I am typing this at 4:30 this morning. After being woken at 3:30 my mind started racing and I couldn’t fall back asleep. During this time I realized that God has given me a passion for photography that I haven’t been pursuing. Why so early? Because sometimes when something is important to us God has to remind us when we have time to listen. And right now is that time apparently.
Up to this point I have done photography as a hobby, and occasionally for money. But I have never gone beyond that. I haven’t tried very hard to build a client base, meet up with other local photographers, or even really get better at my craft. But that all changed on Tuesday when I attended my first Tuesdays Together, a group of local creative entrepreneurs run through the Rising Tide Society. Going to this meeting was way outside my comfort zone, which is kind of my resolution for the year. Sitting in a room full of people I don’t know is like my kryptonite! But I went, had a good time, and realized I am not meeting my full potential. It was at this meeting that my passion for photography was rekindled, and God started putting on my heart what I am supposed to do with that passion.
Over the last day and a half I have prayed about and made a list of tangible goals for the year, to get to my new-found dream of becoming a wedding photographer. It’s funny that this is the area I felt my heart being pushed towards because over the last 5 years or so I always said I wanted to be a professional photographer, but NEVER a wedding photographer. I thought I wanted to photograph newborns, or families. I thought that I would hate working every Saturday for most of the year, and that I couldn’t bear the pressure of photographing a once in a lifetime experience. I realize now that those circumstances are just what will push my passion for photographing and capturing precious moments that can only be caught by a camera.
Pursuing dreams or our passions can be scary, even debilitating at times. The thought of going after what we want and realizing failure is possible is a terrifying thing. What if I fail? Then what do I do? What if I’m not as good as I think? These are all thoughts that we have, but especially us creatives. We tend to critique every single aspect of what we do, and we aren’t easy on ourselves! But this is also the trait that can push us to be better, to be successful.
Being passionate about an art form whether it be photography, painting, blogging, illustration or any other creative field you can think of is one that is unique. If you can find a job that pays well and is something you are passionate about it will be the absolute most rewarding thing in the world. But the realization that if you try and don’t succeed, it’s like being told you aren’t good enough or
“YOU AREN’T ENOUGH.”
When you are a creative and pursue those passions as a career, you aren’t just applying for a job or starting up a small business. You are putting every ounce of yourself out on the line and letting the world judge your work…letting the world judge you!
I guess this is the part that has stopped me in the past. I let the self destructing talk get to me. I let it stop me from pursuing what I love, even to the point of almost stopping completely. I let the thoughts that I would never be able to make it,that I am too young, and that I am doing good enough where I am at in life limit me from reaching my true potential. I have a personality that if I am going to do something it’s going to be all or nothing. This is a personality flaw that can actually be very beneficial once I get started, because I won’t stop trying to do my best. But if I let even an ounce of doubt, fear or negativity in I will never start in the first place. In fact I will run in the opposite direction.
Am I scared of failing? Absolutely! And I might fail time after time. But I know that if I put my heart and mind towards pursuing my dreams(the right dreams)that I can let that take me all the way. I know that I have endless resources and people who can be mentors in the area. I have friends and family that will help me, push me and support me in reaching my potential. But most importantly I have a God that will be there to pick me up and remind me that not only am I good enough, but that I am enough!
What happens if I fail? I’m not really sure, but I would much rather find that out than never try at all. So here are my goals for 2016. I am going to post them on here as a reminder to myself, but also so others can help encourage me in this next step of life.
Business Goals:
*Attend 3 workshops, one for photography basics, one for photoshop and one focused on the business side of things.
*Figure out my photography style
*Pick a business name and establish a brand and overall look
*Find a local photographer to be my business coach and mentor
*Practice for at least 5 hours a week (Watching videos, reading articles, practice shoots, etc.)
*Second shoot 2 weddings by the end of the year
*Build my portfolio
*Buy new equipment (2 Lenses, flash equipment, extra batteries and memory cards)
*Continue to attend Tuesdays Together
I believe that as important as it is to have business goals, it is equally as important to have personal goals. Without striving to improve ourselves we will never accomplish our goals. So here are my personal goals as well.
Personal Goals:
*Read one book a month
*Workout once a week (I know it’s not much, but it’s a start)
*Read through and study the gospels this year
*Hold a young girls bible study once a month (This is already in the works!)
*Travel outside the USA once, I’ll even take going to Canada as a win
*Be more intentional with helping out in the house and with my little brothers
*Donate blood once
*Write to my sponsor children once a month!
*Write to my sponsor children once a month!
*Look for events, situations and encounters that will push my comfort zone all year
It seems like a lot to accomplish in just 11.5 months. But I know that if I diligently work to achieve these goals, I will look back at the end of the year and be proud of what I did, and more importunely of who I have become. I can’t wait to see what doors God opens this year, and even possibly which ones he closes.
Do you have dreams that you aren’t pursuing? Write them down, think about them, talk about them. Set realistic, attainable and concrete goals, and don’t let situations or other people hold you back from pursuing your passions!
Happy achieving to my fellow dreamers, creatives and small business owners! Your imagination is your limit.
Melissa Moliterno 