Many of you know that last year I came head to head with some health issues that caused me to have to temporarily close my business right at the busiest time of the year for my line of work — the fall. It was heartbreaking, and it caused financial strain…and, ultimately, I was relieved.
I thought I was relieved because I could rest my body and heal without worrying about letting more people down. I had grown weary of the guilt I carried with having to reschedule people so often, never knowing how each day might go. It was like as soon as I could officially put my camera down, I could settle into the healing process with not just my body but also my heart, mind, and soul.
Of course, I missed photography. I missed my loyal clients. I missed making money with a talent. I missed art.
But I didn’t miss the strain it had put on my already wounded body. I didn’t miss the constant business and scheduling that happened in my head even when I tried to do other things. I didn’t miss the anxiety I felt before every single session.
With time, I felt I could step back into business, and it’s like the world has known this season had already ended for me. Despite my attempts to get going again, I could barely drum up business. In fact, the only sessions I’ve done since last year have either been family or friends or with folks who bought or won a session last year.
(And on a bonus interesting note, soooooo many of my regular families I’ve worked with for years have moved away.)
Hmmm…very telling. And the truth is, I’ve continued to feel relief because every time I go out again, it hurts. I get anxious about the pain, and then I get anxious about not having ideas, and then I get anxious about my declining photography skills. It dawns on me ever-so-slowly that it’s time to let go and lean into other areas of my life that don’t add more burden and pain than what it’s worth.
What does this mean?
It means this will be my last year in business. (By “last year,” I fully expect that to mean last fall, since business tends to wrap up for my work at the end of October each year.)
You can book your gift or already-paid-for sessions HERE.
If you are interested in a family session only with me this season, investment information is HERE.
As a reminder, it is the responsibility of all mini-session winners to schedule their sessions. I won’t follow up to make sure you redeem your prize. They are meant to be redeemed in 2024 only.
If you think it’s been challenging trying to figure out what I’m going to do next, imagine being me! This morning, I made the final decision because the words that came to me after prayer were: “You know what you need and want to do. You’re just afraid to do it.” So — *deep breaths* — let’s see what the next season holds for me!
Obviously I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I will always love capturing life, so we’ll see how this shapes for the future. For now, I know this is what I need for me.
It is my hope that I can return to my love of photography as just a hobby and let it be something I get to do for myself and my family just because I love it.
