New beginnings and defining success
Here lately with all the hub-bub of the new calendar year and all of the saturation of fresh starts, well… it’s got me thinkin.
I wrote in a caption on a recent post about how I’m not super into creating some list of resolutions and goals just since the calendar went from “Dec 31” to “Jan 1”. I’m taking it easy and letting my evolution unfold as it may. That doesn’t mean I’m not striving to be better, or have ideas and things I’d like to accomplish. I think those things exist at any given time throughout the year, and at this point I’m looking at my growth in a more fluid way rather than putting it on a time stamp. I am not using the new year to hold me accountable or to inspire a change in me this year. Totally okay if it helps you! It can be a great thing to stop and reflect about last year and think about the next. For me, it’s something I do a lot so that might be why I’m not feeling some weird draw or pressure to make a list now. I journal, I reflect on my days, I think about tomorrow, I think about what needs done and envision things I can see myself doing with work or what kind of progress we’re going to make on the house. I make plans and have ambition, I just felt differently about ringing in the new year than I have before.. like I’m not really using it as a marker or checkpoint. So while maybe a month ago I envisioned myself making a new year entry about reflection of 2022, I’m kind of singing a different tune now.
^^winter 2022
It’s funny how my brain works, because I felt like I needed to give that backstory and bit of insight apparently to get to the actual point of this post which is not necessarily about my thoughts on the new year, but defining success. And specifically, defining success as a photographer/creative/artist.
I feel like there’s a lot of discussion about success when it comes to people in general: it looks different for everyone. Some it looks like college, some it looks like a GED or trade school, army, career, lots of money, beautiful home.. there isn’t one clear cut definition of what it means to be successful because it’s all relative and individualized.
I’ve struggled to apply that same concept to my own life. I think I’ve been getting my ideas of successful from the wrong places- i think i was looking at everyone else.
^^spring 2022
the truth is, if i’m asking everyone else to define my success for me, i’m going to end up with a million different responses and not a single one accurate. If i’m looking to everyone else to teach me how to be successful, will I ever really achieve it? It has to be something that you draw up for yourself. You are not everyone else. Your success and failures are not equal to everyone else.
I still consider myself a newbie. I’ve had a camera in my hands for 3 years, and a business for less than 2.
When I was first starting all I did was look around to try and learn and figure things out. So I assumed that successful meant at least 10k followers, getting hundreds of likes per post, assume they’re published somewhere, assume theyre making plenty of money, assume they’re completely booked and have filled schedules, All of these things bundled together.. and since I didn’t have those things, I wasn’t legitimate and I didn’t fit in. I wasn’t successful yet. Then as things went on, I was booking a million clients and saying yes to every project, I thought I needed the experience, I thought I needed to be busy, and I thought that meant people would like me and I’d be successful. Instead I was burnt out and overworked, making basically no money because I wasn’t charging very much, and spent wasted hours upset because I hated all my work, all of this while still taking time away from my family.
^^summer 2022: this is when i felt a turning point in my work, my confidence, and felt i really started propelling forward
Since then, I’m better learning what success actually means for me as a creative. I still don’t have 10k followers or get hundreds of likes. I am not published. i don’t make 100k a year. Despite all of that, i still feel successful.
Here are some things that have made me feel successful:
-finding what i love to shoot and doing more of it
-achieving a work/life balance that works for my family
-creating from my heart and as often as i want but allowing for rest when I need it
-working with people who value what i bring to the table
-having friends and a support system who encourage, love, and appreciate what im doing
-growth
-hitting smaller goals ive set for myself (updating equipment, saving x amount of money, compiling a portfolio im proud of, finding inspiration outside of instagram, writing my blog)
-being happy
So much of my mindset about success now comes from ME. I’m not basing it off of what I assume everyone else is doing and what makes them successful. I’m also not defining it by a certain check mark. Much like my thoughts on new year goal setting, I think my idea of success is more fluid.
^^fall 2022
I do still set goals and reflect on what I feel are shortcomings I hope to improve. There is this innate pull to continue on and get better. Some of the goals I’m stewing on look like:
-finishing up a portfolio and getting it reviewed
-up my SEO game and rank on google :/
-being more clear and intentional with my direction of posing during a session: slow down
-doing more work with people outside of me and my kids where i have complete creative control (ie, not serving a clients needs but creating a concept and directing someone else through it)
-making more money/growing my business
-photographing outside of Ohio
-being more present with my kids and working less
-completing a mentorship and workshop/furthering my education
-helping others
I don’t think I’m alone. I think there are so many of us out there comparing our paths to everyone else’s and we base our ideas of success off of assumptions or what we think others might feel is successful. Especially first starting out, feeling like you aren’t legitimate and trying to navigate what it takes. I have friends who are amazing photographers, legitimate and knowledgeable, but they do it solely as a hobby. I have friends who make over 100k traveling all over the country shooting dream weddings. I have friends who only focus on education, friends who are hustling to book clients and grow their business, friends with thousands of followers and friends with hardly any. I would describe all of them as successful.
At the end of the day, everyone’s definition of success is going to be different. There’s no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ and I think that’s something that can be generalized beyond just success in the photography world.
