There’s a certain magic in femininity that can’t be measured by numbers or metrics. It’s not something you scroll past. It lingers. It asks nothing, yet stays with you. That was the energy I wanted to capture in this image and in the feeling behind it.

When I first heard Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman,” it struck a chord so deep I knew it would one day become a soundtrack to one of my moments. Not just because it’s romantic and wistful, but because it speaks to the complexity of being seen — fully seen — as a woman.

She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes. And she does, sometimes.

But there is also tenderness in that strength. There’s resilience in softness. The quiet confidence in wearing lace, not for anyone else, but for herself. The decision to show up, beautiful and unapologetic, is not for approval. It’s a love letter to her own power.

I wrote this small verse to hold the spirit of that energy:

She’s the hush in the chaos, the calm in the storm,
A flame in the quiet that keeps herself warm.
Unfolding in beauty that nobody planned—
Grace in her gaze, and strength in her hands.

It’s about the woman who moves through the world with poise and fire, knowing that she doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. She doesn’t have to conform to shine. She just has to be.

So here I am, in my element, sharing this moment with you. If this speaks to you—if you’ve ever felt the push and pull of being soft and strong at once—then I hope you feel seen here.

You are allowed to be both gentle and fierce. Delicate and determined. A whisper and a wildfire.

With love, always,
—Rissa xoxo