I found a lot of things in Mexico- a liter of Vanilla for my oldest, a Mexico soccer jersey for my middle son, and a straw hat with a band of Bob Marley colors on it for my youngest. And guess what else I found… myself.
When a successful photographer Maureen Flynn who also happens to make the most amazing camera bags (and boots as well as an upcoming clothing line) House of Flynn, announced late last year she’d be hosting a photography workshop in Mexico with Julie Paisley as a guest, I jumped on board without hesitation. I had no expectations for this workshop. I went into it excited that I could do what I love, travel, and incorporate it into a business trip so it was a tax write off. I went into this trip eager to surround myself with successful photographers and others who are passionate about what they do. Being around others who are driven makes me want to be a better version of me. I went craving to be inspired and learn how to better handle the non-creative side of the photography business.
Many of my friends spend time at the end of each year thinking and praying about a word. One word. One that will be THEIR WORD for the following year. A word they feel that symbolizes the goals and dreams they have for the upcoming year. The word will hold them accountable, help them stay focused on what they hope to achieve whether that be personally, in their business or in their relationship with God. I love this idea but I’ve never done it. However, if I could choose a word looking back on the previous year, I would choose lost. My word for 2015 would have been lost. After a few years of clinging closer to God than I ever have and feeling quite connected and content, last year I felt like I was doing ok on my own and my relationship with Him weakened, leaving me feeling lost in all aspects of my life.
So, I arrived in Playa del Carmen last week, eager for this workshop but not feeling like myself. The very first night, Maureen takes me aside and talks to me. She asks me about my why, my dreams, my photography style, etc. I couldn’t really answer her. I didn’t know. I felt lost in every aspect of my business and personal life, unsure of what really lights my soul on fire and what direction I want to go.
The very first night, Maureen also critiqued my work. She warned me that all feedback she shares is honest. Guess what? Her honesty hurt. She was not mean about it. But she was honest. And sometimes, honesty hurts. A lot. I actually went to bed with tears in my eyes wondering if anything about my work was good. Her words were a punch to the gut for sure.
The next morning, I woke up with even less confidence and went down to the beach for the first impromptu sunrise session to take pictures. She explained some mechanics of posing and worked with me while we shot. I appreciated the time she spent sharing her knowledge but I still wasn’t feeling great about my photography. Her words from the night before still hung around me like a thick fog.
Then our entire group went to Xel-Ha and explored, snorkeled, jumped off ‘cliffs’ into the water, zip lined, floated, laughed and made new friends. We had the best time!
Want to watch me ‘cliff’ Jumping? Check it out!
After this day of fun, is when I felt like my soul was waking up after a long hibernation. It’s so easy to get bogged down with day to day stuff that we forget how to truly live. And the ego bruising comments about my business the night before that were sitting heavy on my heart were now being absorbed more deeply to try to figure out how to be better. Maureen had mentioned to us that we need to be relaxed and find our center before we can really tap into the business side of things which is exactly why she started the trip with fun. I didn’t understand at the time how that part of the trip was crucial for me. A lot of soul searching was necessary for me.
The next few days were intense… shooting, learning hands on, observing those around me, taking notes on tidbits of info that others were sharing, editing late at night and then up before dawn to start shooting again. Maureen’s words, her honesty, were a driving force to waking me up, pushing me to learn more and getting the most out of the time she and Julie Paisley shared with us. Photographers start a business because they love to take photos. As it turns out, once you start a business you end up spending only about 15% of the time actually shooting and 85% on boring business related tasks and it’s easy to get burned out. We get so busy with the necessary business aspects of the job that it’s necessary to shoot for fun to keep the soul happy. I stopped doing that. This past week we did just that. I took photos that made my heart sing!
Maureen was amazed at how different my images were compared to what she saw prior to the workshop. She complimented me and told me I was the most improved of all the workshop attendees. So those words that hurt on day one… I had two choices. 1) Ignore or 2) Accept. I chose to accept what she had to say (even though I didn’t like it). I worked harder trying to figure out how to be better and soak up everything possible from this workshop. Without her honesty, I wouldn’t have benefitted near as much from this House of Flynn Workshop. I’m grateful for her honesty as it forced the deepest parts of me awake. The benefits go well beyond just the business aspect. (Psst, if you’re a photographer, Maureen has upcoming workshops already scheduled for Ireland and Mexico. You need to check it out!)
In between, all the photography related work, I also finished 2 books I brought with me, Big Magic:Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love (another book I really enjoyed reading) and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I highly recommend both of these books. (Purchase the book by Marie Kondo using the link above and you can join me in decluttering next month. I’m so excited for this!)
I can’t begin to tell you how rejuvenated and excited I am about my business and life in general. This trip to Mexico will probably be 5 or 6 different blog posts so be sure to subscribe if you don’t want to miss them. There is so much to share and I feel like I’m going off on many different tangents in this one post. So be sure to subscribe if you want to see more amazing images from our photo sessions, scenic pics, DIY project ideas or see more about the fun I had while there. Lots more in future posts to come about this trip!
This past week was like the perfect storm, a wonderful storm. The criticism that knocked me to the ground is also the reason I dug deeper within. My creative needs were met… a ‘fun, no pressure, do it for myself kind of shooting’ I didn’t even know I needed was fulfilled. Taking time for me and relaxing was good for my soul. I feel inspired to do more, business and personal. I am setting goals for my business and plan to work with purpose. The two books I read have me excited to approach things differently. I’m so ready to declutter my space so my mind is less cluttered.
Look at the difference in the two above pictures. I almost always have a smile on my face but there is a huge difference in the depth of the smiles we each wear. I sure FEEL the difference when merely looking at these pics. The left is an ‘on the surface’ smile and the smile on the right is filled with joy down to the core of me that has that smile shining brighter (sun kiss glow doesn’t hurt either!) That smile sums up everything I’ve tried to describe in words in this post. THAT is what I got from this workshop and it is priceless.
I signed up for the worksop because I want to run with the big dogs. I want to be around those who challenge me to continue to grow.. and challenge me they did! Surround yourself with people who motivate you and inspire you. This past week exceeded my wildest expectations for what I hoped to accomplish. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities I had, the openness in which Maureen and Julie taught, the internal challenges given, and the people I shared this experience with in Mexico. I am feeling so very blessed.
I’m feeling thankful…. cause I found me.
Heather
heather@sweetlemonadelife.com
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I’m so envious you got through 2 books while you were down there! I took 6 books and only finished 1 🙁 I will definitely check out those reading recommendations. I’m really glad you had a wonderful time and were able to find yourself. That was kind of the purpose of my trip when I went down there a few weeks earlier.
Mom got through 2 books also while she was down there, in only half the time. I think if you have books still waiting to be read, it means you have to make another trip down there soon to do it all over again. 😉