2025 was far from a year of perfection. It was a year of becoming.
As a filmmaker, mother, and storyteller, I spent this year learning how to live inside the moments I usually help others preserve. While I documented stories through Shanell Lamere Films, I learned how to honor my own.
This year asked me to slow down and pay attention… To my environment, to my children, to the ways certain spaces supported me and others quietly reminded me that it was time to move on. Growth showed up in so many unexpected ways, sometimes quietly, and more times all at once.
Through it all, storytelling remained the thread that held everything together.
Storytelling as presence, not performance
At its core, visual storytelling is about presence. It was about noticing what matters before it disappears, the pause between laughter, that one look that says more than words, and the moments that don’t need an audience to be meaningful.
In 2025, my work through Shanell Lamere Films leaned even deeper into that truth. I documented community stories, legacy moments, and real-life transitions that reminded me why storytelling matters, especially for those whose stories are often overlooked or misunderstood.
At the same time, I was also processing my own growth, not always on camera, but through reflection, journaling, and conversation. That inner work eventually found its voice through my podcast, What She Grows Through, where I talk openly about growth, healing, and navigating life as a Black woman and mother.
Growth doesn’t always look like forward motion
One of the biggest lessons of 2025 was understanding that growth doesn’t always look like momentum. Sometimes it looks like rest, choosing peace over proving, and restructuring your life so it actually supports who you’re becoming.
As a documentary filmmaker and creative, I’ve learned that the most powerful stories aren’t rushed. They unfold in their own time. That same realness and truth applies to life.
This perspective shaped how I approached my work, my relationships, and the way I show up for my children. I stopped measuring success by speed and started measuring it by alignment.
Motherhood sharpened my lens
Motherhood continues to deepen my creative lens in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined. It’s made me more intentional, more patient, and more aware of the emotional weight carried inside everyday moments.
When I document families, milestones, or legacy stories, I do so with the understanding that these moments aren’t just memories, they’re anchors. They become part of how we remember ourselves and each other.
Being a mother has taught me that storytelling isn’t just about what we capture, it’s about what we protect.
Carrying 2025 forward into 2026
As I step into 2026, I’m bringing the lessons of 2025 with me. I’m choosing depth over noise, intention over urgency, and storytelling that feels real rather than trendy.
Shanell Lamere Films will continue to focus on documentary filmmaking, legacy projects, and visual storytelling that honors people where they are. Stories that are rooted in care, culture, and connection. Stories that reflect the fullness of life, not just the highlight reel.
This reflection marks a transition, not an ending. A reminder that becoming is an ongoing journey and that the stories we tell, about ourselves and others, shape how we move forward.
If you’re here reading this, thank you for being part of the journey! Whether you’ve worked with me, followed along, or are just discovering my work, I’m grateful you’re here.
2025 taught me that storytelling is more than a craft. It’s a way of living!
And I’m carrying that truth into everything that comes next…
