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Music Hey friends, welcome back to Pardon the Mess. I'm your host, Courtney Defeo, and you know why I am excited about today's episode, because it is for you, the mom. We're not going to think about our kids right now, we're going to think about us. And that feels

counterintuitive because you're like, I don't think about myself ever. And so this is a moment where we can pause and say like God created you as an individual with gifts and strengths. And don't even log off if you see the word creativity because you're like, well, that's not me. No, we all were created by a creator and we have creativity each of us it just may look different your

life versus my life actually not me. No, we all were created by a creator and we have creativity, each of us. It just may look

different. Your life versus my life, Ashley is an incredible photographer that we're going to talk to

today. I am not a photographer. I love a good party. I love themes and events. And so we laugh at the

end. Maybe we could join forces and I could create her kids' birthday parties and she could take

photography photos for my family. But I want you to lean in today and give yourself permission.

She talks a lot about permission in the book, permission to just dream a little bit. Because as I'll

talk in circles at one point in the episode, I'm kind of having a counseling moment going,

okay, Ella left and I'm kind of reconciling like,

I am so sad. I'm having like a little identity crisis. Did I put too much of my life into her, that I'm feeling a little lost? And so you'll hear me talk in circles. I do have other

outlets. I do have this here podcast, and I do have other hobbies. Now I'm a needle pointer.

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