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July 2025​

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As a child, I dreaded school picture day. The stiff collars that chaffed my neck raw, the hair combed into styles I’d never choose, and the endless chorus of “Smile bigger! More teeth! Smile with your eyes!” As an adult, I understand the appeal of those polished, picture-perfect portraits. But the child in me still rebels against the bland backdrops and forced grins. 
This piece embraces that rebellion. It asks: why not celebrate the truth of childhood: the innocence, the mischief, the fleeting moments of joy, even when it means a “perfect” portrait is interrupted by a finger up the nose? 
After all, those imperfect moments often capture the most honest beauty of what it means to be young.