CREATIVE SELF DOUBT + A TINY GLASS HOUSE
Anytime a new couple books with me, I always get this little bit of doubt. What are they expecting? What if my talent isn't enough, and I'm not creative enough? What if I'm too creative and they don't love their gallery? Then I get clients like Joshua + Nicole, and I am immediately reassured that every couple who spends the time to seek out my work, appreciates it and wants all of the creativity I bring to the table. Sometimes I look at other creative's pages, and I realize that we all only get this tiny little window to display our personality, our style, and this little hope that that is enough for couples to fall in love with our work. It's a tough world out here for a wedding vendor, foreal! As long as I keep reminding myself that each image I am creating is art, the sooner I relearn to love my work. Sometimes, this is as easy as doing a weird new pose that I've never done with my couple, or just letting my walls down during my shoot and being authentically me, but making little new changes to my typical shooting routine helps me to grow and loosen that self doubt that is attached with our social media monster imposter syndrome.
My career has taken me to many unique locations, one of them being this neat little back yard glass house in Austin. When they told me this was where they wanted to shoot, I was really NEEDING a creative refresh, so I was alllll about shooting here. I am reminded while shooting engagement sessions how MUCH I enjoy getting to know my couples, laughing with them, and capturing their little moments.
Oh, and what goes best with a glass house? An abandoned school bus, of course.
This photo above is something I haven't ever done before for a shoot. I had a bunch of moments during their shoot that I was thinking to myself, "They are going to think I am so weird." But it was something I needed to do for my creativity. My work is 100% not the style that everyone would want. and that is OKAY! What I hope every creative reading this takes away, is that no matter what your instagram looks like, no matter what your work looks like, if YOU love the work you are producing, and you stand by it, your dream clients will find you. I've been overwhelmingly lucky to have been selected by some of the most genuine, unique couples, and that took 7 years of client relations and style development to be confident in my craft. I still have days of doubt, then I look around at the wedding world around me, the surplus of inspiration, the constant creativity I get to wake up every day and have, and THAT pulls me right out of any creative funk I could ever be in.
Just wanted to rant a bit, and hopefully help someone feel like they aren't alone in their self doubt with their business or their hobbies. We all have low days, but hopefully you can also have your own Joshua and Nicole to bring you to an old school bus and change your entire outlook on your work!
xo