ISABELLA BANKS
For Isabella Banks, the life she wanted was never going to arrive by waiting for the perfect moment.
A photographer for more than a decade, Isabella has built a career photographing celebrities, public figures, brands and events, with her work appearing across publications including Vogue, Glamour and Heat, while simultaneously raising her children.
She became a mother at just 19, meaning motherhood and career have grown alongside one another, neither waiting patiently for the other to be finished.
Her approach has always been simple: say yes.
Sometimes before she feels ready. Sometimes before she knows exactly where an opportunity will lead. And often by simply putting herself in the room.
For Isabella, manifestation isn't passive. It's having a vision, then moving towards it, sending the email, making the connection, taking the chance and allowing yourself to be seen before you feel completely prepared.
That philosophy has carried her through more than a decade in photography, from national press and television to front covers, celebrity shoots and the launch of Izanti Studios, Cornwall's first content studio, which has welcomed A-list talent, podcasts and public figures through its doors.
But perhaps her most important lesson has come through the chapters that didn't go according to plan.
Having restarted and rebuilt parts of her life in her mid-thirties, Isabella has discovered that beginning again isn't necessarily a step backwards. Sometimes it is an invitation to create a life that is more aligned with who you've become.
And as a mother, particularly as a single mother, she wants to challenge the idea that women have to choose between ambition and family.
"Becoming a mum doesn't mean losing yourself. You can be an extraordinary mother and still build a business. You can travel, create, dress up, have fun, dream enormously and pursue opportunities that scare you a little.”
Today, Isabella is looking towards bigger editorial and campaign work in London and internationally, alongside content creation and new creative ventures. She doesn't have every detail mapped out, and she's increasingly comfortable with that.
Some of the best things in her life were never part of the original plan.
For Isabella, perhaps that's the point.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO START MOVING. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE WILLING TO SAY YES TO WHAT COMES NEXT."
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