Creatives work with me because I help them learn how to create what they want with less stress, CONFIDENCE, and tons more fun. I believe that the combination of these three makes achieving our dream much more enjoyable. I know how to do all this work because I practice what I preach coach.
I have a program and a webinar that I’m launching and I recently took a break from that and my daily life to enjoy a trip to Caddo Lake in East Texas with my husband and some friends. There is so much I could have been stressed out about. I could have let self doubt creep in. And, I could have prevented myself from having the fun I really wanted. Here’s what I did to coach myself through it all:
LESS STRESS: There really is so much I could be stressed about in my life: money, my kids, launching my webinar and program, business, etc. And, 2 days before my trip I took on a new project. Making arrangements and packing for a trip can also be super stressful if I let it. And I don’t love starting a fun trip in a stressful way.
The thing about stress is that I know I show up terribly when I’m feeling it. So, when I feel my stress level rising, I do a few things. The best thing I can do is notice how stress feels in my body and that’s my cue to stop, take some deep breaths (or other exercise) and check in with my brain. I ask myself what I’m thinking that’s causing me to feel this way. I felt this while I was madly packing and discovered I was thinking 2 things:
- I’m not going to get this done “in time”.
- I should have done this earlier.
Neither of these is really helpful for me! I reminded myself that I always get my packing done and that rushing can actually make things worse. And, I also reminded myself that I made decisions to do other things instead of packing and I was ok with that (remember the last minute new project?). Whew! I felt less stressed almost instantly – even while running around packing!
CONFIDENCE: As a nature photographer I rely on unpredictable conditions to do my work. This was absolutely the case on this trip. Caddo lake is sort of famous in my photography community for having moments of awesome morning fog/mist that makes for some pretty awesome images. When I have those conditions I know I’m going to come away with something I love and make the trip feel “worth it”.
But, what to do when the weather doesn’t cooperate? I have learned I can TRUST myself to find something interesting to photograph (without stressing about it) and/or just soak in the experience of being in a beautiful place. I literally remind myself of this every time I start a trip. I also remind myself that I’m confident I’ll come away with at least 1 image I like because I always do!
MORE FUN: Who doesn’t want to have more fun? I know fun looks different for everyone. And it also looks different for me depending on the trip/moment, etc. On this trip I knew fun would look like enjoying my photography, not stressing about the details (like the cold weather), putting aside what I’m doing in my business (including sharing on social media), and just being present in the moment.
I know I can be cold and not complain. I know I can enjoy the process of creative experimentation without “needing” to create work that’s portfolio worthy (but I welcome it!). I know I my business will be waiting for me when I return and I know I can trust myself to make decisions about my time that will help it move forward. I know I can be present, handle any hiccups that arise while I build relationships and friendships that last. And that’s FUN!!!!
And because of all this, I’m thrilled with how my trip turned out! I have images I love and beautiful memories untainted by stress and self doubt all created with my thoughts (and wonderful people, of course).
Remember that webinar I mentioned? It’s FREE and it’s all about building confidence as a creative. I’ll be sharing some personal experiences as I’ve created my own confidence and teach you how to do it too. Register HERE.
(this means it’s unedited)
P.S. Shout out to my husband, Taylor, for wrangling the kayaks and to my friends/photographers that joined me: Jean Barrett, Aaron Martinez, Alex Armitage and Nathan Fish. Let’s do it again!
Looks like a really fun trip! But I have a practical question… how were you able to keep your feet dry getting in and out of the kayak?
Oooh! This was probably the trickiest part of the whole affair. The answer is VERY CAREFULLY! Sometimes we pushed each other and sometimes we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. I think only one person got one shoe wet on one day. I’m glad it wasn’t too difficult to figure out in the end:)