We were lucky to catch up with Anna Mostek Tetrault recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anna, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Artist. Advocate. Healer. Light-worker. Cycle-breaker. Motherhood.
My soul has an abundance of goals and purposes for this earthly incarnation; Spreading light, love, inspiration, empathy and empowerment through my art being at the tippity-top of that Soul Goal list.
Folks always ask me how long I’ve been taking photos for — and I can honestly answer that I’ve had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember; I’ve always felt compelled to capture the beauty of humanity and precious, fleeting moments in time. When I was in elementary school, I would bring disposable cameras to class, documenting seemingly mundane moments during the day or at recess. I would beg my mom for some extra chores to cover the Walgreens film developing cost — always so giddy to get my prints back. It felt like magic seeing the moments I captured in print for the first time; a feeling that has never left me after decades of photography.
It really wasn’t until high school that I realized I could actually lean into my passion for photography and find a way to make it a career. I remember the moment so clearly — I was the Photo Editor for our high school yearbook and had photographed our senior class carwash fundraiser over the weekend. I was busy documenting the event when I turned around and caught a friend being splashed with a bucket of cold, sudsy water. In the moment, I thought, “that was so fun, I’m so glad I turned around just in time to see that.”
I got to school the following Monday and uploaded my photos to the yearbook server. The next morning during journalism class, our physics teacher was standing with my journalism teacher, which wasn’t a common occurrence. Mr. Esser, the physics teacher, was an accomplished photographer and I remember really admiring his photography when I saw photos framed in his office.
Our journalism teacher, Mrs. Kalkowski explained to us that Mr. Esser was in class to share some examples of great photography that we could try to emulate for the yearbook. Mr. Esser opened his manila folder and pulled out an 8×10 photo — I recognized it immediately. It was THEE moment I captured over the weekend — where my friend was getting splashed with water. He went on to explain all the technicalities that made it a great photo — the lighting, the composition, the action/reaction/emotion — and a warm glow sparked in my soul; I had a gift and someone else recognized it in me too.
After high school I enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, focusing my studies on Journalism and Photojournalism. Four years at the university were ripe with challenges and growth, in all areas of my life. I really loved photojournalism and earned so many wonderful opportunities — spending every fall season on the sidelines photographing Nebraska Cornhusker football games and volleyball games are some favorite memories. I also earned the opportunity to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to document the stories of displaced Zimbabwean refugees. I told the stories of a group of unhoused boys that made the sewers of Johannesburg their home. I told the stories of displaced mothers finding community with other refugees. I documented the stories of these communities coming together in worship. I will never, ever forget the people I met and the small glimpse they allowed into their lives and I will forever carry their stories in my heart.
I started Anna Mostek Photography in 2007 and have been documenting thousands of timeless memories and priceless moments since. I have photographed births, all stages of childhood, graduating seniors, new parents, grandparents, generations of families, engagements, weddings, end-of-life and funerals. And every single person and session has left a unique imprint on my soul. Over the years my mission has shifted, evolved. In 2018, I founded The Compassion Creative — a volunteer-based photo ministry serving families with loved ones living with terminal illness. I wish I had better words to explain what this work has meant to me and how it has filled my soul. While these end-of-life sessions are extremely emotional for the families I serve (and for me), it is the absolute honor of my lifetime being trusted to photograph such intimate, priceless memories for families and I cherish their trust in my integrity, energy and art to honor the memory of their loved one.
In 2020, right before Covid hit, I started a separate branch of my photography business called Sacred Femme by Anna Mostek Photography. Sacred Femme was born during a time when I was finding and reclaiming my femininity and power and magic, after seemingly losing myself, as many women do, to motherhood. I started Sacred Femme to help women focus on finding themselves again; celebrating their body, their unique journey and their womanhood. Every single woman I’ve photographed has told me how empowered and strong she felt during and after her session — something I am so very, very proud of.
These are the words I shared when I took my own Sacred Femme photos: “This is my strong, miraculous body that grew two incredible babies. These are my soft and sumptuous breasts that fed my babies for 4+ consecutive years. This is my squishy, stretched, dimpled skin with an intricate latticework of shimmery scars. This body has survived all my worst days. It’s weathered a pandemic. It’s loved and taken care of me, oftentimes unreciprocated. It isn’t perfect by society’s cruel, unattainable standards, but it’s perfect for me, and I’m grateful for it. And I’m continuing to try my damndest to love all of it, in spite of a world that poisons our minds with toxic imagery and ideas from the moment we’re born — that shames us for just BEING — too big, too small, too loud, too confident, too smart, too powerful, too sexual, etc.
I am choosing to break the cycle.
Motherhood completely transformed me in so many ways, and I think I got lost in it. I didn’t realize it, but becoming a mom was so life-changing and all-consuming, that it’s what my identity became. Anna was gone and I was just Mom. That is, until last winter, when Sacred Femme was born, and I was reborn, in a way. I feel like I’ve met the new me and I really, really like and love her. I’m deeply proud of myself and the unique journey I’m on.
Isn’t the embarrassment and shame we feel of showing and seeing a body so interesting? Just a bunch of skin cells with bones, fat, muscle…and thanks to the patriarchy, we get to feel bad about it — but I’m choosing to not feel bad about it today. I have no shame sharing these photos and hope you feel no shame looking at them, but instead feel empowered, proud and maybe a little inspired.
I didn’t take these photos for anyone but my damn self. I didn’t want to wait until I was skinnier or until there was a “good reason” to take them — TODAY is reason enough! I’m breathing, I’m healthy, I’m here. I’m celebrating my body and my journey and this exceptional lifetime I get in the perfectly imperfect skin I’m in.”
Ultimately, it’s motherhood that has helped me find my purpose. I want to give my children an example of what it means to truly love themselves and others. To see what it is to serve humanity and the greater good through their own unique purposes and Soul Goals.
Every stage of life is beautiful. Yes, there are many hardships, and so much pain having as a soul having a human experience, but looking for and finding the beauty and goodness in it all takes practice. Reflecting back the love, joy and beautiful humanity I capture through my lens, to my clients is such a gift. And it’s a gift I will cherish and carry in my soul forever.
***
In 2021, I became an Usui Reiki practitioner — attuned to Level II Reiki. Reiki is a healing modality in which a healer manipulates the flow of universal energy called Chi (or qi) through the body to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing.
I often incorporate Reiki during my photography sessions — calling upon Archangel Raphael to help me and my clients. I find myself using these healing gifts to calm energy and infuse peace into the minds and hearts of my clients while I’m photographing births and during hospice sessions.
It’s really special for me, that I get to intertwine so many of my passions and Soul Goals to better serve my clients.
***
I’m also super excited to share that I’m in the process of writing three children’s books — something I’m eager to share with the world, hopefully very soon!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Artist. Advocate. Healer. Light-worker. Cycle-breaker. Motherhood.
My soul has an abundance of goals and purposes for this earthly incarnation; Spreading light, love, inspiration, empathy and empowerment through my art being at the tippity-top of that Soul Goal list.
Folks always ask me how long I’ve been taking photos for — and I can honestly answer that I’ve had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember; I’ve always felt compelled to capture the beauty of humanity and precious, fleeting moments in time. When I was in elementary school, I would bring disposable cameras to class, documenting seemingly mundane moments during the day or at recess. I would beg my mom for some extra chores to cover the Walgreens film developing cost — always so giddy to get my prints back. It felt like magic seeing the moments I captured in print for the first time; a feeling that has never left me after decades of photography.
It really wasn’t until high school that I realized I could actually lean into my passion for photography and find a way to make it a career. I remember the moment so clearly — I was the Photo Editor for our high school yearbook and had photographed our senior class carwash fundraiser over the weekend. I was busy documenting the event when I turned around and caught a friend being splashed with a bucket of cold, sudsy water. In the moment, I thought, “that was so fun, I’m so glad I turned around just in time to see that.”
I got to school the following Monday and uploaded my photos to the yearbook server. The next morning during journalism class, our physics teacher was standing with my journalism teacher, which wasn’t a common occurrence. Mr. Esser, the physics teacher, was an accomplished photographer and I remember really admiring his photography when I saw photos framed in his office.
Our journalism teacher, Mrs. Kalkowski explained to us that Mr. Esser was in class to share some examples of great photography that we could try to emulate for the yearbook. Mr. Esser opened his manila folder and pulled out an 8×10 photo — I recognized it immediately. It was THEE moment I captured over the weekend — where my friend was getting splashed with water. He went on to explain all the technicalities that made it a great photo — the lighting, the composition, the action/reaction/emotion — and a warm glow sparked in my soul; I had a gift and someone else recognized it in me too.
After high school I enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, focusing my studies on Journalism and Photojournalism. Four years at the university were ripe with challenges and growth, in all areas of my life. I really loved photojournalism and earned so many wonderful opportunities — spending every fall season on the sidelines photographing Nebraska Cornhusker football games and volleyball games are some favorite memories. I also earned the opportunity to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to document the stories of displaced Zimbabwean refugees. I told the stories of a group of unhoused boys that made the sewers of Johannesburg their home. I told the stories of displaced mothers finding community with other refugees. I documented the stories of these communities coming together in worship. I will never, ever forget the people I met and the small glimpse they allowed into their lives and I will forever carry their stories in my heart.
I started Anna Mostek Photography in 2007 and have been documenting thousands of timeless memories and priceless moments since. I have photographed births, all stages of childhood, graduating seniors, new parents, grandparents, generations of families, engagements, weddings, end-of-life and funerals. And every single person and session has left a unique imprint on my soul. Over the years my mission has shifted, evolved. In 2018, I founded The Compassion Creative — a volunteer-based photo ministry serving families with loved ones living with terminal illness. I wish I had better words to explain what this work has meant to me and how it has filled my soul. While these end-of-life sessions are extremely emotional for the families I serve (and for me), it is the absolute honor of my lifetime being trusted to photograph such intimate, priceless memories for families and I cherish their trust in my integrity, energy and art to honor the memory of their loved one.
In 2020, right before Covid hit, I started a separate branch of my photography business called Sacred Femme by Anna Mostek Photography. Sacred Femme was born during a time when I was finding and reclaiming my femininity and power and magic, after seemingly losing myself, as many women do, to motherhood. I started Sacred Femme to help women focus on finding themselves again; celebrating their body, their unique journey and their womanhood. Every single woman I’ve photographed has told me how empowered and strong she felt during and after her session — something I am so very, very proud of.
These are the words I shared when I took my own Sacred Femme photos: “This is my strong, miraculous body that grew two incredible babies. These are my soft and sumptuous breasts that fed my babies for 4+ consecutive years. This is my squishy, stretched, dimpled skin with an intricate latticework of shimmery scars. This body has survived all my worst days. It’s weathered a pandemic. It’s loved and taken care of me, oftentimes unreciprocated. It isn’t perfect by society’s cruel, unattainable standards, but it’s perfect for me, and I’m grateful for it. And I’m continuing to try my damndest to love all of it, in spite of a world that poisons our minds with toxic imagery and ideas from the moment we’re born — that shames us for just BEING — too big, too small, too loud, too confident, too smart, too powerful, too sexual, etc.
I am choosing to break the cycle.
Motherhood completely transformed me in so many ways, and I think I got lost in it. I didn’t realize it, but becoming a mom was so life-changing and all-consuming, that it’s what my identity became. Anna was gone and I was just Mom. That is, until last winter, when Sacred Femme was born, and I was reborn, in a way. I feel like I’ve met the new me and I really, really like and love her. I’m deeply proud of myself and the unique journey I’m on.
Isn’t the embarrassment and shame we feel of showing and seeing a body so interesting? Just a bunch of skin cells with bones, fat, muscle…and thanks to the patriarchy, we get to feel bad about it — but I’m choosing to not feel bad about it today. I have no shame sharing these photos and hope you feel no shame looking at them, but instead feel empowered, proud and maybe a little inspired.
I didn’t take these photos for anyone but my damn self. I didn’t want to wait until I was skinnier or until there was a “good reason” to take them — TODAY is reason enough! I’m breathing, I’m healthy, I’m here. I’m celebrating my body and my journey and this exceptional lifetime I get in the perfectly imperfect skin I’m in.”
Ultimately, it’s motherhood that has helped me find my purpose. I want to give my children an example of what it means to truly love themselves and others. To see what it is to serve humanity and the greater good through their own unique purposes and Soul Goals.
Every stage of life is beautiful. Yes, there are many hardships, and so much pain having as a soul having a human experience, but looking for and finding the beauty and goodness in it all takes practice. Reflecting back the love, joy and beautiful humanity I capture through my lens, to my clients is such a gift. And it’s a gift I will cherish and carry in my soul forever.
***
In 2021, I became an Usui Reiki practitioner — attuned to Level II Reiki. Reiki is a healing modality in which a healer manipulates the flow of universal energy called Chi (or qi) through the body to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing.
I often incorporate Reiki during my photography sessions — calling upon Archangel Raphael to help me and my clients. I find myself using these healing gifts to calm energy and infuse peace into the minds and hearts of my clients while I’m photographing births and during hospice sessions.
It’s really special for me, that I get to intertwine so many of my passions and Soul Goals to better serve my clients.
***
I’m also super excited to share that I’m in the process of writing three children’s books — something I’m eager to share with the world, hopefully very soon!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The qualities/skills/areas of knowledge that have been most impactful in my journey:
Empathy, kindness, humanitarianism.
Those qualities and skills may seem really broad, but I have truly excelled in my journey because of my basic human-kindness and respect for others’ humanity.
Over my decades-long career, I have photographed every single walk of life– from the voiceless and the un-housed to the ultra-rich and privileged. It makes no matter to me who I am working with — I see the human, I see the soul. I see and honor their journey and their humanness. I truly feel this makes all the difference, just being a good human and finding shared humanity in others too.
Advice for other in terms of how they can develop or improve on these: Notice people. Notice them and acknowledge them. See their humanness and inherit goodness as humans. Recognize that we are all souls having a (often very difficult) human experience. Recognize and know that we incarnated on earth at this time and place, to raise the vibration of the planet and be a light for others. I truly understand how difficult it can be to see the good in everyone (especially during election season!) but it really does take practice to open your worldview and mindset to see the humanity in everyone you come across and recognize that everyone is probably doing their best given their current circumstances and emotional and mental health.
Seeing and respecting another’s humanity will ultimately aid whatever journey you’re on. Because when it comes down to it, we’re all just doing our best. And remembering that will help us in every interaction and situation we have.
It may be cheesy, but I believe it’s imperative to truly embody and live by the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would want to be treated. And honestly, Mother Theresa said it best: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one come to you without leaving happier.”
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m in the process of writing children’s books and am hoping to make connections in the literary world with any illustrators/editors/publishers!
Writing children books has been a dream of mine for many years and I’m writing these books with the intention to help children (and adults!) recognize their inherent goodness and light, and their very special purpose of sharing their unique talents and spreading their beautiful light on this earth.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/AnnaMostekPhotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AnnaMostekPhotography
- Other: instagram.com/earthangel.reiki
facebook.com/thecompassioncreativeemail: [email protected]
Image Credits
Photo credit: Anna Mostek Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
