The BE Project | Renee and “Resilient”
Every year, The BE Project invites people into my studio to pause, reflect, and choose a word that will guide the next chapter of their lives. It is not about perfection or reinvention overnight. It is about honesty. Courage. Becoming.
When Renee stepped in front of my camera, she answered without hesitation. Her word was “Resilient.” It was not poetic or vague. It was earned. Forged in years that demanded more strength than anyone should ever have to summon.
The BE Project exists because I believe that we are all evolving and every person deserves to see themselves as art while they are becoming the person they are meant to be.
Why She Chose “Resilient”
Renee shared that since 2018, her life has been marked by loss and diagnosis after diagnosis. She has buried family members she loved deeply. She has walked through cancer alongside her husband and her son. She is currently navigating her own diagnosis as well.
And still, she keeps going.
Resilient is not theoretical for her. It is survival. It is waking up every day and choosing to keep moving forward even when grief and exhaustion sit heavy on your chest.
“Despite everything, I’m still going.”
What She Is Working Toward This Year
When asked what she hopes for in this season, Renee smiled and said she wants to be bold.
For her, that means stepping outside her comfort zone. Saying yes to things that once felt off-limits. Letting herself experiment with style, confidence, and self-expression in ways she once told herself were no longer allowed.
She talked about challenging the outdated idea that women should fade quietly with age and instead choosing to show up vibrant, alive, and unapologetically herself.
What Grounds Her
Renee’s calm comes in the form of fur and four legs.
Her two huskies are constant companions, one especially tuned in to her energy and limits, curling close when she has done too much and insisting she slow down.
They climb into her lap. Nudge her face. Interrupt her when she needs rest.
And in those small, persistent moments of affection, Renee finds steadiness.
What She Is Learning About Herself
Renee is proud of one thing above all else.
That she is still standing.
Still trying.
Still choosing life, curiosity, humor, and beauty even when the road has been unimaginably hard.
She is learning that resilience is not loud heroics.
Sometimes it is simply refusing to quit.
Photographing “Resilient”
In the studio, resilient looked like fire in her eyes and softness in her smile.
There was courage in the way Renee carried herself and warmth in the way she laughed, the kind that only comes from someone who has walked through darkness and decided to keep letting light in anyway.
Her portraits felt defiant in the best possible way.
A woman claiming her space.
A woman still dreaming.
A Final Reflection
Renee’s story is a reminder that resilience is not about pretending things did not hurt.
It is about continuing anyway.
About daring to be bold in a body that has been through battles.
About loving your life right in the middle of the fight.
What word would you choose for this season of your life?
What are you stepping into this year?
Get added to the waitlist for The BE Project at Beautiful Evolutions Photography in Burleson, Texas.
The BE Project is a black-and-white portrait series by Beautiful Evolutions Photography honoring growth, courage, and the beauty of becoming.
