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What we're gonna do is I did a little packages. I handed out the first day with the journal in the poster board and a few questions, and three of our lovely ladies did an amazing job of filling in all that kind of fun stuff and doing their poster boards all upright so that everybody here and at home could see kind of how they use what they have learned over the past three days And like the feelings that it stirred in all that to create something visual for us to look at. Um, so you are gonna start stocking real okay? And I get to sit wonderful. Okay, I can climb my way upon to this tall chair, everyone An internet. Okay, so this is actually really cool task that shin and had, if you must do this week, what I loved about it was had these great questions that we kind of think about in the day to day. You know what inspires me? What do I like or where my strength, but what it really forced me to dio was actually sit down and answer those questions thoughtfully. People sometimes say, Oh, w...

hat do you love about photography, and you answer those questions and, you know, there's a lot of standard answers if you like. I love Captain emotion, all that good stuff, but this is making exercise to really just kind of focus. My thoughts and Jenna mentioned journaling. I'm gonna go with the bad student admission here. I didn't actually journal because that's really not my stuff. So that's why I love doing this. And honestly, I would encourage anybody That's anybody to do it, really, whether it's photography or anything else, kind of get in touch with your creative side and colors and a big piece of paper and a white canvas. So, um, I actually have a way that I actually set this up from the start the middle because right Central to everything that's on this page is my tribe. You probably heard we mentioned earlier, but my friend tour, which we'll get to that, too. But first and foremost, these cute little stick people here That's my family and stick dog. My husband, Craig, my daughter Lila and our dog, Charlie, was, as I was drawing, that it was a little peek into my mind. I was like, Oh, I need to make him kind of a cute little stick guy. And I drew a bow tie on. I've never seen the guy wear a bow tie my entire life, but I liked it, so I went with it. And they are. They inspire me. They support me. They listen to all my late night antics about editing or let me stay up late and I really couldn't do without them. And my daughter is also an incredible inspiration point, which I'll get to up here as well. But having being a mom, I think you get a different perspective on the world than you did prior to having kids. For me, it was really seeing the world at her level, getting down on the floor, on the ground, laying in the grass. She's 20 months, so she's on the go, and I had to change my style a little bit, photographing her because she doesn't sit still. And I have two special part for my tribe here, my best friend, Jeffy, and you don't if you guys can see at home. But there's a camera in her hand and she is actually newer to photography, and I'm super excited for her because what's better than having a best friend that wasn't into photography? Get into it because all those crazy, neurotic photographer thoughts about worrying about location or what are the clients going to wear? She totally gets it now, and maybe someday I might be her friend tour, but that's very exciting for me to have that little camera hand. But regardless, she always supported me. Let me use her daughter as a child when I didn't have one. And she's an incredible support system. And as I mentioned earlier, on a somewhat overused term already, my friend Tour Jen. And it was important when I came up with this term that she is a friend first, and she has been for many, many years before. We either of us picked up cameras, and what's been special for us is that that is actually drawn us closer together. And we've kind of gone in this really cool journey together. Especially when I didn't have Jesse, that I could talk about those little crazy things that photographers like to talk about and can go hours talking about branding, marketing, growth and development as photographers. Eso that this My special big people, Um And then over here I drew the village because I think we all know in the photographic community there is an amazing group of resource is not just from the photography standpoint, but also friends, family co workers. I mean, you build your business or your passion out of having all of these people around you that are willing to support you in one way or the other. So I have just a few small cameras throughout their because some of them are photographers. A lot of them are not so that is central to everything that I do right here. And so that's why they are in the middle. And then I'll jump up to inspiration. And one of the questions was, what inspires you and felt like that was it was really easy. That was an easy question, so definitely spent time writing that down. It's a great way to just kind of step back and be introspective about how you operate as an artist. Nature for me is big. I love driving around and looking at places whether and not believe in nature. If I'm in an urban environment, I see a worn down building. And I'm like, Honey, honey, stop. I have to look at this building. I I'm picturing somebody they're like, Yeah, maybe somebody that sketchy. But, you know, like, I could take a kid and put some cool props. And so everything that I see around me as I'm moving throughout my day and my travels is a huge inspiration Light for my style. Photography is huge. So you actually see I put the sun over here because I love the sun, but also just gorgeous light in general s o I will be seriously like in a parking lot Somewhere in the sun started amazing light or a dinner the other night A group of us and we're sitting in a restaurant and apparently I was sitting in this magic spot and a friend said, Oh, yeah, there's such gorgeous light on you So that's kind of how we photographers operate with the nature Gorgeous flight travel like you already picture like I would, you know, would have to look your heart. You can already kind of picture like probably what your photography like. So that's that's a cool thing about when people start writing these things down is you do start like seeing a theme developing. And that helps so that that's why I like people that, like, jot it down. Yeah, so and then I mean other things. Of course, other photographers. I do try to kind of limit how much I expose myself to because it is very easy to get caught up. And Shannon totally hit that on the head earlier, saying kind of maybe take a step back. I do peak another a lot of other people's work, and I love it to get inspired. But I do try to limit that a little bit, too, and taking a break. I am notorious for taking breaks because in Washington the weather, especially you, can feel like to be outdoors. Mayweather forces basically take a really long break and of course, there's times when you're pushing to try other things and do different projects. But I get inspired by taking a break because by the end of that break, when the time's right for me, I get it and ready to go. You know, that kind of happened there on June here, but this question I loved because it's so simple, but It's a hard one. It's incredibly hard because you want to know what are you good at? And by human nature, I think were the first to jump on. Oh, these are my weakness is I need to work on this and then all the sudden, when it comes time for you to say I'm good at something, you kind of get this like, sheepish like this. So I really struggled with that question. So I decided I asked my husband and he had some different things that I would get out, that I thought. I thought I would give it at that. That's a really good idea, though. Like if you really are struggling with it, ask some of your custom of your tribe. Yes, they right smack sometimes say things and you'll be like and maybe Old Mir and really don't enjoy that. I maybe get out of it. I'm not, but it starts to, like, trigger things that I mean sometimes you can't see it in yourself exactly. So run through a few of those. You put that making people laugh. I think e. I think you know anything careful having at me or with me. It's just fun. So I know when people are laughing. I'm staying organized, been told handwriting stuff. And I'm gonna embrace that one because I often find that I tidy can writing, But it's okay, pride for me in a shoot. I love something that Shannon said today about just kind of looking at what? What you like about that image and drawing from that for future usage and just kind of self analysis. So for me, I'm proud when I actually did think. OK, I'm looking image and what makes me proud about this and, you know, evoking true emotion from clients capturing true sells. Things are all kind of tied together, making the clients happy, not just with the final product but when we're out there making them laugh, having fun, playing games and also making me happy, because when I look at an image, ultimately I'm not happy with it. I'm not proud of it. So that was a great little exercise and kind of looking at what I'm doing. Besides just my critical photoshopped, I of what needs to be fixed, what might the clients like? The small section over here is the Fear section, and I did that on purpose because I didn't even want to give it like a big title. Because I in my business and personal life, I try to just let that I know it's there. But I like to push it to the side and not even give it that much acknowledgement truly, truly this. It's photographically the challenge for me. Snakes I Washington does not have any poisonous snakes on the West Side, however. I have an irrational fear of snakes, and it limits what I can do on sessions. I was just telling the girls earlier. I go to sessions like an 85 degree weather, sometimes in like high black rubber boots, and I tell my clients because I'm gonna stump down blackberry bushes and stepping hold. And really, I just have a fear of snakes and it does. It's gotten to a point where, like, I I'm starting to get better at it. But that seriously is one of my greatest fears, and it holds me back getting out on location. So Oh my gosh, I would run through a field if I had hip waders on. I tried. I go carefully with, and if I have sandals on and it's probably not going in, you know, I think a lot of people fear what others think of them in their work. Because you are putting your, like, staying here. Hold my heart for a little bit. You like it? That is on. Actually, I I really only fear snakes. These or other things I say are concerned, because again, I'm not gonna give your that much power in my life. And that was a great discussion that I had when I was making this for like, No, I'm not gonna even call it fear because I don't want to go there and failure, which is actually why I'm up here today because I have a little bit of fear failure. And so I said yes to this project so that I could put myself out there and know that it would be okay even if I did fail. And, of course, the big the big one. Photographic success. What is that to me as an artist and as a person in my photography business? And it's a combination of a lot of things from capturing emotion, which is basically doing what I'm trying to do when I put that camera in my hand as well as having fun because I do this because I want to have fun and I want to love it and stay passionate about it. And if I'm not having fun and I want one of things that my friend tours great with me when I get a potential new projects, that may not be something that something I regularly dio. I'll check with her and say, What do you think I should dio Andi? Usually she can pretty easily tell by the tone of my voice whether or not I should say yes or no. But she'll help me kind of lead Teoh getting to that on my own. And if I don't have one of that, I just shouldn't be doing it. And that lend itself to being and staying creative. The more stuff that you take on that you're not passionate about your creative your creativity. Meter kind of goes down, and so it's up to you as an artist to keep getting that little, uh, meter thing going and staying creative. Important. Yes, that was because, you know, we often hear people say Step outside of the box and I think Okay, that's great. How can I do better than that leap outside of the home? So that was kind of one of my thoughts on this. And then this funneled one over here was a dream job. A lot of ways, I feel like I have it. You probably count about your day to day. You get to do this for fun. I get to meet new people and take a camera and stick it in their face. And they let me and it's great. So if I really had to pick a dream job, probably be getting paid, like a $1,000,000 to do nothing, So then I could go and just shoot because I want to and shoot what I want and have fun with it and never have to ask anybody for money. That is awkward, right? But the great thing about this is that you can still without the 1,000,000 you can still do your dream job because having being able to understand all these things that do inspire you and what you're proud of and making your business out of that you're gonna get the people that want that and are just willingly gonna pay or I have to ask for the money. They're just gonna, like, give you the check that you need. So I think this is absolutely amazing and perfect and exactly what I wanted people like Think through when they were looking at these questions. Um, such a great job. I'm really excited to see like, like, here from you, and like, a month, two months and see if it's in any way, like, kind of, like made you narrow in on things or change things up a little bit. So I hope that you keep in touch and, like, kind of let me know how things were going because this was great. And I love your thought process and how you, you know, really dove into all these things. And yeah, well, I really appreciate thinking for sharing with that I created. Before we move on to our next one, let's step back a bit and help folks a little bit about exactly what the assignment was from you. Yeah, it was. I don't Does anybody have their journals? Some of the questions sitting in front of me right now, But I basically handed them this posterboard some markers. A journal And these questions. Thank you so much, Which were questions that we touched on throughout the whole workshop. What are you good at? And she kind of wrote them up here for me. What do you good at? What is your number one goal? Idea of success in your business? What inspires you to create Who is your tribe and where do you find your mentors? What part? What parts of what you do make you proud? What are your biggest fears and what is your dream job? So I just kind of wanted, um, people to take these questions and just do exactly what, exactly what she did, where she broke down and really thought about these things. Because I think it's so easy to just get caught up in the rat race of getting things done and just doing what your quote unquote supposed to do. And you forget all these things along the way. And if you keep this focus, we really can. Like I said, you don't need to get the $1,000,000 because you could be doing these things. You could be doing your dream job and people will happily be giving you money because they love what you do so much. So, um yeah, this was a great great example of handing this out, and I would love of people at home would do it to I mean, I know they don't get to sit here and show off their pretty, but they can show it to their to their friend Orders. Perfect. Let's move on. We're gonna bring up our next Yes, let's do it. And the folks were looking at your website in the chat room, and they love your photographs. Oh, I'm sorry. Area ready. So you have the exact same the exact same mission execs saying it shouldn't see. This is what I love is to see the juxtapose of the one post because you guys didn't talk about it, get together to do it. It was all on your own. And that's why I wanted I wanted all from the gut just to see how you guys took it. So this is a great example. How when, given the same exact scenario, how each of us take it to such a different place. So, uh, and I'm not a writer, I'm a doodler, so I get it out through doodles and really talk much shorter. But it does. I'm not good with words, but, you know, I really kind of looked at this whole experience. Even coming here is kind of a journey and a zone older photographer, And I can feel for the gal who was in the chat room asking, and I think you can start a path at any time in your life. And so I really looked at this path as a new journey because, you know, we changes, we get older and there's some things that are different and your kids growing up and you see how fast time flies. So I really kind of came into this as a journey and so welcome. Come on in. And I kind of went through the same questions that she did. And you know, my tribe is these air my tribes. And of course, first and foremost, it's my family, and my kids are getting older, so I value the time with them because I have one getting ready to go to college. And, you know, I realize it just in the blink of an eye did a wake up call that like there's no more all days on the computer and, like ignoring cause that's right, you have to drop some things and get in. You know, when I started, my son was four. Now he's 14. You realize you're not gonna have all those days and friend tours or huge. I have Ah posse in Texas and I have a posse at home. And, you know, I think sometimes you look for the posse, and sometimes the posse finds you. And so you know, if you can surround yourself with really great women photographers and friends both, it's great. I making interest, light color textures. I drive differently now when I drive down the road, my eyes are always looking at what is out there. The colors, the textures, how a friend and I went to Chili's glass card in the first night here, and just to see how the glass was put together with different textures was phenomenal and color. And, of course, creativelive. That's a no brainer. That's me success. You know, I success is very different for me now at the stage of life, my photography business is not necessarily driven by the income that I get the end. My success is more about merging everything in my life so that it's a balance. My Children. So they're not saying, Mom, please get away from that computer and spend some time with me. The dollar signs isn't fortunate enough. My husband works full time so I could be home with the kids and do this as needed. Kind of all of it is, is now how I look at the whole bucket instead of pieces of the bucket for my success failure? It's like everybody's, you know, Are you accepted as your work like it is? Are you coming through for your kids or you being there when they need You are you know, all that stuff kind of place into that? It is interesting to hear, like you're like the fellas you keep mentioning like it's interesting to hear your like little tiny and Yours was, you know, more failure about, like, keeping clients having really and then all of sudden, she's like, No, my kids were leaving. Forget about those guys. I e not forget about him, but it's an interesting juxtapose when you have all the time in the world like you, just your baby's happy and then all the sudden, yeah, journeys change in life and just go in adjourn. And that's the thing that you have to focus on is that you know that piece of your journey and what's working for you at the time, Like what works for you doesn't work for your, you know, vice versa walking here from the shuttle. So I was shuttled in every day I passed the sign That's to be determined, and that's my journeys to be determined. Yeah, I don't know what wasn't really quick Teoh. At that age, they're part of your, at least for me. But little or my kids were there part of your job like work. And when they get to the age like how often you photograph them, or how often you know any me, the boys, So do you have to separate? You do have to separate that time. Where is when they're that age? They're part of the daily, like you take photos of them, and so it's It's just such a different Yeah, it's interesting that thank you so much for sharing. It's a I agree with Cam me. This is a great exercise and did you journal? I journal And do what I've been doing the whole time. Just journaling because it was a journey. And I think this would be great to revisit and do every couple of months just to see where your heart is. Yeah, Yeah. I think it puts the focus like you under, like, just looking at us. You know exactly what you need to do with your business in order to keep you happy. Indeed. Thank you. Thank you. Are you ready? Yes. Very busy. No, it's great, because you can. We kind of went over this one this morning and like, after you kind of, like, walk me through out. But it's totally you, like it's actually really so again you'll see another take like she's got her crafts and stuff. So you can see she's brought other acts aspects of her life into the, you know, nothing to do with photography, but it's brought in. So yeah, go ahead and just doesn't have everything to do with it, though, because I make my sense, all right, but I was like, It's a completely It's a hobby over here. You put it into here. Yeah, which is an amazing way to make sure that photography stays a true to you and B it just lends itself to giving your own unique take on things without even trying. So that's fantastic. Sauce will go ahead. OK, well, mine starts in the middle with my mom and all camera. It's a beautiful story. She want me to tell a little, Let me start you in the shit. Okay, so tell it the best that I can cause I just got it once this morning, but her mom basically waited in life to do fun things until she retired. Um, so she didn't jump into her passion like you have, like, going up to the top and going after making things and if I remember correctly said a month after she retype before, before she retired, she was diagnosed with cancer and she had a hurt heart attack. And it's quadrupled. Quadruple bypass. All right there a month before retirement. And so the lesson And there's a adorable picture of her mom right here of the blood. Was this after retirement? Yeah, that was it. Can't make a dream in Montana. And this is her mom's that blaming? You want me to tell. Okay? Yeah. She was saying that her mom was not the type of woman that would do crazy things or go out. You know, like, why would you go zip line when there's things to be? But she did this and she said her mom also wasn't the type to, like, call and be like, peppy, unlike, gets what? And she called her just so proud of herself that she did something like this. And so I just think it's such a lake. It's so heartwarming to me that she could give you that gift because, I mean, as a mom, what other gift you want to give your kids? I mean, So what she did, what she gave you is phenomenal. I just and I like it means so much to me that you're sharing with all of us way, you know, just from mom a little bit. And we'll talk about how they will talk about this Q B and how she inspired here. Actually, she's the one that really started me. Um, I have four grandsons and my youngest daughter got pregnant and had a girl, and I went one photograph for I've always photographed, always had a camera, just loved it. And as I told you so, it was always on automatic. It's not there anymore. I'm learning my camera. That's my goal. So when she was born, I wouldn't took pictures of her and I said, I want to do this. I love babies. I'm getting ready to retire. I really want to do something I love. So I went, What a better way this is was me here. You can't see much, but I'm a nurse. So and it's funny because I was a heart nurse. I worked in the I, C. U and all that. So the heart just goes right along with it. I also did pediatric. So kids is like my love. I love color. As you can see, color just absolutely makes me feel wonderful. So on my sets that I do, you can see here. This is some of my inspirations. I love color right now. It's not a call we can tell. My toes have the same anchor on them, so I'm sewing. Yeah, together has together. Yes, I think it's a Midwest in me too, but that's just what inspires me. So I go to Pinterest. Um, I just think of colors I love And what can I do? Put those together and like you said, those were my ideas. But then I have to find somebody that really wants to do that, cause I can't just say here, this is mine. So yeah, that's kind of, um, doing what I love and love what I'm doing. That's just when I decided I was gonna retire with my husband, I wanted to do what I want to Dio and I found a mentor. She actually worked for me and she's a nurse and we're both starting this journey. And she's she's my sounding board. And every month we go somewhere and photograph Last month we would deport loomed, and then we went up to swim to the lavender fields. Yeah, it wasn't a beautiful, so I mean, it just I make myself do that. She brought me flowers least with the flower she brought me and just it's so much fun. I can hardly stand. And this is my dream job thing. This is it. And when I love, too, and we kind of touched on. So these are the things that you so and make and, uh, the thing that is really great, Like when you incorporate something like that into your photography is like we were saying, even when you hit those ruts, like if you're making the things, you stop taking pictures of them so you can get it out there if you want to sell and it's so it's a great way to keep you, um, motivated to keep going. And then it swear action is what breeds inspiration. It's rarely the other way around. Really. Are you sitting on your rear and you just get hit with inspiration? That's usually you're in the mix of doing things. You're in the mix of having this conversation. It's exciting and it inspires. So, um, yeah, I just think it's great when her people can bring their own hobbies and loves and stuff into it because it just feeds it and it makes it easier to stay. So in my tribe, I'm accepting more tribe members. I please sign up to be a part of my trial. I don't have a tribe. I was gonna have my pen, and but this is my kind of my mother was just create every day I love to create. I love to just do something new. Um, I'm not gonna be afraid of life. I'm gonna live it, so Okay. Thank you. Okay. So did we have Do we have any questions on any of that from any of you guys or anybody in the chat rooms about doing the dream boards of the journaling or me? I think it's such an or such a personal project. You mean you can't do anything wrong doing it? Uh, mostly, mostly positive comments. No, no real questions. Great. Yeah, they're wonderful stories, really. And folks out there getting inspired as well. Yea, but that was the point. We did it. So, uh, yeah, I had a quote. Your from Gandhi. Happiness is when what you think what you say and what you do are in harmony. And I think that's so much like what we've been trying to accomplish in these last days is figuring out all of those things and getting the clutter out of your head and getting, you know, all that stuff released so that you can just concentrate at the task at hand and just realize, you know, we have it so good we get to, like, create these amazing businesses that can be literally anything we want them to be. And there's people out there that wanna, you know, come and be a part of it with us, and I just don't know. I just don't know anything better than that, so