Have you ever felt torn on which style is “YOUR” style?
Perhaps more than ever, it’s easier to compare yourself to others and cling to their expertise rather than trusting your own creative voice. With Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and so many other social media platforms being only a swipe away it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of what everyone else is doing. It is easy to get swallowed up and feel like your own voice is drowning. Because why would anyone want to hear or see what you have to say? Truth is… People do care about you, your work and what YOU have to put back into the atmosphere! It takes a village to run every aspect of this world and every single soul that makes up that village is of importance! Repeat “YOU ARE IMPORTANT! YOUR WORK IS IMPORTANT!”
Don’t get me wrong it is much easier to piggy back off of what is “popular” or what is “trending” but at the end of the day your clients or your followers want to see and hear what truly makes your voice unique! They want nothing more than for you to only be YOU! So what is stopping you from doing this?
Are you worried you aren’t good enough at your craft? Are you unhappy with the work you are producing? What is holding you back from upping your game? What will bring you to the next level? Are you worried you don’t have your own creative voice? All of these questions are questions I ask myself daily! Seriously, I am not exempt from these thoughts and feelings. But what I do know is that each and everyone of you has their own voice, you just have to find it!
How you ask? Dig deep! Soul search… Really take the time to get to know yourself! Okay, fine if your like me you only have a few seconds to really soul search in-between cooking dinner, cleaning the house, picking up toys, cuddling kids, going to the bathroom and most days barely surviving!
But for real… Follow these steps for me! Really truly put for the effort to get to know your creative voice and I promise you will eventually find your own way on this beautiful journey you are on!
1. Find your creative style!
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a style you desire to be similar to. It took me years to figure out what my creative voice truly was meant to represent. I love light and airy just as much as dark and dramatic imagery however, my heart belongs to more raw and authentic moments that create a more in depth dramatic photograph. Your creative style goes beyond how light or dark your images are. How you edit, how you shoot in camera, the clothes you have clients wear, the time of day you shoot and location settings all go hand in hand with which style you want to portray within your work. Determine what you love most about what you do! Use those answers to guide you in determining what you should be utilizing within your business! It is okay to ask others for advice or seek out guidance from those you are inspired by but make sure you are utilizing their words or work in such a way that it truly represents who you are not who they are.
My best advice is EXPERIMENT… EXPERIMENT… EXPERIMENT!!! Break the rules! Try something new and if you don’t like it try again by approaching it differently. Your style will come alive when you put your own heart and soul into it. Also, if you’re scared to take that leap of faith and follow your own dream don’t be! If I let fear guide me I would have never gotten to this point in my career. Your clients, whether new or past will follow you wherever you go. You may loose a few along the way, but you will always gain new and they will truly appreciate what you are producing.
2. Work with purpose!
Find what your purpose is within your career! If you’re just showing up to pay your bills more power to you! Some days I feel that way, while other days I feel like my purpose is to empower others! To create memorable moments that will be cherished for a lifetime and through my example it may inspire others to do the same. Find your “why” and run with it! Ask yourself daily “Why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for?” Your answer will change and that is okay, but always have a purpose to cling to. If you don’t have purpose why bother even doing it… Not trying to be a negative Nancy over here but it is true! A life or work of art without a purpose is a life without a destination. Having a purpose within your business or life will help determine your daily, monthly and yearly actions within your creative voice. It will give you something to fight for and look forward to! Find your reason guys!
3. Don’t depend on others!
Don’t depend on others to define your voice. And lets be honest no one should have to do the work for you! Let your own values, beliefs and vision sculpt the masterpieces you create. As I said before it is okay to take advice from others as long as you are allowing your own heart to be the guide. At the end of the day you are the only one who can make a difference in your own life. At the end of the day YOU have to fight for what you want just like everyone else that has gotten somewhere in life has already done/or is doing. If you wait for someone else to do the work for you it will never happen.
Don’t get caught up in comparing your-self worth and your artistic abilities to others because at the end of the day we cannot see what happens behind the scenes. We were all made to do different things and to share our creative voices in a different light. Allow yourself to do what you were created to do and quit doubting yourself! Why? Because I believe that YOU can do whatever you put your mind to! And if I believe it so should you!
Now that you have a general idea on how to find your creative voice lets see what YOU can create! Find an editing, shooting and consistent style that makes your heart sing. Allow yourself to be amerced by all things you are inspired by and find a way to simply make it happen! Take that first step in the right direction and the following steps will be much easier!
