ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 24 / Merry Christmas

24/12/2018

It’s Christmas Eve today.

*feel the monumental shift in this day*

The peace.
The quiet.
The calm.

You don’t need to do anything today.

You can stop with the “I should’s” and the “I need to’s” and just

STOP.

You can breathe. You can relax. You can just be and enjoy.

No matter what the external circumstances are, you can make this day the best it can be by letting go of control. Things will unfold beautifully when you listen in on what you and your loved ones need today – on an emotional level.

Remember your safe word?
Use it.

Today is about love.
Today is about forgiveness.
Today is about joy.
Today is about care.
Today is about blessings.
Today is about peace.
Today is about presence.

You’ve already done everything.
Let yourself relax now.
Breathe.
Relax.
Enjoy.

Merry Christmas, you beautiful soul.

You’re on this Earth for a reason. Give yourself some love and care today. Then shower everyone else with it too.

Happy Holidays!

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 23 / Seven Best Quotes

23/12/2018

Here are seven quotes that I love. I hope they, if nothing else, serve as a powerful reminder.

Because, what you feed your mind matters.

—

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.” – Jim Rohn

“It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you.” – Rumi

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” – Susan Jeffers

“Would you rather be deeply adored or generally liked?” – Danielle LaPorte

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

—

Happy December 23rd!

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 22 / Top 5 Tips for Relaxed Holidays

22/12/2018

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 22 / Five Tips for Relaxed Holidays

If at any point you find your mind wandering to work or anything stressful, give yourself “a safe word” and use it immediately. Your safe word could be “pumpkin pie” or “rock, paper, scissors” or perhaps something a tad simpler like “CHRISTMAS!”. Whatever works for you, choose it, use it and allow yourself to return to the current moment, the people you have around you and the special time you’re sharing with them.
Christmas, nor life, is about perfection. Maybe this year you don’t drive yourself crazy with the cleaning, the cooking, the shopping, the prepping, the decorating, the gift giving, the card writing. Maybe this year you let yourself give you and everyone around you the best gift of all: your time.
Engage in some of the favorite activities your friends and family enjoy. Activities are great because they force us to stay in the moment. The more active the activity, the better because it gives little to no room for your brain to go on overdrive. It’s all about distraction for your mind, especially if you’re Type A!
Spend some time reflecting. Look back at your year and everything you’ve accomplished, experienced and gone through. Write down three things that you’re grateful that happened to you this year. What you pay attention to is what’s amplified in your life. For instance, let’s say you’ve just discovered a new and amazing holiday location, are totally in love with it and suddenly start seeing it everywhere? Or maybe you bought a new car and now everyone seems to be driving it? That’s what happens to our minds when we focus on something: we see it everywhere. So focus on the positive and everything you’re grateful for and you’ll soon notice many more reasons for it.
And last but definitely not least, BREATHE. That’s right, breathe. When you stress out, your body starts to reflect that and it goes on fight or flight mode. When you stop to take a moment to breathe, your body starts to relax and let go of the stress. It starts to understand that hey you’re not under attack, so it can lower its guard. While we all know how to breathe, most of us have never stopped to fully pay attention to it. So try it with me right now: close your eyes, take a deep breath in through the nose (take as much air in as you possibly can), hold for a count of two and then blow out all the air through the mouth. Repeat this process as many times as necessary. Your body will thank you and later so will you ;)

Happy December 22nd!

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 18 / Be in your own power

18/12/2018

POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

In this photoshoot, we focus on bringing out the part in you that you may have been hiding or maybe have never even dared to explore.

So easily we put ourselves into a box that limits us not only in the way we dress and wear make-up, but also in the way we behave and feel about ourselves. We are SO MUCH MORE than just a few tiny things that we have allowed ourselves to be.

YOU are everything. You can be anything you want.

Just let yourself be seen. But most importantly let yourself be seen by you.

If this speaks to you, this photoshoot is for you. Here’s more info:

SET YOURSELF FREE

Set yourself free from limitations.
Set yourself free from expectations.
Set yourself free from your mind’s prison and let yourself be the woman you’ve always wanted to be.

With power photography we release these parts of you that you’ve been hiding or haven’t explored.
That part can be anything, it’s up to you and only the sky is the limit.

The photoshoot includes:
-1hr of photographing
-editing
-10 digital files

ONLY TODAY (Tue 18th) FOR 249€
(normally 479€)

I’M READY, I WANT THIS

OLEN VALMIS.

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 17 / Monday morning pep-talk

17/12/2018

This is for you if and when you feel like you can’t do something.

We all feel that way sometimes. It’s in our DNA as humans to doubt ourselves. In a way we should really feel lucky that we can have doubt because that means we have the ability to think and rationalize.

However, when we doubt ourselves, it’s not exactly our rational mind that’s doing the thinking, it’s our emotions.

So let’s change those emotions and get you started on this week!

Anything that you want to do, you can do.
It means that if you’re not as good as you want to be at the moment, you just need to practice to become better.
That’s all that it is.

Now, if you know you’ve got what it takes, you’ve got the knowledge, the practice, the know-how, the ability – then go for it. Set yourself free and allow yourself the opportunity to shine.

It’s often that we’re not scared about what could go wrong, but all the things that could go right. We’re often scared to be seen for who we truly are, we are often scared to be seen for all the good in us. Because then our mind is filled with questions like “will everyone hate me if I succeed?”.

You need to follow what’s true to you, you need to trust that your kind of people will find you when you allow yourself to shine. You weren’t meant to be spending your life in a dungeon. You were meant to explore yourself, find your strengths, the things you love to do and then do them.

And that’s what you’re doing today. That’s why you’re nervous whether you can do this thing or not – it’s getting too close to your heart, isn’t it? It’s showing a part of you and it’s scary.

I get it. Of course it’s scary. But when did scary become something that should stop you? When did an emotion, a fleeting feeling, become so powerful?

You have to know that you got this. You have to know that by following your passions, you will get to where you want to go and you never know how much more amazing it’ll be when you finally get there.

However you think or feel about yourself in this moment, take a breather: breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Let yourself feel the air going in and coming out. Just one breath is enough to relax you.

And if you’re still feeling nervous, allow yourself to feel it. Don’t fight it, just let it be. Observe it. How does it feel? Where do you feel it in your body? How would you describe it? What name would you give that feeling? Can you let that feeling be and not judge it?

If we try to fight something, it often sticks. But when we accept things, they stop being such big monsters and often go away.

All of the feelings that are telling you right now that you can’t do something, those feelings will eventually go away. Feelings are not a very good judge of what you should be doing, because of the fact that they’re fleeting. Feelings come and they go. You can’t give them too much power in decision making.

Go out there today and DO IT. You know, deep down, you can do it. It’s not even an issue. You’ve got this.

Trust it. Trust yourself. Trust your abilities. Whatever happens, you can handle it. You can handle it.

Happy Monday, December 17th!

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 14 / You are the Queen

14/12/2018

Dear You,

I know that for many this time of year is beyond stressful. Perhaps it’s for you too. So I decided to write you a letter.

Often times the things we hear in our heads when we are stressed out are many “I need to” or “I should”-sentences. They’re all things we’ve somehow accumulated and learned over the years as these absolutes that just should or need to get done.

Such as buying presents. To everyone. Including your son’s kindergarden teacher’s pet.

Or perhaps the house absolutely needs a full head-to-toe clean up.

Or the Christmas dinner this year needs to be better than last year’s.

However the stress looks like to you, it’s often a rat race where we just follow protocol without even knowing why we do it. It’s just something you do.

When was the last time you actually allowed yourself to stop?
Stop doing?
Stop obsessing?
Stop running around?

There’s no one else putting pressure on you but yourself. You are the queen of your life, lady. Yes. YOU are. You get to choose. I don’t care how many demanding mother-in-laws (or mothers! *gasp*) or husbands or children or friends or pets or dust bunnies you have around. I don’t care. They’re not you.

We’re all in charge of and responsible for our own lives and well-being.

“It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you but NO ONE CAN WALK IT FOR YOU.”
Rumi

Meaning, if you fall down, it’s your body that gets bruised or worse yet, broken. Not the person who’s walking next to you.

It’s not anyone else’s heart, mind or body that gets stressed out but yours. It’s not anyone else who loses sleep but you.

So tell me: is it worth it?
Really, is it worth it?

Change starts the moment you decide to change. The moment you say “I’ve had enough”. Change starts when you put yourself first, when you remind yourself that you are not a prisoner of your life. You are the QUEEN. The goddamn QUEEN.

That means: you have a choice.

If you feel anxious about not doing everything you’re used to doing, come up with something else to do, like playing board games with your family. Plan activities that actually mean something, that build connection, that make you feel gratitude, that remind you why it’s so much more important to stop than to keep pushing.

Christmas will come. And it will go, whether you stress out or not. In fact, all things will come and go with or without your stress.

If it’s too big of a leap to stop entirely, take moments of your day to pause. To breathe. That’s right. Something as simple as focusing on your breathing will relax your body. Magical, isn’t it? At our full disposal every single moment.

So I hope you’ll spend the next 10 days in a lot less of a stressful state. I’ve made a few other advent calendar gifts relating to relaxation, so check those out if you’d like a guided, short relaxation:

And some other feel-good pep-talks:

I wish you a nice and relaxed Christmas time filled with deep connections, love and laughter.

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 12 / 12 books to read

12/12/2018

Here’s 12 books I recommend to read.
They’re in no particular order and while there’d be many other books as well, I recommend to at least start with these.

Feel the fear and do it anyway – Susan Jeffers
Love – Leo Buscaglia
The Five Love Languages – Gary Chapman
The gifts of imperfection – Brene Brown
How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie
The power of habit – Charles Duhigg
Start with why – Simon Sinek
The Fish philosophy – Stephen C. Lundin
You are what you believe – Hyrum W. Smith
Whatever you think, think the opposite – Paul Arden
Design your self – Karim Rashid
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert

Happy reading!
And happy December 12th!

With love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR: Day 8 / Challenge

08/12/2018

If we never pay attention to the things we succeed at, or do right, in our lives, we’ll never see ourselves realistically.

So many of us have a much more negative view of ourselves than necessary.

Which is why I want you to take a moment every day for the next week (seriously, woman, PRIORITIZE yourself!) to write down three things you succeeded at that day.

A word of advice, though: please don’t make this about performance. Your success doesn’t have to mean anything larger than life – what were the things that went right that day?

What made you feel good?

Maybe it was just a simple compliment you gave to a friend whose day it made. Or maybe it was smiling to someone. Or maybe you got praise for what you did at work. Maybe someone complimented YOU for something.

The source of happiness and joy can always be found most profoundly in the little things. It’s always the little things that matter. It’s the little things that build our entire life.

Make sure you prioritize your well-being, your joy, your happiness. It’s necessary and it’s healthy.

What went right today? What did you do well?

Write it down.

With so much love,
Erika

ADVENT CALENDAR – Day 2: How to feel better in photos

02/12/2018

It’s a cliché but it’s true: everything starts from within.

The most important thing you can do for yourself, not only in photographs but in your overall well-being and satisfaction in life, is to learn to love and accept yourself. The more at ease and comfortable you are in your own skin, the better you’ll look in photos.

But in addition to that, here are some tips for feeling and looking great in photos (and some tips I know all y’all love about body angles)!

RELAX:
1. Laugh! Even if you don’t feel like it, just do it, fake it. Do laughing yoga, make yourself laugh because it’ll force your body to relax. (You can use yesterday’s advent calendar gift as a starting point ;))
2. Move your body! Jump up and down, do jumping jacks, dance, whatever it is, just keep moving. It will get your heart pumping and it will relax your body.
3. Talk to the person photographing you (even if it’s you making a selfie ;)), make conversation and the entire situation will feel a lot less intimidating.
BE IN ACTION:
1. Put your head down, start (fake) laughing and lift your face to the camera.
2. Walk, dance, marvel at your surroundings. Find little things to focus on.
3. Do something you enjoy and have someone photograph you while in action.
4. (Of course keep in mind that in low-light situations [without flash] movement is going to be blurry, in some cases even in daylight if the movement is fast enough)
MONITOR SELF-TALK:
1. When something goes well, when you do something right, how do you reward yourself? What do you say to yourself?
2. When something goes wrong, how do you talk to yourself?
3. Based on your self-talk, are you your best friend or your enemy?
4. Make monitoring, and actively changing, your self-talk a part of your daily life. It’ll drastically change your life.
BODY ANGLES:
1. For a more defined jaw, push your neck forward and chin down just a little bit.
2. For a less round face, turn your face just slightly at an angle toward the camera.
3. For a slimmer figure, turn your body at an angle (nearly sideways) with both shoulders still visible, and lean forward from your waist toward the camera.
4. For more curves, arch your back while standing sideways toward the camera.
5. Remember this: whatever is closest to the camera is amplified (gets bigger)

I hope these tips will make your Christmas photographs that much better. Remember, you don’t need to look or be anything different to be gorgeous. You’re enough just as you are.

With love,
Erika

Kaisu: from (what she thought was) okay-looking to (what we already saw as) beautiful

24/05/2018

Kaisu Studio Metsän Erika Lindin kuvattavana Helsingissä Muotokuvaus

The first time Kaisu and I were to meet, I was nervous.

Kaisu is an intelligent and ambitious architect – what if I couldn’t give her what she’s looking for?

This nervousness dissipated quickly as soon as Kaisu sat down in front of me. We connected right away and the getting-to-know-each-other-chat that regularly lasts for about 30-60 minutes, turned into a two and a half hour chat between friends.

We spoke about the photoshoot, of course, and Kaisu’s hopes for it. We spoke about Kaisu’s relationship with herself. We spoke about architecture (which is something I’ve been interested in ever since I was little) and its different trends. We spoke about relationships and everything that comes with them.

We spoke about anything and everything, and truly got to know each other.

I left this meeting feeling energized and happy – this is what my job is at its best. The connection that can be created so quickly between people is one of the biggest motivators I have in this job.

Who am I?

Kaisu turned 50 this year.

Which was largely the motivation behind getting photos of herself – “who am I now that I’m turning 50?”.

Kaisu has always led with action, with doing. It’s been important to her to be appreciated and noted for her doing, not so much her appearance.

Now that the appreciation has long come from her work, Kaisu has started to consider her own relationship with her appearance. It’s never been a priority for her nor has she ever considered herself to be beautiful. It also has never been an issue for Kaisu, but come on now, every woman needs to feel beautiful (because we all are)!

Physically Kaisu has changed over the past year after she hired a personal trainer. The personal trainer helped her get rid of the last few kilos from her pregnancies and find the joy in exercise again. Even though Kaisu is now slim and healthy, she still isn’t entirely comfortable in her own skin.

She’s considered herself to be okay-looking but never beautiful.

(You can probably imagine how much I was looking forward to proving her otherwise!)

The magic of the photoshoot

On the day of the photoshoot Kaisu relaxed into the photos fast. Here’s something I admire in Kaisu: she’s used to taking the lead but she knew coming into this process that she needed to let go and this is precisely what she did.

She was on a completely new and unconquered territory for her but she handled it beautifully. She was glowing.

She accepted what came from within. She accepted that this is me, this is how I am and that is good.

We spent hours together photographing, talking and laughing – just like friends!

At the photo reveal Kaisu said to me, with such surprise and innocence:

“I’ve never thought that I’m photogenic, but these photographs are proving otherwise!“

And that’s the bottom line of my photoshoots. I think a lot of people come to me with doubts whether it’s really possible for their own photographs to be beautiful because they don’t believe they’re photogenic. And once they see the photos, they’re genuinely surprised because they think, damn, Erika was right, I am photogenic!

Being photogenic is about being who you are. And as you can see, Kaisu is a gorgeous, beautiful, courageous and confident woman.

So, thank you Kaisu for coming to me and giving me an opportunity to get to know you.

You are such a wonderful, wonderful woman and I have enjoyed our conversations enormously.

—

If you’re interested in being photographed yourself, or would like to ask me something (anything), you can contact me here. I promise I won’t bite ;)

To read another woman’s story who was also used to taking the lead and had to remind herself of letting go of the control during the photoshoot, click here to read Miia’s story and see her photos.

Until next time you lovely person you,
Erika

Portraits of the inspiring Julie Damhus

11/05/2018

Julie Damhus photographed by Erika Lind of Studio Metsä

It was September 2011, the start of my final year of University in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

For three years I had been dreaming about taking a ceramics class but it was always coinciding with a mandatory class up until my 4th year.

And I’m forever grateful for taking that specific class.

Because you see, there was a girl in my class that I know I was destined to meet.

Her name is Julie.

She is Danish.

From the first day we met, we became inseparable.

Julie was in Vancouver on exchange from her Master’s program of Industrial Design and had also always wanted to learn ceramics.

Turns out both of us fell in love with it and Julie even more so: she now runs a very successful business as a ceramist.

MEET JULIE

In addition to being a business woman, Julie is now also the mother of three amazing children and the wife of a talented carpenter, Soren. She’s a woman I truly admire and look up to in more ways than one.

When she came to visit me in Finland last year, she was struggling with the direction of her company. I made her website and we spoke a lot about what type of content she would put on her site.

It was a conglomeration of pieces she’d designed and while she really loved ceramics, she was afraid of focusing only on that. She had an underlying fear of not being able to make a living with it.

Julie couldn’t have been more wrong! Once she took the plunge, she hit success immediately.

It’s been amazing for me to follow her progress – having been at the beginning just learning ceramics to now doing it as a profession.

I think it’s a wonderful and inspiring example of the things we can accomplish when we follow that which we love to do, learn and study it until we master it.

And Julie is definitely a master in her art.

A lesson learned from Julie

When I say I admire Julie in many ways, it’s not only what she’s accomplished but who she is and how she approaches life and relationships.

Some years ago I was having an issue with my then-boyfriend while I was visiting her and she asked me one question: “Have you talked about your individual expectations towards this situation?”.

No, we hadn’t.

It was one of the biggest revelations for me – how can I be upset or hurt when we have never even spoken about what both of our expectations are.

When we don’t communicate in order to prevent upset and hurt from happening, we end up creating a direct road map to those very feelings.

We, as human race, tend to confuse communication with talking. We talk, talk, talk but we rarely understand or listen. How many conflicts could be avoided if we simply listened to one another.

A friend asked me a while ago: “Do you know anyone who’s in a happy marriage?”. I said yes, and thought of Julie.

Julie and Soren’s marriage is exemplary. I admire them individually and as a couple. I wish you could know them because they’d restore your faith in marriage / relationships / the opposite sex in a heartbeat.

Go ahead and follow Julie on Instagram here. Also go check out her website for ceramic pieces available for purchase.

Thanks Julie for trusting me with your photos!

You’re an inspiration.

—

Here are a few photos of us from last year and the beginning of our friendship:

JULIE AND ERIKA 2017

JULIE AND ERIKA 2011

I love you, Julie! Thanks for coming to my life. It’s much better because of you.

With so much love and respect,
Erika

Gorgeous, strong, sensitive and successful Sini

25/04/2018

Studio Metsä Erika Lind Muotokuvaus Helsinki

It’s finally time to introduce the amazing Sini.

Sini is a 40-year-old successful interior designer who loves to travel and photograph. Sini has also modelled although she hasn’t specifically liked the way she has looked.

Sini has had it in her head before that she’s fat. This has prevented her from eating in public all the way until she was about 25 or 27. And even though many photographs have been made of her, she’s never felt that any of them represent her – it’s always been a part she’s played.

So she came to me. It was time to make some photographs of the real Sini.

Sini turned 40 last year and has really grown to her own woman. She’s learned to be kinder toward herself, more loving and accepting. She told me how she’s gained 15kg from the time when she previously thought she was fat and is now more comfortable in her own skin than ever before.

This is an example of how external factors really have nothing to do with our insecurities. No external factors can define our worth or understanding of ourselves. It’s simply our mind that creates an illusion of what we should be in order to be enough.

And when we finally reach that goal, we don’t come to any more peace about it. In fact, our mind will have already given us a new goal that makes us believe once we reach that, then we’ll be enough. It’s a vicious cycle, you’ll never win.

The only option is to take control of your mind and start walking down the path to self-acceptance and self-love. It’s the only path that will lead to permanent peace. After all, being loved and accepted is part of our emotional basic needs. Sometimes it just takes us a while to understand that those start within us.

Sini has understood this and you can see that in the way that she carries herself. I’m really happy that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Sini because she’s inspired me by being who she is. She’s so warm, so kind, so friendly, so empathic and loves to laugh! And actually she has the nicest laugh, which flows out of her quite easily.

You’ll get a sense of that in the photos.

Photos of the real Sini

The photoshoot with Sini went great despite the somewhat cold weather. It’s such a pleasure photographing her and seeing the enjoyment she was also having!

At the photo reveal Sini told me that this is her. She’s in the photos. As her real self.

Yay! Mission accomplished!

—–

Here’s what Sini had to say about the experience:

“After gaining some weight, I had managed to become somewhat allergic to the camera. I was afraid that if someone would capture me in photographs, I’d think I look too big and then I’d start to hate myself and the way I look even though in my everyday life I feel good about myself and the way I look.

This is why I declined opportunities where others could take photos of me, even for work.

I ended up getting photographed by Studio Metsä because I liked Erika’s photos – they have this type of authenticity that I hadn’t seen much. I liked the idea that everyone is beautiful and worth being photographed. Even though I was afraid to see myself the way I am, the real me, I knew that’s precisely what I needed.

The experience was really wonderful❤

The photoshoot was really relaxed and I wasn’t nervous at any point. Erika was so warm and guided me really well with different poses. When I saw the photos myself I thought wow, do I look that good.

I went to other photographers as well but I didn’t think anyone else was able to capture the real me, from the inside and the outside, the way Erika did. Every photo makes me feel something. I even recognized my mom’s mischievous smile in one of the photos, which I’ve apparently inherited.

I got so excited about the photos that I sent them to some modeling agencies in Helsinki (the one I’m in right now is in Tampere) and two out of three told me they’ll take me!

Now I no longer worry if I’m not good enough or photogenic because of my weight. I’m good enough just as I am.

Thank you Erika ❤“

—–

No, thank you, Sini for coming to me, trusting me and through that opening your heart to me. You’re precious, amazing, gorgeous, supportive, warm, loving, goofy, funny and such a beautiful woman. I can’t wait to hear about all the things you end up doing in your life!

You’re a star.

With the warmest of hugs,
Erika

Sunday Pondering: How to make a good life?

15/04/2018

The Makings of a Good Life - video by Erika Lind from Studio Metsä

On this Sunday, I took the morning and early afternoon to “debug” myself.

That means, I turned off my phone and laptop.

And that led me to making this video.

If you’ve ever been frustrated or even disappointed with how your life is, please watch this video.

I’d love to hear what thoughts arose in you, so please comment here or below the video on YouTube.

Life is in your hands and I hope you realize how empowering that is!

With so much love and respect,
Erika

Brand photos for Taru Hanna

22/03/2018

I love Taru!

She’s warm and open, so friendly and kind.

And her business, Taru Hanna, is a direct reflection of her cheerful and loving soul.

Taru helps small business owners shine in digital spaces, ie helps them with all their digital marketing needs. This business was born when Taru, along with her family, moved to California. Prior to starting her own business Taru worked in marketing.

She told me how much she loves photographs and actually makes most of them for her own business but avoids being in front of the lens herself. She’d never been photographed before and this of course caused for some nervousness in the beginning.

But Taru was a natural; she relaxed so quickly and really enjoyed being in front of the camera (as you’ll see in photos to come..;))!

TARU HANNA / taruhanna.com

I loved photographing Taru. It’s so rewarding to see the person relax and really enjoy the process.

And this being a person who’d always thought they don’t know how to be in photos, that they don’t usually succeed and now all of a sudden they’re completely natural in front of the lens.

Thank you, Taru, for trusting me, giving me a chance and opening your heart to me. You’re special, so happy and warm, I loved spending time with you. You also have this way of making a person feel like they’re the most important person in the world. That’s very special!

Go check out Taru’s business and her services by clicking here. You can also fall in love with Taru by following her on Instagram!

With warm hugs,
Erika

Habits, habits, habits – or just pure luck?

22/01/2018

Have you ever met a person who’s always happy, smiling, ready to laugh and get things going? They’re active in their lives and seem to always be doing amazing things?

I’ve met plenty of people like that and have always envied them. This is because I’ve always been emotional and sensitive, often feeling “the weight of the world” on my shoulders.

The interesting part about this is, I used to think that people like that were born that way – with a happy-go-lucky, laid-back attitude and nature (and maybe some are). But I never considered that maybe their upbringing, or they themselves, had developed positive habits in order to maximize their levels of happiness.

Maybe there’s no such thing as a happy person, per se. Maybe we are all products of our habits and actions. The people we choose to surround ourselves with, the ways in which we choose to spend our time, what we choose to listen to and watch. Not to mention the way we choose to do things, even little things like getting out of the bed in the morning.

Do we snooze and stall getting up? Do we spring up excited to start the day? Do we wallow in our potential morning-depression? Do we start to exercise? Do we read a book? Do we stay stuck in social media? Do we read emails? Do we read the news?

Can we change?

Maybe everything can be developed. Maybe everything can be fixed. Maybe every little thing can really be changed.

Although I’m a big believer in the impossible I now realize I’ve still had limiting beliefs around what’s inherent in me. That I’m just a sensitive person who feels a lot. That oh well, that’s my role in this world.

Maybe it’s just too damn easy to let ourselves believe there are certain things in our lives and within us that are simply out of our control.

But what if it weren’t so?

What if we could change everything?

What if everything we do, say, feel and think would be in our control?

What if all the tiniest habits we have could be changed?

What would you change?

How do you want to be?

How do you want to feel?

These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. And more importantly these are the questions we need to answer.

Because only when we have a destination, can we figure out a way to get there.

—

This blog post was prompted by a moment in the Helsinki city bus as I sat down thinking about my week. I was flying high all week last week – I had amazing, deep connections with people every day of the week. And it continued to blow my mind how amazing people are.

At the core of human happiness, for me, are true, deep and real connections with people.

So, I was sitting there thinking about how much these connections had uplifted my mood and how incredibly blessed I was feeling. It’s not a feeling I usually feel every day, all the time. And it led me to think about other days in my life when I’m not flying so high, when my mood might actually be quite low.

And then the question became, how can I generate those emotions when it’s just me and I’m not feeling so good. When perhaps my habits weigh me down, when my choices allow only for momentary gain but end up in long-term ill-being.

Our habits begin to play a gigantic role in our lives on those days when we are feeling less than. Our brain attempts to preserve energy so it defaults to already-formed habits when we are feeling low. In order for us to have a better chance of feeling good on a day-to-day basis, we need to form healthy and positive habits that support us even when we are down.

What a simple and beautiful revelation I had sitting in the city bus!

What small change are you going to make?

Thank you for reading.

With so much love, respect and warm hugs,
Erika

Studio Metsä Year in Review: 2017

31/12/2017

The year of tumult / Studio Metsä Photography

The year 2017 has been one of the most tumultuous of my adult life.

The year of change.

So let’s review.

It was the first full year of Studio Metsä under the concept of photographing women who don’t believe they’re photogenic.

With that came many amazing people to my life that continue to inspire and challenge me (in the best possible way) to this day. Clients that turned into friends. Clients that have touched my heart and soul with their experiences, wisdom and ways of seeing the world.

It’s safe to say that Studio Metsä has the absolute best, most open, optimistic and heart-warming clients ever!

People who are willing to go deep and open their hearts to someone they’ve just met.
People who trust and embrace the world and its people.
People who take responsibility for themselves, their emotions, well-being and growth.
People who want to work for who they want to be.

I’m honoured and blessed to be able to associate with people like that.

This year has at its absolute best been a year of true connection. Connection that goes from heart to heart. Connection that strips us bare, that leaves nothing to hide behind. Connection that brings out our humanity and vulnerability.

Connection like that is rare but it’s what true and real human interactions are made of.

But wherever there’s true and deep connection, there’s also the possibility for experiencing loss as we connect to a place within us that tells us the truth of who we are and what we truly want and need.

In order to grow, we need that connection, those realizations and the pain that may accompany it.

These types of losses teach you to let go. However, I’ve only realized I don’t fully know how to do that.

One of the biggest losses this year has been the passing of my beloved nearly 15-year-old cat. Just looking at the photos I wanted to include here turned me into a wreck. It’s hard to understand and come to terms with.

Some things are not meant to be and it doesn’t matter what I do or who I am, some things will never happen or go the way I’d like them to. And this means, I need to learn how to take a step back and let it go.

It’s generally really hard for me because I don’t like to quit. I’m a problem-solver and it’s difficult for me to accept that there are certain problems that I can’t solve.

So. In the year of 2018, I shall learn how to let go. How? I have absolutely no idea.

But I recently came across this little piece of writing that perfectly summarizes how I hope to grow in 2018:

“I no longer force things.
What flows, flows.
What crashes, crashes.
I only have space and energy for the things that are meant for me.”

But now, a summary of 2017 for Studio Metsä:

Highlights of the Year

YLE PERJANTAI – Interview // Only in Finnish

ME NAISET-magazine photoshoot with five women
(Also in Finnish)

Click below for the full article.

KD Magazine Interview
(In Finnish)

Click below for the full article.

Started my studies to become a certified Life Coach (Graduation in April 2018)
Realized men struggle with the same insecurities as women do and have started the process of expanding my services to include men as well
Photographed a man!
Created and held an amazing workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark with the incredible Danish Line Bram, a sexologist and Love Coach
Travelled to Brussels for an amazing photoshoot
Held my first Instagram Live which went so incredibly well, I felt so blessed and grateful!
Created a video series about insecurities that begins airing January 2018
Expanded the newsletter into twice monthly
Was interviewed by Aino-Kuutamo Uusitorppa for her new book Valtavan ihana
Created free wallpapers for your phone (“I am enough”, “I am beautiful”, “I am inspiring”
Photographed only in Finland for the 2018 Wall Calendar
Went full-on with video, making videos for clients and some even for social media!
Embraced the rapper/hiphop artist that’s been hiding inside of me
Held my first-ever Instagram contest
And probably much more that I can’t think of right now

So, to all of you who have been a part of Studio Metsä’s journey this year, I THANK YOU.

From the bottom of my heart I say, thank you.

You have been a crucial part of the growth and development of this business.

What I hope and wish for you for 2018 is experiences, adventures and people that test your boundaries, push you a bit further than you’re comfortable going, show you exactly how magnificent you are, and how incredible life is.

I wish you a year full of love.

True and real love.

With love and hugs,
Erika

Viola glowing in the golden hour

01/10/2017

Viola Nygren Studio Metsän kuvattavana Helsingissä

Introducing Viola.

A woman so openly herself that you immediately feel the liberating freedom of being your crazy self as well.

From the moment we met, conversation flew easily and the more we spoke, so did the giggles.

Viola has a pure heart of gold (which is why it was only fitting we did the photoshoot at the golden hour!).

When we met and set out to make photographs for her new and improved blog, and new business, we were both on the same wave length about the type of photos we were seeking: something approachable, natural and professional.

Viola has just started her own business, Tmi Viola Nygren, where she helps small business owners create content for their audiences. She is a wonderful writer and loves to create.

Viola & the photoshoot

On the day we met later in the evening to catch the beautiful golden hour rays.

Viola relaxed into the photos quickly and was a total natural! It’s pure joy to be working with people who are so willing to try out different things and have lots of fun doing it.

The bridge we photographed on was about as busy as they get with constant traffic in the form of bikers, runners, walkers and moms with their strollers. I love how photography allows us to create pretty much any kind of a scene we want. With the right angles and timing, photography becomes a way to build dreams.

Also, Viola stayed surprisingly calm and collected in the midst of all of that getting up and sitting back down!

The beauty of photographing outdoors

What’s really wonderful about photographing at sunset and twilight is the difference in light. Right before the sun goes down, as we all know, the light is beautiful and warm, luscious and soft. And as soon as the sun has disappeared into the horizon, the light turns colder with amazing pastels.

This allowed us to make photographs with a very different feel to them.

Warm summer night turns into a cool winter-y setting.

AT THE PHOTO REVEAL

For many, it’s strange to be looking at photographs of themselves made by someone else.

I suppose in the world today most of us are accustomed to being in control of our photos. Either they’re selfies where we have 100% of the control or they’re photos made by someone close to us where we can see the photo immediately in order to decide whether it’s good enough and/or what we can do differently for the next one.

But when you trust a professional to photograph you, you give them a chance to get to know you, to see you, to capture you… Just. As. You. Are.

This is where the real beauty of the person comes out.

When you stop controlling it and you just are. You laugh, you smile, you’re serious, you look away, you look down, you move, you live.

The living, breathing, dancing you.

It’s your soul that shines through in the photographs.

Just as it does here in Viola’s photographs.

I bet, when you look at these photographs, each and every one of you can attest to the description of Viola I gave earlier on in the post. Right?

It’s in her smile, in her body language, in her eyes – it’s in who she is.

Viola wrote a beautiful blog post about this experience so you should go check it out on her blog. It is in Finnish, but perhaps, again, Google Translate can give you a helping hand! ;)

If you have any content creation needs, she’s your gal. She’ll be the nicest and funnest person you’ve ever worked with.

Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

And if you have any questions about photography or anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Until next time lovely,
With hugs,
Erika

Unique Ella in the Rhododendron park

20/08/2017

Ella Haagan Alppiruusutarhassa Studio Metsä Erika Lind

It’s not every day that I get to photograph such a delicate young lady as Ella.

Ella had her confirmation camp this summer and her mother decided to gift her with a photo shoot. Ella herself is also interested in photography which she clearly has an eye for since her photographs are gorgeous, serene and delicate – just like Ella herself.

The photo shoot was in the beautiful Rhododendron park in Haaga, Helsinki. Despite Ella being a bit shy, she was incredibly relaxed and willing to try out even the weirdest suggestions I had :P

It all went great and I’m so happy that Ella’s mother united us. I look forward to seeing where Ella’s road will take her!

Until next time lovely,
With hugs,
Erika

Miia and her life-long adventure

13/08/2017

Oh, Miia!

Miia is starting a new adventure in her professional (and personal) life and needed photographs to represent the new her. She connected to my concept of accepting yourself and loving yourself as you are so she contacted me.

I was excited to work with her because it was a bit different from what I normally do. And it seemed from the beginning that Miia and I were on the same page.

I went to do the photoshoot with her in Brussels, where she was located at the time, and we had an amazing time.

We spent a lot of time talking and by the end of it, I had a pretty clear idea of what she was looking for.

Let the adventure begin

The day of the photoshoot was glorious. We started off at her beautiful apartment and moved on out into the city.

Something I really appreciated and admired about Miia was her approach to the entire process.

She knew herself, how she usually behaves and what goes through her mind. She knew she needed to control those thoughts and patterns.

Miia knew, being a visual person, that she’d have an urge to control the photoshoot and as those feelings arose, she kept telling herself to let it go. She’d hired me to do the visuals and she had to trust me.

When she told me this after the photoshoot, I never would’ve guessed. And I was beyond impressed that someone could know their own pitfalls and work so diligently to avoid them as they arrive.

When we had the photo reveal, she told me she always wanted to have this elegance about her, but didn’t think she did.

Until she saw the photographs.

It was so interesting because that elegance was one of the first things I noticed about her, even before we met. It’s always been in her, without her even realising it.

In addition to that, Miia had also never considered herself to be beautiful.

Something that also came as a surprise to me.

I mean look at this woman!

Beautiful and elegant Miia

You can follow her journey through

Thanks for finding me, Miia, and for giving us a chance to meet and become friends! It’s been an absolute pleasure to get to know you.

I look forward to seeing where this adventure leads you!

With so many hugs,
Erika

Satu and the struggle with her teeth

06/08/2017

Satu photographed by Studio Metsä in Helsinki Finland

When Satu and I sat down to have our face-to-face getting-to-know-each-other-chat, I knew her and I would get along just fine.

She had been emailing me for a while and shown such openness and trust towards me long before we’d ever met.

This always speaks so highly of people: when they’re willing to be vulnerable and candidly open.

Satu was that from the get-go.

She’s had a tough past but she’s learned a lot.

Satu is now 54 years old and proud that she’s come a long way from how she used to be.

However, she still doesn’t enjoy being in photographs.

The fear about photography

Her main concern are her teeth. She doesn’t like them and she definitely doesn’t like seeing herself smile or laugh in photographs.

She specifically remembers this one photograph where the shadow falls on her face in a way that accentuates her teeth. And she strongly dislikes that photograph. That’s also one of the reasons why she hasn’t liked being in photographs anymore.

Although I thought, “but there’s nothing wrong with your teeth!”.

And this is usually how it is.

It’s not really ever about our physical appearance, because truthfully, we can all find something in us that we don’t like.

But it’s about how we look at it.

I like to say that the way you see yourself is not the ONLY way to see you.

What a comforting idea, isn’t it!?

There are people out there in the world, some that you know, some that you don’t, that look at you and admire you for those precise qualities you think are horrible.

But let’s do it anyway!

On the day that we were having our photoshoot, the sun was out and it was a totally gorgeous day.

She told me straight-up-front that she’s nervous.

That’s okay. It comes with the territory.

I like to start the photoshoots slowly, to let my beautiful clients get used to it.

We did a little relaxation exercise and started off sitting next to the water.

Satu was amazing!

She got the hang of it so fast and I could visibly see her relax.

Later she told me how positively surprised she was about my ability to make her relax. She was so nervous, she wasn’t sure I could!

And that’s really the number one thing: to relax.

But it’s my job to relax you in front of the camera. And I work so hard to do that.

Sometimes it works especially well –>
(Haha! I just love her in these photographs.)

The entire time I spent with Satu was amazing. She’s an incredible woman and I’m so happy and privileged I got to meet her, get to know her and photograph her.

Once she saw the photographs of her teeth exposed, she actually liked them. “Oh, they don’t look so bad at all!”

Thank you, Satu, for reaching out to me and for baring your soul to me.

With so many hugs, and much love,
Erika