Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Kenney.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
During the pandemic lockdown, I was going through a nasty breakup and was suddenly stuck in my apartment with this person. To get away from this person and the tense situation, I would go for long walks in my neighborhood. The streets and sidewalks were completely empty so I felt safe walking around at night. Sometimes I’d bring my cat with me. One night, as I was walking, I noticed something I hadn’t before; a fairy garden. Next to the garden was a little note stating that a 4-year-old named Eliana had made the garden to brighten the days of people walking by. I didn’t have any trinkets to leave so I decided, instead, to write her a letter as a fairy that had come to live in the garden because she had done such a beautiful job. I told her my name was Sapphire and I left the note the following night on my walk. To my surprise, the next night there was a letter back! She asked me a ton of questions about fairy life and who my friends were. I told her my best friend was my cat, Nova since she had been with me the night I found the garden. With my next letter, I wrote a small one to her parents a little higher on the tree with my contact info so they knew who I was and that I used to be a nanny and had studied adolescent psychology and that the garden had brightened my day.
Since that night, Eliana and I have been sending letters back and forth. She still thinks I’m a fairy. Her family moved out of that apartment a few months after our first exchanges and I told her that I was moving as well, so she wouldn’t feel alone in the big change. I also said that fairies get to be human-sized on their moving day so I showed up and she got to ‘catch me’ leaving her a note. We sat and talked for a long time and we talked about the pandemic (‘the sickness’) and that we were wearing masks to keep each other safe because fairies could get it too. We ‘FairyTime’ often so she can see Nova and I photoshop my background so it looks like I live in a little cottage. I also drop off gifts to her new home and her parents have become dear friends of mine, like family. All of this brought me out of a deep depression and made me feel loved again and able to stick up for myself in my relationship and finally leave. Eliana might think I’m the fairy but I think she’s the magic one.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think the obstacles and challenges were dealing with the pandemic and how to meet her safely. As well as how to make sure the gifts and letters we exchanged were all safe and clean as well. This started very early in the pandemic so we wanted to be extra careful. I think another obstacle was that she and I both moved away from the original location of the fairy garden so now I have a 30 min drive each time I bring her a gift. And lastly and most obviously, I’m not a fairy and one day she will learn that. Her family reassures me often that she loves me dearly and that the transition might be weird at first but we all look forward to the day when I can finally come over for dinner and not wear my wings, though I hope she always maintains her belief in magic.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional photographer for SiriusXM/Pandora music. I photograph musicians, bands and celebrities for our social media channels, website and articles. I love my job and the people I get to meet and things I get to experience. I’ve been very fortunate and have met numerous influential individuals.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have a degree in atmospheric physics and meteorology. I never really planned on being a photographer. However, while I was in college, many of my friends were in bands and they’d ask me to take photos of their concerts or for their album covers, and suddenly I had grown a portfolio of all that work. I’m completely self-taught except for some film developing classes I took in order to have a darkroom to develop my photos. I started as a freelance photographer right out of college and went on a few tours with bands. My Instagram gallery had been featured on the app and I got a ton of new followers and new photography opportunities. From that point, I was scouted to come work for Pandora as their Associate Photographer and I’ve been there now for 6 years.
Luck also played a role in me finding the fairy garden and forever changing the trajectory of my life. I cannot stress enough that kindness can change your life. I’m so lucky to have found Eliana’s fairy garden and I can only hope others can find themselves a little bit of magic’.
Pricing:
- $150/hr portrait or family photos + editing fee
Contact Info:
- Website: kellyvictoria.co
- Instagram: @saysthefox
- Twitter: @saysthefox
Image Credits
The last one is taken by Eliana’s mom, Emily Pauls
