I recently signed up for probably the biggest challenge to date in my life.  If you couldn't already tell by the title of the blog, I signed up for a marathon.  The Disney Marathon on January 13, 2013 to be exact.    

My sister's best friend - who has practically been my 3rd sister for the past 21 years, talked me into it.  Well, to be exact she asked if I had any interest in running it with her and once I got the idea in my head I couldn't say no.  What can I say?  I like challenges.

I have never considered myself a runner, until now.  I was the girl in high school who nearly failed P.E. because I could barely make it around the mile track.  But, today running is my release.  It is a way for me to challenge myself, de-stress, sort out my thoughts, and to dream.  I love when I hit new milestones with speed or distance.  I can barely believe that I am running several days per week and increasing my mileage on a regular basis.  Mostly, I can't believe how much I love it.  I am now a runner.  

So with the help of my runner friends (who have all showed me so much love and support)  I have created a nice color coded spreadsheet for my work out and actually feel like this challenge is achievable.  Today I went my farthest distance since re-starting my running efforts last month, which was 4.66.  Just think...only 21.34 to go : )

I look forward sharing my journey with you - it's going to be a long one.  For now, I leave you with some of the images from my training thus far and of course my color coded spreadsheet.

As I previously mentioned I have spent a lot of time in this past year focused on who I am as a professional, as a photographer, and as a business.  During this process I have utilized a lot of different tools and activities to help me focus on questions about who I am and what is important to me.  One of the tools I used was a worksheet that prompted me to answer questions about myself and my photography business in areas such as my core, personal style, photographic style, strengths and target.  I think that these exercises are important for anyone to do regardless of what business you may be in because it helps give you a better picture of what it is you do and why you do it.  I figured I would share some of my answers, so today I will review the answers to the section on "my core".

•  Why are you a photographer?
  • I would have to say that I am a photographer because I love to capture the beauty of people in images.  Since I was in high school and began studying photography I have wanted to be a photographer.  I love to take pictures and I especially like taking pictures of people.  I would say that most photographers consider themselves artists, but for whatever reason I have never really resonated with this term.  Perhaps it was because both of my sisters were traditional artists and so I didn't feel like my photography was in the same category.  I consider myself to be an engineer of sorts, perhaps a photographic engineer, but I hesitate to say that because I do not want people to confuse that with a Photoshop engineer.  My focus is to create the best image in the camera by working with the subject.  I like to spend time with each individual focusing on increasing their confidence in front of the camera and posing them in ways that brings out the best images possible.  I love how it feels to have someone who says they are not photogenic or do not typically take good pictures fall in love with images of themself.  It gives a new sense of confidence within a person and that is priceless. 
•  What makes you excited to get up in the morning and get working?
  • This question is a difficult question because my days are so varied.  I currently work two days a week as a mental health counselor, providing individual therapy to college students.  On the other three days I focus on the photography and the business.  And on weekends I focus on family.  I suppose the question is geared towards the three days of photography though, so that's where the focus will be.  What gets me excited?  Hmmm.  Well, there are a lot of things, so I'm just going to say them all:  creating something new, working with clients, working with my makeup artist, going to the studio, checking things off my to do list, showing people their finished pictures, shooting, editing, researching, brainstorming, but especially getting one day closer to my goal - that's what really gets me excited. 
• What is the purpose of your business other than photography?
  • The purpose of my business other than photography is to make people feel beautiful inside and out.  I cannot stress what an integral part of my business this is.  My goal of each session is to make each individual that I work with walk away feeling absolutely beautiful - inside in out.  I hope everyone leaves with a greater sense of self, higher confidence, heightened sense of purpose, and increased ambition.  The experience is not just about the photographs - it is about you and getting a well-deserved day of pampering and a focus on beauty - the pictures are just a timeless reminder of this day.

Well, I hope that gives you a little more insight into who I am and what my business is about.  It sure made me think long and hard.  Regardless of what you do in your life, whether you work or are a stay at home mom (which is work!) - I would challenge you to answer these questions about yourself.  Why are you a [fill in the blank]?  What makes you excited to get up in the morning and get working?  What is the purpose of your business other than [fill in the blank]?  Feel free to comment and let me know what you learn about yourself.

Until next time.

(Photo credits to: Ryan G. Poirier and Caitlin Battersby)

In life, it sometimes seems impossible to move forward, or at least at the speed I like to go.  There are so many days where I feel like despite all I have on my to do list, the only thing that gets checked off would be the things added last minute and perhaps one or two small tasks.  Today, despite my daunting to do list, we had to take an unexpected trip to the doctors.  Luckily, my baby girl is just fighting  a bad ear infection, but having a 1 and half old home all day (especially when sick) definitely keeps things from getting done.  

It's days like these, that I especially need to keep life in perspective.  I have to continue to remind myself that things will get done in due time and that life is not a race.  My business may not grow at the pace I would like, but that I should be proud that I have a business and that I do something that inspires me and that I am passionate about.  I need to keep the overachiever in me at bay and just focus on being present with my children and my family, as they are the ones who need me most.  

This past year we have spent a lot of time trying to focus on family and what is important in our lives.  Focusing on health, fitness, and spending quality time together.  We don't always get to spend as much time together as we would always prefer, but we do try to make sure the time we do have is spent well.  Today in addition to taking the kids to the doctors and caring for my daughter I have managed to get a few important tasks taken care of during her nap (i.e. paying my sales tax, balancing the checkbook, paying company bills, and preparing client orders) - now any additional editing I get done is simply bonus.  I am not even going to trick myself into thinking I will have time to focus on marketing today because if I do I will only end up compromising the time I need to spend with my daughter while she is ill.  One day, she will be older and self sufficient and I will find a little more time on my plate, but I am not at all ready for that day and do not want to speed time.  

As I sit here writing this I can't help but think of the irony of my mother's own recent setback.  My parents just went on a trip to Scotland and Iceland and only a few days into the trip my mother slipped and fractured her ankle very badly.  She had to have surgery today and they fly home tomorrow - cutting their trip very short.  It will probably be 6 months before she is healed which seems like a major set back in so many ways.  I hope that instead, it gives her the break she has been needing (no pun intended) and allows other people around her to take care of her for a change.  

I guess my thinking is a little all over the place today, but the main thought that I want to put out there is how important it is to slow down and be present in our lives.  Sometimes when we don't slow down on our own, life may slow things down for us - and when that does happen instead of letting the anxiety of due dates and task lists get the best of us, I hope we can all just sit back and take life in.  

That's all from me today.