My last few days have been spent at the Creative at Heart Conference in Roanoke, VA and I can’t quite put into words how much the experience has meant to me. When Kat asked me to be one of the conference photographers (alongside VA Photography + Amanda Hedgepeth!), I started crying and jumping up and down because I was going to be a tiny part in this amazing movement that she has started. I knew the conference would be unforgettable, just like the first one, but I didn’t expect it to be life-changing. And it was.

Creative at Heart is not just a conference. It is not just a room full of women talking about pretty things + chatting over coffee for fun. It is a MOVEMENT. It is life changing. It is encouraging, inspirational + REAL. It is dozens of women who are working HARD at being the best boss ladies that they can be, and serving their clients along the way. This industry of creatives is something that should be taken seriously, because this thing that we do impacts people’s LIVES. What we do is IMPORTANT. But is can also be lonely. Owning a small business + spending most days at home working by yourself is HARD. But this conference is taking women who feel alone, scared + helpless in their businesses, and bringing them together to show that COMMUNITY is ALWAYS better than competition. Because “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle”.

For anyone that is considering attending this conference…DO IT. I promise that you will walk into the conference room on that first day, and immediately feel like you are HOME. You will be surrounded by your people. The people who GET it. The ones who fear the same fears, battle the same battles and know EXACTLY what you are going through. You will leave with dozens of new friends in this industry, and all of the tools you need to conquer your small business and be the absolute BEST boss lady you can be.

I can’t wait to share more images from the conference + a more detailed recap in a few weeks! But for now, here are some iPhone snapshots of my favorite memories!!