Jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, especially in a saturated market, can be incredibly overwhelming, taxing, & confusing.
The story of my photography business begins with about 10 years of me fighting. I fought anyone who asked me why I wasn’t taking photos anymore, after spending all of my college years with a camera on my shoulder & a polaroid in my hand. I fought any self-help journal or podcast or live speech that mentioned “following your dreams” because I knew that my particular dream was way too far out of reach…so none of that applied to me.
I didn’t feel worthy. I knew that there were so many photographers out there, so why should I even try? If I couldn’t instantly be the best, what’s the point of pushing at all? How incredibly selfish, short-sighted, & narrow-minded of me, right?
I finally stopped fighting. Some big changes happened in my life & I was able to take a few massive steps back & look at everything with a different set of eyes. I no longer felt bound by an imposed set of rules for my life. Friends who never really believed in me in the first place were suddenly gone, & I was left with some major cheerleaders. I realized that I had actually been refusing to grow a part of me that was there for a reason. I spent 7 years of my life pushing others to lean into their discomfort & grow their passions, & I wasn’t really taking doses of my own medicine. When my family pitched in for a camera for my 31st birthday, deep down I knew I had to make this happen. But still, I sort of drug my feet.
I kid you not, two weeks later, my only real photographer acquaintance (have I mentioned her in enough blog posts yet? Elicia Bryan…there it is again!) called me & asked if I would be interested in a mentorship. The rest is history. I’m doin’ it!
So many people believe in me, so why should I not believe in myself? So many people had stepped into my life & helped point me to the truth of my purpose, not whatever lies I had been living for so long. I had no more excuses.
I’m hoping that my struggles will reach you where you are, & be a bit of a reminder of what you should already know about yourself: you can do it. No matter what the “it” is, you have the power to make it happen.
There have been some pretty influential players in this game for me, outside of my friends & family. Below you’ll see a short list of the writers, artists, & thinkers who have really helped me navigate these hills & valleys.
Brene Brown helped me to see that every part of my journey is necessary. The whole idea of the delta (from Rising Strong) re-framed my whole idea of growth. It allowed me to stop beating myself up for all the various reasons that would pop into my head. Read this article if you want to hear someone else’s “review” of the book - I wish I could have written this one myself.
Cleo Wade was a voice that reminded me that I have everything I need to make change. I don’t need to wait for anything (except for maybe a camera & a lens or two…) to do what I really want to do. & also, there is nothing more world-changing than our love for other people. That’s why I do what I do. We also talked about how self-care is absolutely important, no matter how many excuses I make for “why I can’t.” I am so grateful for the experience of photographing Cleo when she was in Athens on her book tour.
Sleeping at Last’s #3 Enneagram song. (Surprise surprise I’m a 3.) I mean. Just listen to it. & if you’re an Enneagram #3, grab a box of tissues first.