{ Love Me } -- Mesa, AZ Photographer

{ Love Me }

As a photographer, your heart wants to scream out to others:

"Please love my work!"

"Please like my Facebook page and read my blog!"

"Please choose me!"

"Please find joy in viewing my work!"

There's something so wonderful about sharing your heart and gift with the world and having people respond back in a positive way. I know it blesses each of us as photographers and as artists.

But is it just me or is it sometimes easy to get too focused on whether or not people like your work and not stay focused on your love and passion for what you do?

I'm talking to you other photographers out there.

And I'm talking to myself, too.

Right now, I'm enjoying the busy season--I'm booking a lot of sessions.

But there are times { when it's not busy season } that it's tempting for me to question my work when people aren't responding as much as they are right now.

I know that I am not alone.

I've heard other photographers say, "I'm not as good enough, so I'm quitting."

Wait! Throw on the brakes! What?!

I realized long ago, that I love this dream too much to let it go, no matter how I feel. Emotions come and go, but passion lives on.

Even though I sometimes get in that funky rut, I fight it off with a vengeance because I know that validation should always come from experiencing joy in what I do and not from the outside. Sure, it's great to have people love my work--it feels amazing when people find joy in what I do. I'm sure that you feel the same way too. You delight when people love what you're pouring out from your heart, through your camera and into your pictures.

But even when the crowd is gone and the band has gone home....can you still hear the sweet chords of music playing from your camera? Can you still hear the song from inside stirring your heart to want to capture the world in all it's beauty and to capture the magic in and between people?

I sure hope you do.

I do.

It keeps me moving forward during these easy times that I'm experiencing right now and it keeps me moving forward during the hard times too.

Stand on that empty stage and sing the song you were meant to sing.

Stand and sing even if no one is listening....

...because in time, they will.

And in the meantime, you'll be doing what you love the most.

Hope this encourages those of you who are feeling discouraged tonight.

I believe in you and am applauding you.