"Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees."
-J. Willard Marriott
Change. I believe we should all be changing and evolving constantly. Challenging ourselves and learning something new daily. Growing as a human and becoming the best person we can be in our personal, spiritual and work lives. This isn’t easy by any means. It’s not supposed to be. It’s supposed to scare you at times. Excite you at times. And anything that scares you and excites you at the same time means one thing - do it! So here I go.
I did it. I finally took the plunge to invest in my senior work with a semester with Leslie at Seniorlogie. Like thousands of dollars invest. I’m doing this. I know that ahead of me will be a challenging road at times. I’m sure I will get frustrated that I’m not booking sessions as quickly as I would like. That Negative Nancy (instead of Dancing Nancie) that we all have in the back of our mind will jump up front at times and try to discourage me to fall back into the photography that I know and comes to me without a challenge. I’m sure I will get critical about my work at some point and compare my work to some other photographer that’s been doing this style for 10+ years. I did it the first go round when I specialized in newborns. I became on of the first photographers in this area to take newborns outside and place them in the arms of their other mother - Mother Nature but Negative Nancy always snuck in even when I was doing my best. However here’s what wisdom has taught me. Listen up. Old and young.
As long as you are putting your best effort forth it’s enough. You are enough. Your work is enough. You are enough. I am enough. As long as you are looking inward and figuring out what you need to put in your best effort you are doing all you can.
By me choosing to invest in this six month or semester of Senior homework, tasks, conversations, challenges and failures I am leading myself as best as I can. I’m choosing me. If I don’t I will move slower, get more frustrated and feel guilt from knowing I’m not doing enough. It won’t be pretty at times but in the end will be beautiful. Plus someone who knows way more than you makes more sense than trying to recreate the wheel - alone. So I know me and I will give my all to this six months. I know that although I will doubt myself I will challenge myself and meet that challenge. I will have faith in my abilities and reach my goals for the year by taking these classes.
Professional development is so very important. It’s time consuming yes but I have never walked away from professional development not learning something new. Heck I even walk away learning something I was even there to learn.
So I’m Suuuuuper excited to start this class mid-January and finish up in May with a trip to Charleston, SC (oh it’s so beautiful there - go if you haven’t already) to have hands on work. June will be my launch of my full Senior program and I can’t wait!!! However I will remind myself Rome wasn’t created in a day and I’m creating something big!
I hope you follow along!
xo,
Amanda
