A Special Fall
Fall is here!
The temperature is dropping -I think too fast a couple more warm days would be fine by me! It actually rained over the weekend - not a summer thunderstorm - just a mellow drizzly day. This was great for watching our Sunday football with friends. The wind has picked up - luckily this has not knocked leaves off trees yet AND the wind makes for some YUMMY photographs. The super market has halloween decor and A LOT of candy. Meaning my husband and children will soon be sneaking candies from the halloween bag I buy - though I will try, as per usual to hide it so they cannot sneak any - by Halloween day I am sure to have an empty bag or two I need to replace last minute.
For me this fall is very special for me. This is the first year in a long time I have not been in the classroom as a teacher. The first year in a long time that I can walk my kiddo to school and pick him up. The first year in a long time I can volunteer in my child’s classroom and go on field trips
My first fall with married to the love of my life. Although we have had our fall together before - the first one married just feels that much more special.
This is also the first year I have decided to go FULL time as a photographer! It is a leap of faith - or what feels to me more like cliff diving without a rope - to decide that my 9-5 was not cutting it. To really look at my life and realize that teaching had stopped filling my soul. Instead my 9-5 was draining me daily. I can vividly remember getting home in the winter evenings, tired, cranky and completely exhausted. My husband looked at me on those evenings and said - you need to find something else. Your job is stealing you from us. I was gone a lot and when I was home I wasn’t really there - I was stressed about work.
Leaving the career I considered to be my bread and butter to start my own business was a frightening leap. I have been a photographer (part time) for over a decade - primarily photographing families and newborns. Although I adored/adore photography I never felt “ready” take the plunge to make my photography, my art, into my livelihood. Maybe I did not have the confidence or maybe it was fear of failure… maybe I just kept hiding behind the vague concept of “ready”.
Thought I am sure I will continue to share stories along the way - I can say right now - this fall - while spending the time with my kiddos, working side by side with my husband on our computers in our basement during the day - having energy to love on family at night has been more than worth leaving my old career behind.
And so far... I am exhilarated every day by running my own business and diving into my art.
I am blessed to be out there on location in the evenings creating beautiful images. Everyday I am learning how to cultivate a small business and gaining skills I never thought I would be capable of...
Everyday I live and breathe art... so far so good!
Keeping my fingers crossed that I can be forever photographing y'all.