Hello all!
This year I said I would try to be better at blogging and hopefully this is a good start to that promise!
Us entrepreneurs tend to be creative, perfectionist, hard working and very determined at times. I tend to have the qualities but sometimes I really need some motivation to focus on photography work. I love to do so many things with my time throughout the week and that in turns hurts my personal business. Between working a part-time job, running a house and also enjoying social visits I often find myself out of time, energy and motivation to work on things. Which sometimes that’s okay, we all need to enjoy our time! Other times I need a little nudge to get me out of a luell. These are a few things that bring back the fire to my work!
Number 1 – Deadlines
Giving myself personal deadlines on photo work, responses and blogging helps me immensely. Most of the time clients ask when to expect their photos and I give them a general deadline or they personally ask if I could get the photos done by a certain date. Both of those tactics work really well. However, occasionally I’ll get a client who isn’t picky when to expect their photos. These are a little harder to finish up for me, the push for me to get them done and sent off are much lower than clients who request an end date. This is when giving myself and writing down deadlines helps keep me on track and not overload my editing work.
Number 2 – Meeting with other creatives
This I feel like is so important for me! I love working with people who have a passion for their work. Whatever that looks like. When I met up with a photographer, florist, hairstylist anyone who is constantly working towards the next goal for themselves I gravitate more to my personal work. I start thinking more about how I operate, how I interact with clients, who I could work with others to help build their business through my photography passion. I didn’t realize it was important to me until I worked with other photographers and then it clicked. I love doing my photography more when I can be surrounded and supported by others. Sometimes that’s really hard for me to find time to meet up with others, but when I do I feel refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.
Number 3 – Picking Up My Camera
Obviously I pick up my camera for photography sessions, it kind of comes with the job. When I mean “Picking up my camera” I really mean picking it up more without a client asking me too. I used to do spontaneous photo sessions all the time when I was first learning photography. I learned a lot, I tried a lot of new ideas and I just had pure fun. The more times I pick up my camera for myself it brings me back to why I love photography so much. Why I love trying new ideas and pushing myself to not stick with the same things I do all the time with clients. I have lots of ideas and would love to work with creatives more outside my client lists.
Number 4 – Honestly…Pinterest and Instagram
This is kind of a lame reason, but it’s true. Pinterest and Instagram really inspire me. Really it’s the artists I find on both social media platforms. This is a great way for me to feel inspired, try new ideas and create new content for myself. I would love to expand into style shoots, couple sessions, lifestyle sessions and playing with my editing style. Which is why I love to see how others produce their final product and some of their personally inspirations that might inspire me. Even though I love looking at Instagram and Pinterest for all those reasons listed above I know I need to be careful. If I constantly compare my work to others I’ll never be satisfied and will keep bringing myself down. Also what they do is great but I keep in mind that they’ve taken a long time to develop their own style and work. Emphasis on OWN. I don’t want to copy people, I don’t want to look like everyone else in the photography world I want to stand out and be my own artist. I simply try to use these media platforms for inspiration!
Is there anything that inspires you to be more creative? Comment below!
Thanks,
Rachel