Last summer I had the most amazing clients, every week I was in the studio with new babies and families. The weekends were spent photographing weddings, Sundays were uploading and double saving images and editing…every spare moment went to editing. While on vacation I answered phone messages, emails, chatted with brides and made sure we had the details we needed. In short, it was pure madness. Career wise is a success. Clients coming out of my ears and mazing clients who I loved photographing.
On the family side of things I sucked. if you asked my kids what we did last summer they will tell you we went to PEI and we watched tv because Mom was working.
This is the conundrum I have been facing for 14 years. How do you balance being a good mother while running a business? I have been self employed since Charles was a baby (and this kid is turning 12 this year!) and I have felt myself struggling between the ambitious working goals and satisfaction that only motherhood can bring.
I love my work. It has allowed me to work in the cracks of my children’s lives, given me a creative outlet, and introduced this chatty introvert to amazing people who have turned into friends. I truthfully enjoy a full calendar, having something to look forward and work towards.
Last summer the scale slipped the wrong way. I said yes, too many times and booked what I could. Only to regret how the summer became a hot sticky blur. The fire pit we bought for family evening was never used once. The planned picnic recipes were never made and I realized that September had arrived without me purchasing a single pencil.
Summer of 2018 is a slow summer with only a few special clients. I will still be taking pictures but rather my favourite subjects…the ones who taught me to love photography and the reason why I feel it is so important. For the first time in over 6 years I will be taking my camera along, grabbing it to capture them. Like below when my girls were experiencing running through a sprinkler for the first time ever. When my schedule has been so full I didn’t want to photograph or edit anything else, a bit of the cobbler’s child happening in our household.
This will be a slow summer, with a few little adventures, a whole lotta memories because before I know it, it will be time to buy pencils again.
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