There’s a running joke in my household: anytime a commercial gets even remotely sentimental, my husband slowly turns to look at me. He doesn’t need to say a word—he knows I’m already welling up. It could be a thirty-second clip or the finale of a show I swore I wasn’t emotionally invested in. My heart just feels... a lot.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been this way. A deep feeler. The kind of kid who was more interested in inner worlds than playground politics. And for almost just as long, I tried to downplay that part of me. I learned, as many of us do, that introspection and vulnerability didn’t always earn you points. So I tucked it away.
But here’s the thing: I’ve come to see that being a deep feeler might just be my superpower. That leading with my heart has taken me places logic alone never could.
Of course, like all of us, I’m more than one thing. In recent years, I’ve embraced other parts of myself too. I’ve become an adventurer—living abroad in Barcelona for the past three years, hopping on two-hour flights that lead to new languages, new cuisines, new ways of seeing the world. I’ve leaned into being a nurturer—to three kids, a husband, two dogs, and yes, finally, to myself. That one’s taken the longest. And I’ve always been an appreciator of beauty—the girl (and now grown woman) who stops mid-walk to photograph a flower. The one with camera rolls full of golden light, morning dew, and the fleeting kind of beauty that asks nothing but to be noticed.
I even turned that love of beauty into a business. But still, I kept circling back to the part of me I had once downplayed—the deep feeler, longing for meaningful connection. And so, I’ve created a space for that part of me to take the lead.
Welcome to Portraits of Self.
This project has been a quiet hum in the background of my life for years, but it officially took shape on an airplane about a year ago. On a plane, I felt a jolt of inspiration, opened a notes app, and began writing prompts. Simple, heartfelt fill-in-the-blank style reflections. Three hours and countless questions later, I knew I had something. I just didn’t yet know what.
It’s taken a year of mulling, refining, and trusting my gut. And now, here we are.
Portraits of Self is a love letter to our shared humanity. It’s about exploring the threads that connect us through thoughtful, unpolished, honest reflection. No curated feeds. No pressure to be profound. Just a chance to pause, look inward, and—if you feel moved—share outward.
The heart of the project lies in a series of prompts. You can choose as many or as few as you like. Answer in whatever way feels most natural—short, long, poetic, messy. What matters is that it’s yours.
Having read many responses already, I can tell you this: the magic isn’t in the perfection. It’s in the resonance. It’s in seeing how often our stories echo one another’s, even when we think we’re worlds apart. It’s in realizing that while our specifics differ, the undercurrent of longing, joy, loss, and love is universal.
I quietly launched Portraits of Self this past March. Since then, I’ve hosted three small but beautiful events: a women’s circle, a classroom of 7-year-olds, and a flower-and-reflection workshop. Each gathering was completely different—and yet, all left me with the same feeling: a full heart and a deep sense of connection, warmth, and gratitude.
My dream is to grow Portraits of Self both in person and online. I have so many ideas for what it could become. And through it all, I know one thing for certain: I will continue to lead with my heart.
Over time, I hope to share these reflections—always with care and consent—on platforms like Instagram (@portraitsofself_) and here on Substack.
Because I believe—truly—that connection is the thread that runs through us all. And this project is my attempt to hold that thread gently and invite others to do the same.
So, whether you’re a lifelong deep feeler or someone just beginning to listen inward, I hope you’ll join me. There’s beauty in the big moments, the quiet ones, and everything in between.
With Love,
Devon
