year.

Now to be quite frank, I could totally do December over again. I have had a really bad bout of the flu on and off for around 3 weeks. When you wander in to that third week of not great sleep, no voice and too many tissues, you can’t help but take a moment (or 25) to think about how you got to this point. Lack of sleep definitely does not help me with perspective and The Big Picture, but many hours of down time has forced me to take stock of the past 12 months.

I have had the privilege to work with so many lovely people during the course of 2014. Alongside my family portrait portfolio, I have also started to expand my commercial portfolio – which now includes a bespoke London based jeweler, a company who designs furniture, as well as an international Women’s networking group. I’ve even done a bit of design work (including the overhaul of my own website), which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Several families have come back to me for fresh new portraits during the course of this year, and this was an absolute pleasure to revisit and reconnect with these lovely folks.

One of my favourite happenings is when I bump into someone who I haven’t seen for a while, and they make a point of expressing how much they are enjoying seeing my work grow and develop over the years. Most of the time, these are people who don’t often comment on social media, but still keep an eye on how things are progressing. It makes me grin fantastically wide, and it’s often humbling for me to stop for a moment, look back, and see just how much I’ve grown over the past year. Like I’m sure everyone does at some point, I have moments where I look around me and wonder why I’m not ‘there’, at a particular point in my business. And then I remind myself why I tend to keep to myself when at the gym – the only person whose progress I want to focus on my my own. My path is a direct reflection of the steps which I have taken, and each one builds on the last. 2014 has certainly felt like a series of many deliberate steps, professionally and personally, with a whole bunch of quiet, steady moments, building on the previous years that led up to this point. And ultimately, all the small steps add up to a big shift in my body of work for the year, for which I am super grateful.

So here’s a massive THANK YOU from me to you. For ‘liking’, for supporting and for cheering me on at every step of the way. It means so much more than I could ever fully express. You. Are. Awesome!

I’ve put together a little selection of images for you. It’s a little glimpse into some of my favourite images from the adventures of 2014! I can’t wait for what 2015 has in store, and I have to say, I would love for you to be part of it.

Sending much love your way and wishing you an AWESOME 2015!

Jodi Xx