Hi, I’m Rachel.

I’m an adventure lovin’, thrill seeking, photographer and writer based in Phoenix AZ, and Minneapolis, MN. My heart beats for cacti, city skylines, handcrafted old fashioneds and potatoes in any form.

In 2017 I lost my mom to suicide and spiraled down the awkward and emotionally isolating experience commonly referred to as grief. My story doesn’t exactly have an a-ha! moment because the light bulb that lit up for me was on a dimmer switch but since her death I slowly discovered that grief doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but alongside a mixture of all the other human emotions—joy, hope, fear, anger, and even love. Grief’s imprint taught me that life is precious and sparked me to quit my 9-5, uproot my life to the desert, and pursue my passion for creative storytelling full time.

Now I navigate life with my camera in one hand and a pen in the other and my blog is a mashup of love stories, brand stories, mental health and grief stories (it’s a niche), and my “real life” (I can’t make this shit up) stories. I bring heart and a little humor to even the toughest of stories and candidly share about a range of topics including living through loss, grief, and new beginnings, and how to run a creative based business.

Latest From The Blog

Posts tagged celebrating the holidays after grief

Haylee + Conner's Urban Industrial Duluth, MN Wedding

Haylee + Conner's Urban Industrial Duluth, MN Wedding

Rachel SmakAugust 14, 2020Clyde Iron Workswedding photography copywrtier phoenix arizona, wedding photographer scottsdale arizona, wedding photographer phoenix, wedding blogger, wedding photographer tips, wedding photographer new york, elegant dark and moody wedding, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer colorado, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer arizona, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer chicago, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer new york, elegant dark and moody wedding photography new york, celebrating the holidays after grief, elegant dark and moody wedding California, new york commercial photographer, new york city wedding photographer, new york city photographer, nyc wedding photographer, nyc editorial wedding photographer, nyc wedding blog, new york city copywriter and website designer, clyde iron works wedding, urban industrial wedding photography, romantic wedding photography, dark and moody wedding photographer, dark and moody wedding photography, new york dark and moody wedding photography, duluth mn wedding photos, downtown duluth wedding, duluth mn wedding photographer, duluth wedding spots, duluth mn wedding photography, duluth wedding, duluth wedding locations, mn wedding, Minnesota Engagement, MN wedding reception, nyc wedding reception, new york city wedding reception, nyc wedding tips, nyc wedding spots, brick wedding, brick wedding photography

10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays After Losing a Loved One To Suicide

10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays After Losing a Loved One To Suicide

Life & StyleRachel SmakDecember 1, 201810 Bittersweet Things You Learn When You Lose Someone You Love, 10 Bittersweet Ways To Cope With The Holidays You Lose Someone You Love, 10 Tips for Getting Through the Holiday Season, 10 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays After Loss, 10 Ways to Get Through the Holidays When You're Grieving, 10 Ways To Get Through The Holidays While You’re Grieving A Lost Loved One, Advice on coping with death over the holidays, an open letter to anyone grieving this holiday season, celebrating the holidays after grief, celebrating the holidays after losing a parent, celebrating the holidays after losing a parent to suicide, celebrating the holidays after losing you mom, celebrating the holidays after suicide, celebrating the holidays without mom, Coping Through Holidays, Coping Through Holidays After losing a parent, Coping Through Holidays after suicide, Coping with grief and loss during the holidays, coping with grief during the holidays, Coping with Loss During the Holidays, coping with the holidays, coping with the holidays after loss, coping with the holidays after suicide, coping with the holidays after suicie, coping with the holidays when you're grieving, dealing with grief after suicide this holiday season, dealing with grief around the holidays, For Anyone Grieving A Loved One This Holiday Season, For the Bereaved, grief and the holidays, Grieving During the Holidays, Holiday Grief Tips, holidays after suicide, holidays and loss, holidays and suicide, How to Cope With Grief During the Holidays, How to Cope With Holidays After a Loved One's Death, How to Cope With Holidays After a Loved One's Suicide, How to Cope With Loss During the Holidays, how to deal with grief, how to deal with grief after suicide, how to deal with grief after suicide around the holidays, how to deal with grief around the holidays, How To Fully Celebrate the Holiday Season, How To Fully Celebrate the Holiday Season After Loss, How To Fully Celebrate the Holiday Season After Suicide, How To Get Through Your First Holiday After Losing A Loved One, How To Manage The Holidays If You Are Grieving The Loss Of A Loved One, How To Manage The Holidays If You Are Grieving The Loss Of A Parent, Journeying with Grief and Loss During the Holidays, loss of a loved one and surviving the holidays, loss of a loved one around the holidays, Mourning and the holidays, suicide and the holidays, Surviving Christmas, surviving christmas after losing someone you love, surviving my mothers suicide, surviving suicide, Surviving the Holiday Season In the Midst of Grief, surviving the holidays after loss, surviving the holidays after suicide, surviving the holidays when you're grieving, surviving the loss of a loved one this holiday season, survivng christmas after suicide, Ten tips for coping with Christmas after loss, Ten Ways to Get Through the Holidays When You're Grieving, The First Holiday Without You Is The Hardest, the holidays are when you grieve, tips for managing grief during the holidays, To Everyone Missing A Loved One In Heaven This Holiday Season, Ways To Get Through The Holidays While You’re Grieving A Lost Loved One, when the holidays aren't the happiest time of year for you anymore, when you're grieving the loss of a parent this holiday season