The Unexpected Way Motherhood Created Wonderland
I started the studio out of a need for personal creative expression.
After having my first daughter, Lemon, and deciding to stay home with her, I felt this strong pull toward creating again. I wanted a space to design, dream, and build something beautiful.
And while that’s absolutely true, the real reason we opened Wonderland when we did was because of the timing.
After coming up with the idea (dream) for a photo studio run by a designer, with ever-changing sets and fresh styles throughout the year, I immediately dove in. I started sketching out business plans and, naturally, obsessively searching for the perfect location.
It didn’t take long to find 340 MLK Jr Blvd, Suite B.
I fell in love with the wood floors from the listing photos alone and immediately reached out to Mandy Henderson. Funny enough, she said the space came to mind right away when she heard I was looking for a photography studio.
So in June of 2023, I toured the space with my 11 month old daughter on my hip… while 7 months pregnant with my second daughter.
I knew instantly it was the place. Bright natural light poured through the windows, the hardwood floors were beautiful, and the open layout felt like a blank canvas waiting for stories to be built inside it. With another baby due in just two months, we moved fast because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing it.
We signed the lease just days before Azalea was born.
Building out the studio with a newborn and a one year old was, honestly, a little chaotic. There were toys in corners, snack breaks every ten minutes, and babies napping while we painted walls, built furniture, and hung curtain tracks. My husband and I poured everything we had into bringing Wonderland to life.
For a long time I called the studio my “third baby.” Then our actual third baby, Fenn, arrived right before one of the hardest seasons we’ve had as a business. We were struggling financially and getting dangerously close to having to close our doors.
Then came our Save Wonderland campaign last summer and, somehow, because of this incredible community, it worked. It bought me time to come up with a new plan.
That season pushed us to pivot into a members-only studio, and that change truly saved Wonderland.
We’re still small, still figuring things out as we go, but now we’re growing in a real and sustainable way.
When I look back, I realize my children are woven into every chapter of this place. Their mere presence helped motivate me every step of the way. Lemon pushed me to create again. Azalea pushed me to secure this stunning studio space. And Fenn pushed me toward the pivot that ultimately saved it.
Wonderland started as a creative outlet for me, but it became so much more than that. It became a home for photographers and creatives to make art, build businesses, and dream bigger.
And for me personally, it became a way to show my children that creativity matters, dreams are worth chasing, and sometimes the most beautiful things are built in the middle of complete chaos.
