Veni Etiam turns TWO!

It feels like so much has happened since I wrote my first blog post the day that I launched my little passion project, that it’s incredibly hard to believe it’s only been two years.

So hard to believe, in fact, that I have found myself mentally double-checking my arithmetic (2015 to 2017, yes, two years. Duh, silly girl).

In two years, Veni Etiam went from being a web portfolio with a blog, to a dynamic shop, as well as a seller on Etsy and in the local Montreal community, with its growing inclusion in stores and art fairs.

Photo credit: Rose aux joues photographie

It may be bad business to admit this, but when I opened my shop two years ago, I didn’t have a clear business plan or a clear goal – not even at a vague conceptual level, let alone in a measurable set of milestones and metrics. All I knew was that it was time, that it was risky and that it made a little pocket of space inside of me fill up with excited butterflies. Everything else, would have to come along the way.

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​I was pursuing my PhD in neurolinguistics by day (and night… sigh #consumedbymyPhD) and working on Veni Etiam in those intervals where my eyes took breaks from my Excel sheets and experimental designs to work on more Excel sheets and on web-design. I remember being late to start on my academic to-do list on some mornings due to urgent product photos that I had to take to explain to clients what aluminum prints and floater frames looked like. Suddenly, I was standing on a chair in the dining room of my tiny but beloved apartment that I had affectionately named “The Pink Palazzo”, taking pictures of pictures (a sometimes frustrating task) from all sorts of angles, while my thesis beckoned. But there was room for both in my heart and in my life.

​Building a business at the same time as building a research career was as bizarre as it was, simply put, “me”. The only downside about having two lives was that I didn’t have as much time and energy to make Veni Etiam grow to its full potential right away. But life isn't a race, and sometimes we benefit more when we don't try to force the pace of everything. 

Bleeding hearts (C) Veni Etiam Photography

As time went on, my passion grew. Ideas crept up faster and could not be ignored. Structure and strategy developed. I learned so much from fellow artists and clients. I experimented and fine-tuned. I took leap after leap; sometimes it paid off, sometimes it didn’t, but I was happy I took each leap, because now I don’t have to wonder, and now I don’t have to try that again.
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A lot has changed in two years, and I feel momentum, excitement and gratitude. I am pumped for this year and so grateful for followers who “get” what I do and why I do it, who feel inspired by my photographs and stories, and whose feedback always keeps me motivated and aligned with how to best serve you. 

​As a firm believer that all moments in life should be celebrated, I’m including you in my birthday celebration!

♥ On the blog this month, you can follow my Birthday Blog Series featuring 7 posts about travel, photography and home décor, including glimpses into Veni Etiam’s personality and mine. Keep an eye on the blog or on Instagram and Facebook!
♥ For this special occasion only, you'll receive a FREE 8x8 print on textured fine-art paper with any art purchase.

​I'll ship worldwide, but free pick-up in Montreal is always an option.

UNTIL MONDAY ONLY (16.01), members on my VIP list get:
♥ to choose which 8x8 fine-art print they wish to receive for free
♥a bonus chapter with the story behind the photograph or travel tips for the place featured in the photo

Not on my VIP list? Let’s remedy this! ​Sign up and you'll receive my monthly newsletter AND 20% off your first purchase.
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Don’t procrastinate – it’s not good for you ;) 

Thank you for an amazing two years!

From my heart to yours.

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