racing the extraordinary journey from maiden to mother
Memoirs of Motherhood was created to celebrate the metamorphosis of a woman’s identity. As our stories unfold, like petals unfurling, revealing the delicate balance between youthful exuberance and the blossoming wisdom that motherhood bestows upon us. It captures the delicate threads of innocence woven seamlessly with the tapestry of responsibility, as we embrace the sacred duty of nurturing life.
We have such a tendency to reduce mothers to one thing. But motherhood is both an identity we get, but importantly, a journey we take. It’s never just one thing.
As a mother myself I find I am naturally pulled to capturing the many phases that define motherhood, connecting with other mothers, sharing my own journey as one who's been there & one who’s still there. There is an incredible power in connection, knowing you're not alone in this journey & being able to offer a safe space to share our stories - this is one of the reasons why I created Memoirs of Motherhood.
You and I share something extraordinary, the joys, the challenges, and the limitless love that come with motherhood. Connected by lived experiences of all mothers before us & all to come.
I'm not just a photographer; I'm a mum just like you who knows the value of these moments.
I wanted to be a mother since I could remember & when that day came it changed me in every way possible...
I’m sure no one really likes writing about themselves but I’m going to try to give you the important stuff & tell you about little me & how I started all this.
I had an amazing childhood spent out in the bush of Australia just being your typical feral child, I am the eldest of 5. I am & have always been very close with my family, my parents both have always been the best possible role models for me & my siblings - for that I am grateful.
I met my husband in Australia, I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason - the first time we met I knew we’d always be connected, I just didn’t know how. Not sure how I knew this, let’s just say it was a feeling. Long story short he’s Canadian & we had to overcome a lot to be where we are today. You’ll never know where something could go if you say no, say yes to the things that scare you because it could just be the best thing you ever do.
I’ve always loved photography & art but it never really made a connection into my life until I had my daughter Hunter back in 2020. It became an outlet & expression of myself, a way to find myself again
I wanted to be a mother since I could remember & when that day came it changed me in every way possible. No one can really prepare you for the job title ‘Mum’ - It’s a learn on the job type of thing! You know it’s going to be hard because that’s what everyone says don’t they… but you don’t truly understand what that means until you live it. I had everything I always wanted, a loving, supportive husband & the little girl I’d I had always dreamed of - My family. My greatest achievement is becoming a mother, truly.
I can’t pinpoint the exact moment it connected for me & things shifted but what I do know is that every time I picked up the camera to document my journey & our lives I slowly felt I regained control & clarity of who I am today. It helped me to process & express who I was & all the emotions I had inside - something I’d never really felt before. Sure I’ve had jobs before, I spent 5 years in the military but that’s all it was, just a job. Photography was so much more than a job, its soul sustaining for me - it was an extension of myself & continues to be so.
It made sense that combining the two things that I love (being a mum & photography) & offering that to other women was what I was supposed to do. Sharing each other’s experiences & forming connections through our individual journeys of motherhood. Memoirs of Motherhood is about helping other women find themselves & see themselves as more than ‘just a mum’.
What I wasn’t prepared for was ‘losing myself’ within motherhood, barely recognizing the woman I was.
Memoirs of Motherhood is more than a job, it IS me. It is the legacy of all Mothers
"words truly cannot describe what an incredible photographer rue is. not only is she a wonderful person inside and out but she is fantastic at capturing such beauty and realness...”
MOTHERHOOD
MEMOIRS
