Phoenix Rising

Created specifically for the documentary film by Nate Sheppard, Phoenix Rising is a visual embodiment of transformation, reclamation, and sovereign becoming.

This series captures the moment between ash and ascension — the space where grief, endurance, and quiet strength ignite into self-authored power. Through layered textures, elemental symbolism, and expressive wearable art, the imagery reflects not just a costume, but a lived metamorphosis.

The phoenix here is not fantasy. She is process.

Each frame holds themes of resilience, feminine sovereignty, and rebirth — rising not for spectacle, but for truth. Fire becomes purification. Ash becomes foundation. Wings become earned.

This collection exists as both art and testimony — a chapter in the unfolding story of Shelley Novotny, documented through film and photography as she steps fully into her creative authority.