Hello lovely souls,
I’m Joanne McCloy, and this is Soulful Snaps — a space I open every Tuesday to share a moment of reflection, a glimpse behind the lens, and a little slice of my heart.
This week is a big one.
On November 26, I quietly crossed a milestone I never imagined would feel — or look — the way it does.
Twelve months post weight loss surgery.
And strangely… it felt like a non-event.
Not because it wasn’t monumental — but because the journey itself has been so revolutionary that the day arrived gently, without fireworks. I’d already crossed the finish line in so many unseen ways.
Twelve months ago, success looked simple.
If I could wear a size 14.
If I could ride a bike with Ryan.
If I could walk without my body holding me back.
Today, I stand here as a woman who can wear a size 10–12, who moves freely, who adventures, who plays, who dresses for how she wants to feel. A woman who didn’t just lose weight — she found herself.
July 2024
Feb 2025
Nov 2025
June 2025
Sept 2026
The biggest shift hasn’t been physical.
It’s been internal.
I dress for my softness now.
For my femininity.
For the woman I never knew existed.
Not from vanity.
Not from arrogance.
But from pride.
From presence.
From alignment.
I no longer feel invisible
not because I need to be seen, but because I finally see myself.
This week I held a mirror — a beautiful vintage mirror gifted to me by a young woman after her shoot. The kind that distorts when held far away, and sharpens when brought close.
And that’s life, isn’t it?
When we keep ourselves at arm’s length, everything feels warped. But when we’re brave enough to look closely — to really see — clarity arrives.
That mirror reminds me why I do what I do.
The day before receiving it, I photographed a teenage girl who transformed in front of my lens. In a few quiet moments, she let herself soften. Shine. Become.
I know that moment — because I was once that girl.
The girl called names.
The girl who carried words that weren’t hers to hold.
What I’ve learned this past year is this:
When someone projects onto you, they’re holding up a mirror of their fears — not your truth.
We are all becoming.
Messy. Unfiltered. Courageous.
And the discomfort? That’s where the magic brews.
This episode isn’t about weight loss.
It’s about becoming.
And if you take one thing from it, let it be this:
Look in the mirror — really look — and ask yourself if you’re proud of who you’re becoming.
From my heart to yours,
Joanne
From my heart to yours,
Joanne
You are not required to carry that weight.
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