Living and working from the heart

So this is it. This is my last Roots of She post. I’ve been hemming and hawing for days over what I should write for this final post. I wanted it to be meaningful. I wanted it to sum up who I am and what I believe and how grateful I’ve been for this time with you. I wanted it to be the blog post to end all blog posts.

As you can imagine, this was paralyzing. Every time I sat down to write the post, I stared at the screen, my mind a-buzzing…”WhatshouldIwrite? WhatshouldIwrite? WhatshouldIwrite?”

And then I had to slap some sense into myself. (Don’t worry. No photographers named Darrah were harmed in the writing of this blog post.)

But seriously, when it came down to it, I realized that the only person putting pressure on me was ME. In an effort to put my best self forward, my best self went into hiding.

If I have learned anything over the course of my time writing on my blog, taking photos, and starting a business, it’s that the best place to start is from the heart. Every time I try to be something that I’m not or try to create “the ultimate” thing, two things happen. One, I never get the desired results. And two, I feel like a big ol’ fraud.

When I started thinking about starting my own photography business, I thought that it had to be done a “certain” way. I looked at other photographer’s websites, took notes, oohed and ahhhed over how professional and fancy-pants they all looked, and ended up feeling so anxious at the prospect of having to compete with them, the “real” photographers. The thought made me sick to my stomach because A) I just couldn’t compete with them and B) Their way didn’t feel authentic to me.

When it was time to launch my business, I did the only thing I knew how to do: I was myself. Instead of pretending to be fancy-pants, I shared my process. I shared my story. I shared my hopes and fears. And in between, I shared my photography. That’s the way that felt authentic to me. As long as it was coming from the heart, I knew I was on the right track.

So now it’s time to practice what I preach. As I sit here, staring at my computer, wanting to give you the blog post to end all blog posts, all I can do is be me and speak from the heart. And here is what my heart wants to say:

Thank you. Thank you, Jenn, for inviting me into the tribe as you launched your own dream. Thank you for giving me the space to be me and to share my passion. Thank you, dear readers, for showing up, taking the time to read what I write, and sharing your own experiences.

And thank you in advance for being you and living from your heart. I promise you it will never lead you astray.

{Even though this is my last “official” post for Roots of She, we’re not really saying goodbye. You’re always welcome to come hang out in my neck of the internet, follow me on Twitter, or sign up for my photography e-course, the Slice of Life Project. See you around the neighborhood!}