Background: Native Australian, currently living in Melbourne, although I spent my first 18 years in Switzerland.
Has your perspective and point of view changed since becoming a mom? And if so, how? Yes, most definitely. It's a cliché that rings true, I'm afraid. Everything changes. My personality has become more relaxed but my patience is constantly tested. I find an odd relief in the fact that I am myself no longer the number one person in my life. That eliminates a lot of anxiety that I used to carry around. It's been replaced by days that can be tedious at times but have an overall sense of awe and contentedness.
What do you find most rewarding about motherhood? Being witness to an incredible learning ability and unfolding of a character in a little body that has sprung from my own. That he is my flesh and blood bends my mind every day.
What do you find the most challenging or surprising? There is very little in the way of a break. Motherhood is mostly all-consuming and your life has to be reshaped to fit in around that.
How do you store/organize/display/showcase your photographs? I have websites and blogs, but there is nothing like seeing a photograph in the print form. I occasionally show work at an exhibition or have it featured in a magazine, and I'm currently working on a small book.
Any recommendations for moms trying to capture those beautiful moments? I'm not always intrigued by "beautiful moments." Be open to documenting the absurd, shocking, sad and uncomfortable situations, too. Sometimes they are wonderfully raw, honest and moving.
Any situation (good or bad) where you wish you had your camera? I feel like there is always a small camera inside my mind clicking a shutter button when I blink. I wish I could translate every thought into an image, but sometimes it's important to just be in the moment and leave the camera at home.
What makes you feel beautiful as a mother? The importance of beauty has shifted for me. I may not always feel very physically beautiful but it simply doesn't matter as much anymore. I feel more comfortable with myself and more confident about who I am. My values are rooted in wanting to be a kind, expressive and intelligent person with a little sense of style and a good dose of humor. To me, that is beautiful.
If you had to do it all over again would you change anything and why? There are always times I wish I'd been more patient or I would have tried to do things differently, but everything in life happens as it must. We all do the best we can at the time. There's no use adding guilt. No one is perfect. Life moves forward, not backward.
Where you can find Jessica:
Personal website: Jessica Tremp
Work website: Brown Paper Parcel
Blog: The Vanishing Are Running
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