A smorgasbord of little stories
August has been a month of big changes for me! After nearly seven months of extended leave to focus on my family photography business it was time to head back to my corporate job - with very mixed feelings. It’s not that I hate this corporate job (when I’m not a photographer, I’m an economist!), it’s more that I didn’t want to give up the freedom and the extra time that my long service leave gave me. The time to dream big, the time to ponder, the time to create, the time to learn new things, the time to start a newsletter and the time to keep building this photography business.
And then I sat down, looked back at the last seven months and wondered what I’d actually achieved. Did I just waste all this time? Everything just disappeared in the blur of the daily marathon of life.
So, I made a list of what I did in the last seven months:
I’ve started the most amazing personal photography project with my soul sister Nina (more on that in another blog post!).
I sent out my first monthly newsletter - A Smorgasbord of Little Stories - and it’s never too late to sign up!
I’ve continued to build this photography business of mine, bit by bit - with a new and exciting offer coming later this year (stay tuned)!
I had some really, really wonderful documentary photography sessions with the most amazing families, who welcomed me into their home and let me be part of their life for a while. Each of those family photography sessions reaffirmed that this is my path and I will keep going.
I had a few dates with my inner artist, going for walks with my camera and following the light and re-discovering the streets of Melbourne. You can walk the streets of Melbourne with me over on my street instagram account.
I’ll graduate from Naked Marketing next week! I’ve learned so much over the last 6 months (and there’s still so much to learn) - not just about marketing, but also about myself. There’s also a lot of homework still to be done, due in September, eek.
Two of my stories - Sisterhood and As time collapsed in Melbourne - made it into the Top 10 in the Documentary Category of the Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2022 competition and also got published in Capture magazine. Two other stories received a Highly Commended Award. To say I’m proud is an understatement.
I wrote an article about Layers in photographs for the Life in 52 project, a 52 week project for (real life) documentary photographers. I feel very, very honoured that they’ve trusted me with this!
I also did a ton of laundry, prepared a gazillion of lunchboxes, cooked many, many dinners and read a lot of books (to my kids).
I did a lot of things - both for me and for this business - in those seven months. I achieved a lot in those seven months. You probably did too! It tends to disappear in the crevices of daily life. Bring out your magnifying glass and have a closer look - at the big things and the small things. We all do a lot and don’t give ourselves much credit. Take a moment to be proud of yourself.
