don't do nothing/dig in.

I just saw this on Seth Godin's blog and it struck a chord for me. Running a photography business can at times feel overwhelming. It can be incredibly challenging to stay on top of everything that you NEED to do as a business owner and what you WANT to do to be true to your artistic self. Seth's advice is inspiring and spot on:limit yourself. Don't attempt to do everything and end up doing nothing very well. The world is full of incredible opportunities everywhere you look. Your job is to (in the words of Gary Snyder who's quote I saw on a CSA brochure over the weekend) "Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there."

"The paralysis of unlimited opportunity"from Seth's blog:

There aren't just a few options open to you, there are thousands (or more).

You can spend your marketing money in more ways than ever, live in more places while still working electronically, contact different people, launch different initiatives, hire different freelancers... You can post your ideas in dozens of ways, interact with millions of people, launch any sort of product or service without a permit or factory.

Too many choices.

If it's thrilling to imagine the wide open spaces, go for it.

If it's slowing you down and keeping you up at night, consider artificially limiting your choices. Don't get on planes. Don't do spec work. Don't work for jerks. Work on paper, not on film. Work on film, not on video. Don't work weekends.

Whatever rule you want...

But no matter what, don't do nothing.

Art & Fear

I just bought another copy of one of my favorite books about the artmaking process, "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland. If you make art, want to make art, used to make art and stopped, or love art, you should read this book! The first time I read it, I found so many personal connections within it and ended up underlining almost the whole thing! I gave away my copy to a fellow photographer friend during a photo retreat and decided it was time for me to own another copy. I'm excited to see what I get out of it this time around...

"It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing Free Will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work."

Food for Thought on a Tuesday

It's Tuesday and like any good creative, my mind is spinning with ideas. As a business owner, I'm constantly trying to think of new ways to do things, new approaches to my work, fun ways to reach out to clients, creative ways to stay in inspired. I am constantly looking at other photographer's work to see how they do things, and what inspiration I can take away and inject into my life and my business. I hope that I also serve as inspiration for someone out there. 

Some things that have inspired me lately:

-http://abryanphoto.blogspot.com/

And their fun approach to photography and life. I check their blog almost daily!

-So You Think You Can Dance: watching people do what they love AND having that thing be dance is one of my favorite things ever. I get teary! 

-My brother, Pip. He lives his life passionately and goes after what he wants. He is an incredible cook in New York and every conversation with him leaves me wanting to be that much more passionate, that much more ready to take on anything I want to try. Plus, he's funny as hell. 

-My friend, Amra. She is a creative spirit, through and through. We have made hats together and hosted an apartment beach day when it was cold outside to bring some warmth into our lives. She is full of life, is a deeply good friend, loves wine and dance shows as much as I do, is critical of this world and likes to discuss it all...and has the best front porch in the neighborhood. 

So here's to living life as it comes and making the most of it, trusting yourself and going after the things that fulfill you. And laughing A LOT. Happy Tuesday!

Water for Elephants...so amazing!

I have been sitting at The Bad Waitress for the last 3.5 hours and finally finished "Water for Elephants." It was truly amazing and my mind is reeling. The characters were so easy to connect with and no matter how long I left it sitting on my bookshelf or in my bag in between readings, I was immediately engrossed as soon as I picked it up. As a visual person(helloooo, I'm a photographer after all!), I loved all of the vivid imagery, the richness of characters, the depth that Sara Gruen found and explored in this book. I would recommend it to anyone!!!