As creatives & artists there are times (for most of us anyway) where our creativity feels sapped and our excitement levels about our work hit an all-time low.  This is normal.  If this sounds like you – it’s ok, you’re fine, this is natural.  Wedding photographers aren’t immune to these ruts – we get tired and run down, we get bored of the wedding grind… it’s a lot of hustle and nobody tells you that it’s only about 10% creative, the rest is a lot of behind the scenes work.  I’m saying this as someone who has experienced all of the above!

If you’re close to me you probably know that last summer drained me.  I overcommitted and thus overworked myself.  It was nobody’s fault but mine!  I couldn’t say no and my “people pleaser” nature became my undoing.  I finished my 2018 season as an insomniac, cranky, kinda chubby, and impatient person – I didn’t really like hanging out with her tbh.

Here’s the thing about ruts; they force us to take a look at ourselves.  Is the race we’re running worth it?  What are we doing this for?  Who is this benefitting?  Am I happy?  Is my family happy?  It’s tough to take that hard look at ourselves and at the life we’ve worked so hard for.  I’m thankful that some key people came into my life to help me navigate that particularly rough time.  I won a creative counselling session with the incredible Yan Palmer and she helped me gain so much perspective on where I want things to go.  I started coaching with Lindsie Grey, another amazing photographer & business woman, and she’s currently helping me unblock some things so I can move forward with better ease and more focus.  Some fabulous friends also became sounding boards for me as I dug into my heart to figure out what the hell I want out of this career.  It’s been a wild ride y’all – but I’m feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the future (more on those plans to come another day).

Enter THIS downtown Phoenix couple’s session!  When I told my girl Ashley from Beginning & End Photography that I’d be in town, she rounded up my darling Phoenix Photographer friend Bree and helped set up this downtown Phoenix couple’s session as a creative outlet.  We met with Charity & Daniel to hang out around a pretty stunning area in Phoenix, we explored, they drank coffee & longboarded, and then they announced to us that they were expecting their first baby!  Can you imagine having these two as parents??? You’d think you hit the rad mom & dad lottery.  I loved bumming around Phoenix and getting to know these two (although it re-affirmed how uncool I already know I am).  It was exactly what my exhausted soul needed.

Thank you to all the people I mentioned above for being there for me – I hope I can return the favour.  For now, I hope you enjoy a little peek at the session that brought me back to life after a cold winter (literally & figuratively).