It’s 2:15 am on the day before posting. I can’t sleep. My brain is tired, but I can’t seem to fall asleep. But I guess that’s how this year has kind of gone. If it’s not one thing it’s another. If it’s not a pandemic, it’s a natural disaster, struggling businesses, a protest or a hate crime. If it’s not a lack of motivation, it’s a lack of sleep. This year has been overwhelming, hasn’t it? Alleviating the weight of a difficult season of life is getting harder and harder for a lot of people. Before I get into how my May was, I just want to acknowledge that. A lot of us are hurting, afraid, struggling, and even though none of us are alone, we often feel lonely. I don’t have any words of wisdom that will take it away. All I can say is your pain is valid, fear is a normal response to everything happening, struggles don’t last forever, and I see you, person who feels lonely. I get it. What our communities need is love and connection. With whatever energy you’ve got, do what you can to love someone today. Then do it again tomorrow and the next day. If you are doing alright, reach out to someone who is lonely, struggling, afraid or hurting. Let’s be the rising tide that lifts all boats.
With that, let’s explore the adventure of May. It wasn’t terribly exciting.
TEACHING
Some of you may know I am now offering educational sessions. Whether you want to learn Adobe software, a new camera, a little about lighting, I can help you with that. I offer two sessions, a 90-minute session for $150, and a two-hour session for $200. As I open up this new branch of business, I am practicing my teaching skills on my boyfriend, Glenn. He is himself an instructor and has been giving me good feedback on how to present information. On our last trip out, I taught him about exposure and a little bit about composition. Here is what he created:
SARAH + MATTHEW’S ENGAGEMENT SESSION
I am smitten with these two! They are such a lovely couple, and they are so much fun to work with! We had to work around the pandemic a bit and were very careful about social distancing, but I was very happy with how these turned out!
RETURN OF MY MOTIVATION
Goodness. It took a while, but my motivation has returned to me! I am so grateful. Making myself work every week was really tough. Sometimes that happens. I started being diligent about setting goals every week, and setting out to meet those. Included in my motivational tasks are things like working out, tracking my moods, drinking enough water, taking a quiet time on a regular basis. One skill I’ve learned as a small business owner is how to get back on the motivational horse. Using small tasks like I’ve listed above, as well as including a bit of a treat in my daily schedule, even if it’s something I regularly do, like make coffee. Sometimes it just takes that one little part of your routine, or even something extra, to kickstart your day. If you’re struggling with motivation, start setting daily goals, and pick a kickstarter, the thing that gets you moving for the day.
2020 has been a mess and we are all navigating it together. So much has changed and it’s been difficult for all of us. I hope that by continuing to write my monthly updates, people reading this can find some encouragement and pick up a few new ways to help them keep going. If there is anything I can do to encourage you or help you out during this difficult time, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to connect, not just make money.
Cheers,
Emma