January Recap :: New Art and Paint With Me on YouTube

Why does January always feel like it stretches out forever? I know it’s not everyone’s favorite month, but I do always look forward to this time of year. I enjoy settling into a more quiet rhythm of life. It feels like a non-stop marathon of THINGS TO DO between the start of school in early September through the flurry of the holidays. Time stretches out a bit wider and further in front of us through January. It might make you feel a bit restless. I invite you to settle into it.

Find Your Sacred Flow

I love that this is the card I pulled today. Finding your sacred flow can mean a lot of things . For me, it means finding my pace of creating art, my pace of living, and honoring it. My sacred flow is slower than it used to be. It’s more flexible and lighthearted. It’s more playful. It’s allowing the creativity to flow through me, through art, through my words, and trusting that I don’t have to know where I’m going at all times.

This means…

Trusting my intuition.

Growing more comfortable with saying no.

Committing to my art and making time to play, explore and evolve.

Enjoying being myself, as I am in any moment, be it serious, silly, thoughtful, sad, curious, introverted, extroverted, energetic, sleepy…

I’m done with fighting against the current of my soul. I am moving with it, embodying my whole self, and enjoying the ride.

January Recap

For a slower month, January was full of good things. It started with prepping and hanging 12 pieces of art at Balance Massage and Wellness Center here in Newington, CT. My art will be on display there through the end of March 2022.

Click through to see the virtual gallery:

I made four new pieces of art that I am in love with for many different reasons. I painted my first big painting, which is 24”x36”. I made a new digital artwork for the first time since last June. Then I painted two smaller pieces, two days in a row. Each piece woke up something new and exciting in me. I am finding my style and voice as an artist, which is an incredible feeling.

Click on each image to pop out and see bigger:

I hit record last week on my 4th painting, and got a new process video up on YouTube! I was hoping to do this with my big painting, but I wasn’t well prepared for how long the painting would take and how to capture that scale of a project. So I’m taking baby steps back into the painting video world, instead of biting off more than I can chew at this point. I hope you give it a watch, subscribe, and hit the thumbs up! I plan to do these at least every other week going forward.

In addition to all of that, I am planning on a shop update later this week, as I have about 16 new pairs of painted earrings almost ready to go! So keep an eye out for the date and time, which I’ll share across my social feeds, and get ready to shop some wildly funky new pieces!

Thanks for catching up with me here! Wherever you are, I hope you have a beautiful week!

Shannon Sorensen is a self-taught contemporary abstract expressionist painter based in Newington, Connecticut, specializing in vibrant artwork that evokes feelings of places you have seen in person or in dreams, inspired by music, poetry, memories and meditations. Fine art prints of select works are available through her art store, and shop other printed home goods and accessories at Pixels.com.

Follow more of Shannon’s day to day creative living on Instagram.

Check out painting and creative living videos on Youtube.

All In a Day's Work :: Life as a Full Time Artist Working at Home with Kids

Abstract Expressive Art, Artist Shannon Sorensen, Connecticut Artist, Working at Home with Kids

I used to observe people who were working from home and/or running their own full-time businesses and think, “It must be nice to do what they do. It doesn’t look hard or annoying, they get to work from home, they must have such an easy life…”

Umm…not so much, 2012 me…

It was easy to think that way, on the outside looking in. And I still catch myself when someone I’ve followed for a long time shows a bit more beyond the surface…

Everyone’s reality is faaaar from what we see on social media.

As an artist, working at home and spending every day with my kids, I honestly don’t know what my life looks like. I try to share an honest glimpse at my days - the good and the bad. There’s always a balance of “being real”, and wanting to market myself and my work as inspiring and beautiful.

But there’s laundry on the floor, toys strewn about, and plenty of coffee mugs and empty seltzer cans on my desk and bedside table. I will never pretend that my home is some minimalist, tidy image. It’s “well lived in”. It’s where I spend every single day, working and parenting and hanging out with my main squeeze of 19 years.

As I said in my Creativity Pep Talk last week, everyone has different journeys, different spaces, different families and relationships and work styles. We cannot compare what we see on the surface of someone else’s life, to the ins and outs of our own journey, experiences, and circumstances.

No one’s life is easy and glamorous. I think the more we share some of the struggle, the better off we all are in learning to be more empathetic and kind humans. When Chrissy Teigan and Meghan Markle shared so openly about their pregnancy losses this year, I felt deeply connected to their experiences, having been through similar. I saw so many comments about how they were oversharing, but because they shared, we better understand and remember that at the core, being royalty or living “the dream life”, doesn’t keep you from experiencing real pain and grief.

We all have good days and bad days. We all have days we work our asses off, and days we need to slow down. Whether you’re making millions of dollars or growing a side hustle to put food on the table, no one ever sees the full picture. We can only have grace with ourselves and try to have more understanding and compassion, less judgement and comparison.

It’s all in how you frame your perspective.

the glimpse of my day that you see is not the whole picture.

Yesterday, I shared three new paintings I had created. They are smaller, 4x6 acrylics on canvas, which took me about 3 hours to make.

I started wondering if people saw my post and thought “Wow, it must be nice to only spend 3 hours a day working.” I worry every day that the fact that I work at home somehow translates to “She only works 3 hours a day. It must be so easy and fun.”

It is and it isn’t. We all work. Many of us who work for ourselves find our days following a less traditional schedule, but it doesn’t change the fact that work is work. We’re constantly moving the needle forward in different ways. I am working towards every single sale to put food on our table and keep a roof over our heads.

My three small paintings took 3 hours to create, but in that time, I had to pause to sit down over Google Meet for a parent teacher conference. I had to pause to help Lily check her math practice sheets and help her work through some problems. I was thinking about all the art I need to add to my website so I can start meeting higher sales goals each month.

I squeezed in picking up the canvas from another artist in town after picking up Lily from school. I have been watching videos and taking classes for my art, learning new techniques, practicing different styles, messing up a lot and working through creative blocks.

I’m working around naps and remote learning, snacks and bathroom breaks. I’m weighing the pros and cons of my kids begging for an outdoor playdate with a friend after spending so much time inside at home this winter, while I watch the sunlight quickly changing and fading each afternoon, my opportunities to paint in my optimal lighting and creative energy feeling the pressure of time slipping away.

As an artist, I am joyfully creating, and I am working to support my family.

A lot of the stuff I do behind the scenes doesn’t make it to social media, because it’s “boring”. It’s what I call the “Work-Work”. This includes making podcast episodes (writing, recording, editing, publishing), Youtube videos (recording, editing, writing and publishing), planning and posting and engaging on social media, managing my finances, client inquiries and relationships, marketing, shipping art…I never work “just 3 hours a day”.

For the one picture I share with the world, there’s a lot more happening around it throughout the day.

Work at Home Life, Work at Home Mom, Realistic Schedule Working at Home, Self Employed, Full Time Artist

What does my day typically look like?

A few weeks ago, I started using time blocking as a way to simplify and focus on what really needs to get done each day for my business, my family, and for me.

I used to try to plan every day down to the minute, thinking it would make me more productive. It was actually just really overwhelming and I would get distracted, lose focus, and nothing would get done.

I created a time blocking printable - give it a try!

Every day is different, so time blocking gives me the flexibility I need to hyper focus on my priorities, which include my work and parenting. Roo is home with me every day (we plan to start him in pre-K in the fall), and Lily is still doing remote days on Wednesdays, so I divide my days into 4 main blocks.

Morning 1 - 6:30-9:30am

We are waking up, getting showered and dressed, having breakfast, getting ready for school, dropping off at school, and getting settled into the day. We all know what we need to do in the morning, so I don’t plan it down to the minute. We are all home and getting ready in the morning and have established a pretty fluid routine.

Morning 2 - 9:30-11:30am

Sean leaves for work, and I’m settling into my workday. I sit down and do a 5-minute brain dump to clear my head and reflect on how I feel, and what I want and need to get done in the day ahead. From my brain dump, I prioritize my top three needs, and I do those things first. These things may be:

  • responding to clients and inquiries

  • writing a blog post or creating graphics for my website and social media

  • writing, recording, editing and publishing a podcast episode

  • adding new art and listings to my shop, and sharing them out to Pinterest, social media and my email list

  • filming, editing, and posting new videos to my creative living channel on Youtube

  • working on tracking sales and finances

  • writing my weekly email newsletters

I try to focus on one general area of my work that I can complete in that time. Roo plays independently, watches some PBS Kids. There are days I forgo working in the morning so we can go for a walk, play, or do learning activities together. I am massively grateful for this flexibility in my life since this is a temporary time we get to spend together.

Midday Break - 11:30am-1pm

This break is for lunch, and doing some personal things around the house. Working from home is a constant mental battle of knowing that there’s laundry, dishes, appointments to make, grocery orders and meal planning…This midday break allows me to eat, breathe, stretch, and do those things that take up mental space. Knowing I have this time set aside allows me to better focus on work and other priorities throughout the day.

Work at Home Life Blog Post Graphic.jpg

Afternoon 1 - 1pm-3pm

This is my golden time block for creativity. I spend this time painting, drawing coloring pages, or finishing up podcast or Youtube episodes. I try to do more of the podcast and Youtube work at the beginning of the week, so by Wednesday, I can spend my afternoons drawing and painting when more people are home from work and school.

Thankfully, at this time, Roo still naps most days during this block of time. Play hard, nap hard.

Afternoon 2 - 3pm-6pm

I wake Roo from his nap and we hustle out to the car to go pick up Lily from school. Once she’s in the car, we run any errands (like grocery pickups and Buy Nothing exchanges), and head home. On nice days, we might stop at a playground for some fresh air and playtime. Again, I’m grateful for the flexibility to make these decisions based on what’s on my plate and what my kids need. While they’re running around outside, I might listen to a podcast or pop into Clubhouse, make an Instagram post, and spend some time engaging on social media to stay active and relevent.

This block of time is the most flexible depending on the day, the weather, if Lily has ballet class, and if it’s a day we’re all home (my husband is home Wednesdays and Fridays). Generally, the kids are playing and have “free” time, while I’m wrapping up tasks that might take another hour or so. We’re cleaning up the house, doing any extra practice homework or reading, changing laundry, and getting ready for dinner.

Evening 6pm-10pm

The kids shower and put on pjs while I’m making dinner. We sit down together to eat, sometimes in front of the tv, depending on what’s for dinner and how many of us are home (Friday nights are always homemade pizza and family movie night). While I’m making dinner, I like to watch painting or business videos on Youtube on my iPad. The kids watch a little tv or play some video games if they get their jammies on quickly enough. Our family style is pretty laid back and it works well for us. I don’t fret over small stuff. It’s how I keep my sanity and enjoy motherhood.

After dinner, we head upstairs for bedtime. Some nights bedtime takes an hour. I am always incredibly tired by this point in the evening, but I enjoy reading to the kids, talking about their day, answering their “what is the meaning of life” questions and giving them some snuggles. I sing them a few bedtime songs, and it’s lights out.

I finish up cleaning up, dishes and laundry (which usually stays in a pile on the chair or in a basket in our room), Sean gets home from work around 9, and we chat and watch tv or play some video games, and go to bed. I usually watch a show or two before going to sleep (currently rewatching Brooklyn 99). Most nights, I stay up later than I should. I keep saying I’ll start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier to give myself more time for myself, but I haven’t made that change of habit yet.

That’s a pretty typical day in my life! Some days are more productive. Some days are crazy and stressful as a mom. Some days are pretty chill and enjoyable.

It’s definitely a balance, and while I know that what I share to social media is a small slice of my work and my day, I know there are many fellow artists, small business owners and entrepreneur friends going through similar days, finding ways to get stuff done around kids, and constantly changing plans and needs.

If you’re ever scrolling and find yourself thinking “Wow, their life must be so fun and easy.” - just take a moment and remember that there’s more than meets the eye.

We’re all trying to remember to eat and drink water.

Some of us have strict routines that never change. Some of us are constantly tweaking and working around changing household schedules.

Some of us have more appointment heavy days, some of us have more flexibility (which can be difficult to stay on task).

Some people have a lot of support of family, friends, neighbors. Some can afford assistants and house cleaners. Some are making it work solo.

Every person’s day to day experience varies in work, home life, parenting, relationships, spirituality, physical and mental wellness, and a million other things…

We’re doing our best to do more of what we love, while enjoying time with our loved ones. We do what we can to slow down, prioritize what means most to us, and maybe share a sliver of that with the world. Most of us artists, small businesses and entrepreneurs know and value the satisfaction and joy of doing work that we’re passionate about, to balance out our unique struggles.

No one’s perfect. The fantasy that we perceive is just that - a fantasy. There’s actually blood, sweat, tears, tantrums, timeouts, dirty laundry, burnt dinner, spilled milk, and a whole lot of grace going on behind the scenes of that Instagram feed.

My dad used to sell bumper stickers at his fishing store that said “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at the office.” And it’s the dang truth.

Do more of what you love, prioritize yourself and your people, and no matter what the reality of your day looks like, life is, indeed, good.

Shannon Sorensen is a Connecticut-based artist with a passion for abstract, expressive painting, and encouraging fellow creatives to do more of what they love! Subscribe to her podcast, Youtube, and weekly emails for a hearty dose of creative inspiration and encouragement each week.

Embrace The Powerful Lioness :: New Art and Creative Studio Update

Hey, friend, what are you missing this week?

Three things I miss, in no particular order, are: ice cream from our favorite local shop, trips to the playground with the kids, and our weekly family breakfast outings. We're in a pretty good groove, but those little things I miss will be that much sweeter once we can enjoy them again! Especially the playground. My kids are restless to get out more and run around. Thankfully, sunny, warmer days are ahead!

A couple weeks ago, a dear friend of mine gave me an incredible message - she challenged me to look at areas of my life where I'm playing it small, shrinking myself into neat little boxes for the sake of feeling comfortable and safe.

It was a really powerful conversation that left me spinning. I'm so grateful for these friends who aren't afraid to ask these questions that feel uncomfortable at the time. That's how we get to the good stuff, by digging our hands into the dirt, to feel around where we're rooted and make sure we're giving ourselves the space to not only grow, but blossom and be magnificent.

And she told me "You've been playing the part of a mouse, but you're a freaking lioness."

(she didn't say 'freaking')

And I felt it in the depth of my soul to be true.

I have been telling myself that if I want to be an artist or otherwise creative person, I have to be ok with making art, but not money, to stay small and unknown and struggling. I have been telling myself for years not to “bother” people with trying to sell my work and my services.

I let that voice run free in my head for so long, I started to believe it, and live it. Yikes.

I was scared to sell! I thought that talking about my services would annoy people. I told myself that if they wanted to buy something or hire me, they'd come to me when they were ready.

Typical Libra. :P

Like a marshmallow Peep in a microwave, I was making a real mess of myself on the inside.

So, I decided to get off the struggle bus, and start actually telling you more about what I'm working on, let you know what's new for products and services, and let go of that mouse-like fear.

Bless and release.

Moving forward, I'm a powerful lioness. I encourage you to ask yourself that same question my friend asked me. How are you playing it small and holding yourself back? What have you been telling yourself to keep yourself small and safe and comfortable?

With staying at home the past two months due to Covid-19, unable to do my typical photography work with newborns and families (and losing my main source of income - terrifying), I've had a lot of time to think about the work I've done for the past 10 years, and how I want to move forward, with so much uncertainty in the world. I love being a photographer, but the simple truth is that right now, the world is different, and I can't work the way I have for so long.

So, I joined Patreon!

Patreon is a platform for creators to do their creative work and get paid, by offering exclusive content and rewards to their biggest fans who invest in a monthly tiered subscription.

Why support a creator on Patreon?

Chances are, you've had access to an incredible amount of free content from creators you follow and love. From Youtube videos to podcasts, blog posts and art, creatives want to share their work. Art is healing, and inspiring, and entertaining. For many, they're passing on knowledge and free education. For many of us, the arts are tied to the very blood pumping through our hearts. It keeps us going, especially in difficult times.

You might already be investing monthly in content that you enjoy and consume: Disney+, NPR, Netflix, organizations that work to make the world better...When you love something and want more of it, you pledge and invest!

By pledging a monthly membership to a creative's Patreon feed, you're choosing to support the work they've already put out into the world, and the work that they are currently making, and will make in the future.

And for about the cost of one fancy cup of coffee per month, you can become an Official Patron of my creative work!

What will your investment go towards? Three main creative projects:

My first goal is to produce one new episode of Creative, Happy Life every week. Entertainment, inspiration, knowledge and education that takes time, planning, and work to produce.

My second goal is to make more art - digital and physical - to inspire you and brighten your day! I plan to use Society6 as my platform for selling, but even if you don't want to purchase something there, your Patreon membership supports the creation of the art!

And my third goal, and maybe my biggest goal, is to write a book. I have a particular story in mind, and honestly, besides that, I have no idea what I'm doing. But this goal in particular will be a process I share only through Patreon, with progress updates, excerpts, maybe a read aloud here and there, and an exclusive inside look at the process from start to finish. I haven't started yet, but the time has come!

Becoming a Patron is an investment in the process.

I have started with offering 3 tiers to choose from to make a monthly pledge, each with a unique set of rewards.

Check it out, and consider it an investment, not only in me and the work I have been doing and sharing for 10 years, but the work that I will create going forward. Patreon gives creatives more time and freedom to create, which is a beautiful thing!

Keep Calm and Get Creative :: Tips for Working From Home, At Home Learning Plans and Resources, and 96 Activity Ideas for Kids and Adults

Welcome! If you’re here from Pinterest, I’m a Connecticut-based artist, podcaster and creative mama of two littles. Thanks for visiting!

I originally recorded this podcast episode, and created these printables in March 2020, when we were just learning about Coronavirus/Covid-19 and figuring out what quarantining and remote learning would be like.

Creative Happy Life Podcast Episode 5

Keep Calm and Get Creative

Episode 5 of the Creative Happy Life podcast was recorded on Thursday, March 12 2020, and is all about:

  • tips for people who will be working from home, possibly for the first time

  • ideas and resources for learning activities to do with your kids

  • encouragement for how to tend to your own mental wellness, and perhaps coping and finding calm through creativity

Episode Overview

00:00 Intro

03:00 Practical tips for working from home (also outlined below)

19:42 Practical tips for having your kids home and continuing learning (scroll down for more resources and ideas in this post)

31:05 Self care and using creative interests and hobbies to cope with stress, anxiety, boredom (scroll down for more ideas)

Show Notes

It’s kind of weird and wild out there right now, friends, and if you are making plans to work from home, or having your kids home from school, or BOTH - I recorded this episode to give you some tips. Click the player above to listen, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts to listen on your phone or devices.

As someone who has worked from home AND have done so with one or two kids home at the same time, I would like to offer you some reassurance that all will be well.

With a little planning, patience, and flexibility, we’ll get through this time of weird uncertainty.

Here’s a guide of sorts so you can navigate this post and find what you’re looking for:

  1. Tips for working from home

  2. Ideas and learning resources for keeping your kids home

  3. Ideas and activities to do with kids, your family, roommate, partner, or solo to Keep Calm & Get Creative.

Tips for working from home:

Many Americans are gearing up to work from home for a week, two weeks, or indefinitely, while we ride out the Covid-19, and hopefully flatten the curve of spreading the virus. Even those with jobs that aren’t ever done from home (like my husband’s) are figuring out alternative plans. This is far from ‘business as usual”, so here are a couple tips that you may find helpful in staying productive and mentally stimulated:

  1. Create your workspace. This might be a spare bedroom with a door you can shut, a desk in the corner of a playroom or even your kitchen table. Set up where you think you will be most productive and focused. Make sure you have Internet, remote logins, a way to make calls, and any paperwork or files you’ll need.

  2. Keep to a daily routine. Stick to a schedule that’s as close as your normal schedule as possible. Set your alarm, get up and shower, get dressed, make some breakfast. If you typically go to the gym first thing, find an enjoyable at-home workout video to do instead. Keep your body moving and healthy.

  3. Designate household duty time. One of the biggest distractions from working from home is trying to get housework done (since you’re already home). Designate time that you would normally be commuting for putting a load of laundry in, emptying the dishwasher, or taking out the trash, and then be done with it. Making the mindset shift from “being at home” to “working at home” is important to productivity.

  4. Communicate your plan to your family/roommates/friends. Whether you have a set schedule to log in and work, or a more open-ended to-do list, communicate with those who you share a space with so expectations are clear, and work together to avoid distractions as best you can.

  5. Be flexible. Nothing about this time is normal, and everyone is doing their best to figure it out and keep moving forward. Have patience, keep communications with your team open and honest, and give it your best!

  6. Connect with coworkers or a friend to check in with each other. Especially due to social distancing, it’s no fun feeling closed off to others, and one of my biggest struggles working from home is missing having coworkers or other adults to talk to. Make a daily phone date with a friend or colleague to check in and catch up.

  7. Get some fresh air. Take at least one break that involves going for a walk or getting outside for some fresh air. This of course, depends on your neighborhood and your comfort level with potential crowds or neighbors, but even stepping out on a balcony and saying hello to a neighbor or some squirrels will be good for your brain.

  8. Finish your day and be done. It’s easy to lose track of time working from home, and to just….keep….going….Set your scheduled time to finish, shut down your laptop, turn off your phone, and spending time with your family, make a good meal, watch a show or movie, and get some sleep.

Shop Printable Coloring Pages

Free Activity Apps (or Mostly Free)

Insight Timer - Meditation for Sleep and Anxiety, guided meditations for all ages, music and stories to help you sleep, courses. Choose based on your needs, or search by the amount of time you desire or want to spend meditating.

Go Noodle - Lily told me they use this at school to get up and sing and dance. It looks fun!

Cosmic Kids Yoga - Interactive adventures in yoga, mindfulness and relaxation for kids.

Share the Happy!

Was this post helpful to you? Share the link, pin some images, or leave a comment! Use the hashtag #keepcalmandgetcreative and share activities you’re doing to pass the time. Who knows, you might inspire someone to try something new!

The Creative Happy Life Podcast Episode 4 :: I'm Not a Creative Person

It’s time for episode four of the Creative, Happy Life Podcast!

I’m trying something new this week with producing weekly micro-episodes - this one is just 5 minutes! I will still occasionally produce longer episodes where there’s reason for more narrative or a guest/interview, but I am excited to create these “audio snacks” you can enjoy on a quick errand run, in the bathroom (no shame, we all have our longer “sits”), getting dressed in the morning, or on a quick coffee break!

Join me on Instagram after you’ve listened to keep the conversation going, make new friends, and celebrate living a happier, more creative life!

LISTEN HERE OR ON APPLE PODCASTS:

Creative Happy Life Podcast, Creativity Quotes, Everyone is Creative, Podcast About Creativity, New Podcast, Podcast Art, podcast host Shannon Sorensen

Show Notes

Episode 04

Have you ever been talking to someone, and they say “I’m not a creative person”. Whenever someone says that to me, it just makes me sad, I want to give them a hug and look them in their eyes and say “Yes! Actually you are!!

We need to stop thinking of creativity under the umbrella of talent and skill and final products. Creativity comes in so many forms.

Anywhere you bring your own unique perspective into the world to get something done, you are using creativity. If you take a minute to think about it, I bet you can think of at least one thing in your life that you enjoy that is creative.

Creativity is everywhere, in every day. It’s not in our skills and abilities, but in our curiosity and playfulness. It’s in the trying. And the more creativity we use, the more we have. Ideas evolve, we practice, we try, and try again, maybe not because we are looking for any particular result, but because we just enjoy the process of trying.

Think of the feeling you get when you pick up a paintbrush or a colored pencil or a pen, and touch it to paper. Or when you pick up a hammer and start piecing together a project for your home. Or a wooden spoon and your favorite jar of spice to cook a meal for your family. Think of how it feels to be doing something, making something, that wasn’t there before.

We tend to think of creativity in the way of art and music, so many people write themselves off as not being creative because what they do doesn’t pertain to art. But creativity is more than art, and it’s everywhere. If you’re using materials or your brain, to bring something into the world that wasn’t there before, you are creative.

To create means to bring something into existence. To cause something to happen as a result of one’s actions.

As different as each and every brain that has existed, in billions of different moments, locations and experiences, there are endless possibilities when it comes to being creative. No two people will ever make, or paint, or coach, or cook, or write, or build or play, or perform, or think the same way

Because being a creative person is not only seeing the world differently, but having the courage to explore how you see it. To try something new, in a new way, out of curiosity or inspiration. Creativity is where the reality of your experience meets the playfulness of your  imagination. It has the power to help you express yourself, in whatever way you want, with your unique toolbox consisting of your voice, brain, skills, talent, curiosity, imagination and heart.

So if you ever catch yourself thinking, I’m not a creative person, I hope you take a moment, and really think about all the ways you really are, every single day, in all the things that you do.

Creativity is everywhere, it’s just a matter of how you see it.

Thanks for listening!

If this episode got your creative wheels turning, take a screenshot of this episode on your phone and tag me in your stories over on Instagram. Share a story or your own thoughts on creativity, tag #creativehappylifepodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going!

BECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER!

Patreon is an awesome way for you to support the artists and creators you enjoy! When you make a monthly subscription to become a member, you are not only gaining access to exclusive patron-only rewards (like monthly coloring pages and behind the scenes access), but you’re helping give someone the freedom to do the creative work they love. Not just the work they have to do, but the work they want to do…the work that inspires them and can open new avenues of expression, entertainment and education.

When you subscribe to my Patreon membership, you gain access to a private community where I share sneak peeks, behind the scenes of my day to day as a working artist, live chats and Q&As, and a monthly hand drawn coloring page that members vote on, watch me draw live, and then receive as a digital file to download, print and enjoy!

Join my Patreon!

Spread the word!

If you enjoy this podcast, it would mean so much to me if you’d share it with friends, leave a review in the comments, or save the image below to Pinterest! In the world of podcasting, the more the merrier!

The Creative Happy Life Podcast Episode 3 :: Making Time and Space for Creativity with a Five Minute Morning Ritual

Happy new year, and welcome to episode three of the Creative, Happy Life Podcast! I am so excited to be jumping into 2020 with this episode. The transition into this year and the new decade has felt so different, and this episode is all about how I am doing a very quick morning ritual that has transformed my days to feel calmer, happier, and more focused on what matters.

Join me on Instagram after you’ve listened to keep the conversation going, make new friends, and celebrate living a happier, more creative life!

LISTEN HERE OR ON APPLE PODCASTS:

Show Notes

Episode 03

Hello, my beautiful friends! Welcome to the first episode of the new year! I hope 2020 is off to a great start for you. I have been feeling some really incredible energy as we’ve transitioned into a new decade, and today I want to tell you about a new practice I started, a five minute morning ritual that has helped me to feel happier and more centered, more ME, than I’ve felt in a looong time.

But first, I have to ask you something. Have you ever gone on a vacation, and maybe while sitting on a beach or near a lake or overlooking some mountains or the ocean, you’ve just felt present and peaceful? It’s kind of a weird feeling, where you lose track of time, because you don’t have anywhere you need to go, or anything you need to do. You just kind of sit, and stare, taking in the scenery, the sounds of waves or trees, breezes or birds...and then...you get an idea. You’re feeling inspired, excited, and refreshed. And you come home with a renewed energy.

Or how about this... You step into a hot shower, and assuming you’re not being interrupted by kids every 30 seconds, you have a few minutes, just to yourself, and suddenly like the water pouring out the showerhead, thoughts are pouring into your brain. An idea, a solution. Things you’ve been wanting to figure out, or something completely fresh and new. After a couple minutes you’re scrambling to dry off and write down everything you can remember. Maybe your Notes app on your phone has a note specifically called “Shower Thoughts”.

Or you’re on a long car ride, or maybe your daily commute on the train. A long stretch of time where you can just sit and kind of zone out. Your kids are asleep in the backseat, your partner is asleep next to you, or you have the whole car to yourself to listen to whatever music or podcast or audiobook you want. Suddenly you realize that your thoughts are swirling with ideas, phrases, and you go deeper and wilder into an exciting brainspace.

Lastly, you’re on a walk. In the woods, or in the city, you are just moving along, and you see or hear something that makes you think of something else, which makes you think of something else...and so on, and so forth…

Why am I bringing up these situations? Well, if you find yourself in one of these situations, you might realize that you have your best, most creative breakthroughs. You might have a really big idea. You might find the words you’ve been searching for. You might feel more mentally strong, clear and feel a surge of inspiration and creative energy.

Why does this happen? It’s all about having time to quiet your brain and allowing your mind to wander. When we allow our minds to wander, we imagine, we daydream, and we make space for creativity to flow through us. Instead of keeping all those little, random tabs open, cluttering our thoughts with things that aren’t important or inspiring, we find these moments in our days where we can give our own thoughts and desires some much needed freedom and attention.

Our minds are pretty incredible. When given the time and space to wander freely, the possibilities of our imaginations are endless.

So why is it so damn hard to find this time, this space, to let our minds work their magic?

Because we set up so many mental roadblocks in our days. We overschedule, overwork, and don’t allow ourselves to slow down and rest.

The beginning of every year is so interesting. We’re bombarded by messages of making changes, to ourselves, our habits, our routines, and it’s usually all centered around doing more. Eat healthier, exercise more, schedule your day to optimize your time and productivity, make more time for friends and reading and...it’s just too much. No one ever talks about doing less. No one ever talks about taking it slow. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, we go from zero to sixty into the new year, expecting to transform into this new, better person.

So let me be the person to tell you that I think that’s all a load of garbage. It’s too much. It’s setting yourself up to hit a wall, hard and fast, right around the end of January.

We’re not built to make these extreme fast changes all at once. We’re not made for doing it all, all at once, at a high energy pace. Our bodies and our lives require ups and downs, and that includes a big need for slowing down and doing less.

Think about the holiday season, the weeks leading up to Christmas and the end of the year. It’s a slow build of preparations and excitement, and by the time we hit the end of December, we have maxed out our energy on all the baking and visiting and joy and cheer. And we just need a break. But instead of resting, we get smacked upside the head with New Years. We are catapulted forward before we’ve had a chance to restore ourselves.

Maybe the reason resolutions seem to always fail is because winter is nature’s way of trying to get us to slow down, to hibernate, and take it easy. It’s cold, it’s icy, it’s dark, our bodies are craving warmth and comfort and rest, yet we set ourselves on a steep uphill battle, as if resolving to do it all on January first is a now or never, pass or fail situation.

It’s all wrong. It’s unnatural. And it’s the reason we feel so damn sad and bleak. Our overtired bodies and minds are being stretched thin.

I did a lot of thinking in the week between Christmas and New Years. I felt a different energy in myself, to say screw it to resolutions, and just treat January first like another day. To go with the flow into the new year, enjoy time with my family, and start listening to myself. I had been thinking for years about how great it feels when I go on long car rides and have these creative breakthroughs, or those moments in the shower where the ideas flow, and how nice it feels to have that quiet space to let my mind wander.

As a creative business owner, a mom, a woman, my brain is always running in different directions, always tired, but how often do I make time for it to just slow down and wander? That feeling when you’re walking in the woods and you lose track of time, or when you’re driving and don’t seem to notice how long you’ve been driving for, or how far you’ve gone?

We’ve gotten so used to scheduling our days to the hour and to the minute, adding more activities, more appointments, more tasks on the neverending to do list.

What happens if we decide, and set an intention each day, to do less?

As this year started, I decided to make a change to how I go about my days. I was tired of making to do lists full of tasks that weren’t important. I was tired of thinking every day had to be fun and exciting for my kids to have a good childhood. I decided to start a daily practice, nothing that required much effort, but a small part of my routine that has given me that time to rest my brain and start my day feeling more grounded and focused on what matters, instead of hitting the ground running aimlessly at an unrealistic pace. Each day is a fresh start, with it’s own energy, it’s own things to focus on.

It’s a bit like meditation, I suppose, in the way that this repeated exercise has helped me to find clarity, to breathe, and be more aware of my thoughts, my body and my capacity on a given day. And I have felt more creative, and at peace with saying no to more, because of it.

So are you curious? Do you want to know what I’ve been doing? It’s super simple, and here it is:

Each morning, as I pour my first cup of coffee, I sit down at my dining room table with my little notebook. I don’t sit at my desk or in front of the tv. I leave my phone in the kitchen or out of reach, and spend a few minutes with myself, drinking my coffee and writing. I answer the same six prompts, in the same order, every day. This gives me the minimal structure I know I need to focus this short amount of time each day. If I sat down with an empty notebook to write something open-ended, I’d sit all morning! I have a blog and podcast scripts that fulfill my creativity in that way. This daily practice is a personal check in, kind of like having coffee with your best friend or a quick chat with a coworker before you sit down to start your day.

Here are the six things I write each morning.

First, I start with gratitude. I write one sentence, and it can be anything, whatever I am grateful for in the moment. It has taught me not to overthink everything, and to find gratitude in small things. By intentionally starting my day with thoughts of gratitude, I have seen a significant difference in my mindset for the rest of the day. There is nothing feels terrible or insurmountable when I have centered my mind and my heart on the good things I have in life. 

And if you really can’t think of anything, you can always acknowledge your basic needs being met. You have air to breathe, food to eat, clothes on your body and a roof over your head.

There is always something to be grateful for.

The second thing I check on is how I am feeling. I write 1 to 3 sentences about how I’m feeling physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s important to make sure it’s not how I hope to feel, but how I actually feel. Some mornings I’m tired, grumpy, foggy or or overwhelmed. My energy has peaks and valleys. Some days I’m surprised to feel focused and motivated.

By doing this, I am practicing self-awareness, which will affect how I go about my day. I might feel ready and creative and motivated to get a lot done, or I might intentionally give myself an easier day so I can rest and allow myself to feel tired. I’m learning more and more that our bodies signal us when they need to slow down or rest, and I have started giving myself a big serving of grace on the days I know I’m not feeling great.

This also helps me to think about what I can do to feel better, which might be a midday nap, or opening the curtains and letting the sun in. Some mornings call for putting on some soothing music.

The third check in is writing down one specific thing I want to do for myself that day. I try to make sure it is something creative or self care, like spending time painting, trying a new dinner recipe, doing a facial before bed, or simply going for a walk and breathing some fresh air. Most days my schedule revolves around caring for everyone else in the house, and devoting my energy to things that need to get done. So this one is really important. I ask myself what I want out of the day. How do I want to feel? What can I do for myself to feel good?

The fourth is a Top Three list. I write down my top three productivity priorities for the day, the things I need to really get done to move the needle forward. This can be work or personal. Instead of running around and getting overwhelmed by all the small distractions, and a trivial list of to-dos, I practice focusing on three super specific things I need to do that day. Everything else can maybe get done later, or saved for another day.

The fifth thing is a Brain Dump. I give myself a minute or so to jot down any and all random thoughts that are cluttering my brain each morning. Remember that saying about our brains having too many tabs open? The goal here is to close some of those tabs by writing down reminders, ideas, things I want to get done at some point but aren’t really pressing. Anything that’s possibly distracting me by keeping it in my brain, I write it down. When I take a minute to do this, I feel more mentally calm and clear, more focused and ready for the day ahead.

And last, but certainly not least, I write down an affirmation for myself. If you are a fan of Parks and Recreation, you’re probably familiar with the quirky, but uplifting things Leslie Knope says to her best friend, Ann Perkins. Things like, “You are a poetic and noble land-mermaid.” and “You are a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk ox.” Or my personal favorite, which she says to Ann, who just gave birth, “You are the most beautiful, glowing, sun goddess ever.”

So I channel my inner Leslie, put on my proverbial positive pants and write down something, just for me, to give myself a boost as I start the day. It can be motivational, empowering, or silly. But it’s just for me.

And then I close my little notebook and start my day.

By making this part of my daily routine, just like I shower and brush my teeth and eat and breathe, I have prioritized myself and my own needs. It’s not enough to just go through the motions each day, and for a long time, I have put my family first, which is certainly not a bad thing, but we have to take care of ourselves, right? As a creative person, heck just as a person, I need and deserve to focus more on my own needs. We give, and give, and give some more to our friends, our families, strangers on the internet.

So imagine the change we could make by turning our time, our energy, our positivity, more inward? To make sure our cup is not only full, but also not being dumped out over and over and over again.

Do you have five minutes a day to give yourself? Do you have five minutes to let your mind wander, to check in with yourself, and give yourself a pep talk? Use this episode as your guide for each of the six prompts. Here’s a quick recap for you:

What are you grateful for, right here and now?

How are you feeling today, in this moment? How is your energy? Your body? Your mind?

What do you want to do for yourself today? What will make you feel good, or creative, or accomplished, or rested?

What are your real top priorities today? Not tomorrow, or for the whole week or month ahead. Just today.

Write down all those random thoughts and ideas. Do a brain dump, close out some of those tabs that are cluttering your brain.

And give yourself a positive affirmation. Speak encouraging, empowering words to yourself.

And then go have a beautiful day, you bright, warm ray of sparkling sunlight.

Creative Happy Homework: Start a 5-minute daily check-in.

With each episode, I hope to nurture a community of creative minds and hearts who want to continue the conversation. If this episode got your creative wheels turning, join me over on Instagram. Share a story, tag #creativehappylifepodcast, and let me know what you’d like to hear in future episodes!

Are you going to give this daily five minute personal check-in a try? I’d love to hear from you so I can send you some encouragement!

Chatbooks

Mama, it’s time to get those photos off of your phone and into the hands of your family!

Chatbooks makes designing and printing photobooks so ridiculously easy. Whether you want to upload from your computer or straight from your phone (which I prefer), their one-image-per-page layout takes the guesswork out of designing a whole book, so you can simply select your favorite photos, pick your cover and book size, press order, and wait with excitement for your book to arrive!

Chatbooks are square, customizable and come in a variety of soft or hardcovers with designs for all years, seasons, holidays, special occasions and milestones. I love them for our yearly family photobooks, although, confession time: I do two books per year because I have the hardest time narrowing down my favorite pictures!

I love flipping through our Chatbooks with Lily and Roo, reminiscing over our favorite everyday moments from over the years. There’s just something so special about holding a physical book of personal photos in your hands - a feeling that scrolling through your phone just can’t capture.

Save $10 on your first Chatbooks order.

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If you enjoy this podcast, it would mean so much to me if you’d share it with friends, leave a review in the comments, and join me on Instagram to continue the conversation!

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My Daily Routine as a Work at Home Mom and Small Business Owner

When I worked full time at my corporate job, I yearned for a life where I could make my own schedule, be home with my babies (who at that point, were still just a dream), and do work that I loved and truly cared about.

Now, ten years later and five years into the work at home life, I have some reflections to share!

The grass isn’t always greener.

Boom. I said it. We tend to think of what we don’t have through this beautiful ideal lens. But there are definitely both pros and cons to working inside and outside the home.

For instance, some days, I’m perfectly fine with not seeing people, not leaving the house, putting my head down and getting to work. Other days, I really miss having coworkers and those quick (or sometimes long) chats in the kitchen while getting my 3pm coffee. The social aspect of working from home is difficult, and I have to actively seek out lunches, coffee dates and meetups with other entrepreneurs, which has taken some time to form those friendly relationships.

Productivity is another variable. When I worked my office job, I definitely had days I didn’t get a lot done. I wasn’t focused, or I had more meetings than active desk time. I thought, “Someday when I work from home, I’ll get so much done because I won’t have anyone telling me what to do. My house will be so clean because I’ll be able to get housework done between tasks. There will be so much freedom!”

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha……Oh, Shannon from 2011-2014…

Yes, there’s freedom, but honestly, my house was cleaner when I worked in an office! This is because I wasn’t home all day, everyday, with my husband and toddler and young child, using the kitchen, bathroom and living spaces to play, craft, do homework, work and make 3 meals a day. When we were all out of the house all day, every day, the house was untouched and much easier to keep tidy.

There’s also more pressure most days working from home and running my own business. My productivity and creativity are directly tied to my growth and success. Where I could technically show up to an office job and know how much I’m getting paid on Friday regardless of how much work is actually getting done, I need to ensure that I maximize the hours of the day to keep my business moving forward and growing.

I want to offer you a realistic look at what my typical day looks like as a work at home mom, running a creative small business.

Since I wear many hats throughout the day, creatively, as a business owner, and as a mom, I thought I’d share more of a what an “ideal” day looks like. There’s a lot of variance depending on if I have a shoot, if I’m volunteering at Lily’s school, if the kids are having meltdowns, or if we have activities in the afternoon/evening.

7:00am: I get up, shower and get dressed. It doesn’t take long because I don’t dry my hair or put on makeup, and I’m usually wearing leggings and a sweater to work from home. On a more ideal schedule, I’d be waking up at 6:15 to workout first. Baby steps. And some days, I don’t shower until later in the morning or afternoon.

7:20am: Wake up the kids and get Lily dressed for school. Roo stays in comfy jammies most mornings unless we plan to go out somewhere.

7:30am: We go downstairs and I make breakfast for the kids, which they eat while watching Disney Junior or Sesame Street. While they’re eating, I brew my coffee, make Lily’s lunch, make sure she has her homework and books in her backpack, and scroll a little on Facebook or Instagram.

8:00am: Time to get Lily ready to get out the door. I take her out to the bus at 8:10, and Roo stays in the house on colder days like today, finishing his breakfast and watching Mickey. Sean is usually waking up and coming downstairs to start his day. I try to let him sleep in a bit because he doesn’t get home from work until 1am most nights.

8:15-8:30am: I pour some coffee and sit down with my daily check-in journal. I try to spend a few minutes writing down my gratitudes, a mental and physical check-in, do a brain dump for the day, and write down an affirmation to start my day in a positive mindset.

8:30-9:00am: I sit with Roo, drink some more coffee and eat something breakfast, usually greek yogurt or some scrambled eggs. I look at my planner and what I need to accomplish for the day.

Working at my dining room table so I can keep an eye on Roo while he plays independently.

9:00-11:30am: If I don’t have a photo session booked or I’m not volunteering at Lily’s school (I help out at her library twice a week), this is my time to sit down and dig into work. I usually sit at the dining room table with a laptop so I can keep an eye on Roo while he’s playing, unless I have a lot of photo work to do. If that’s the case, I sit at my desk in the corner of the living room. With Sean’s current work schedule, he’s home during the day, so we play it a bit by ear. I usually do my social media planning, writing, work on my weekly email newsletter, update my website, and the less fun “business” work in the mornings.

I drink 2-3 cups of coffee in the mornning and sometimes I put it in the microwave to reheat, and don’t find it until the next day.

11:30am: Lunchtime for Roo! I make his lunch and do some more work while he’s eating.

12:30pm: Naptime! I bring Roo up to his room to nap, and at this point, if I haven’t showered yet, I do that. If I have showered, I come back downstairs and make my own lunch. Sean and I sometimes eat together and usually watch a short cooking show. If I remember to, I throw a load of laundry into the washer.

1:00-3:00pm: The Naptime Hustle. This is my quiet time of day to work, and I try to spend it on my creative projects, like photo editing, illustrating, designing, or working on podcast scripts. Sean is still home and usually reading, watching a show or running errands. If I don’t have a heavy workload to do, or if it’s a busier evening of activities, sometimes I use this time to make dinner so Sean can take something fresh to work and I can get the kids fed quicker and easier.

3:00-3:30pm: The golden half hour of my day. Sean leaves for work, Roo is still napping and Lily is still at school. If I have podcast recording or editing to do, I do it in this small time block. If not, I answer emails and knock off small tasks that only take a few minutes.

3:30-4:00pm: Roo wakes up and we get Lily off the bus. I get the kids a snack, make myself a cup of tea or coffee, and we get settled in for the afternoon.

Around 4pm I am transitioning more into mom mode, but am happy my kids get to see me working, too.

4:00-5:00pm: Lily does homework and then she and Roo have time to play or read. I try to squeeze out another hour of work with the understanding that I’ll probably be interrupted.

5:00pm: I do my best to transition out of work and into mom-mode, spending about 20 minutes cleaning up, putting in a load of laundry, unload the dishwasher, stuff I would typically do if I were just getting home from working at an office.

5:30-6:00pm: Prep and make dinner while the kids chill and watch a show.

6:00-7:00pm: Eat dinner with the kids, sometimes at the table, sometimes watching a show. We clean up dinner and do a 15-minute pick up of any toys or books that need to be put away. Make sure Lily’s backpack is ready to go for the next morning.

7:00-8:00pm: Bedtime! The kids take a shower or bath, we get pjs on, brush teeth, and spend some time reading before bed. Some nights they are like wild beasts running around and jumping off furniture. Other nights they are burnt toast. Some nights I am burnt toast. I have started to let Lily stay up a little longer to read. Many nights I stay in their room a bit longer, and play lullabies on my phone while catching up on social media.

9:00pm-1:00am: Oh gosh, it depends on the night. I have stopped trying to do any work after the kids go to bed, as that’s a surefire way for me to fall asleep sitting up at my desk. I usually stay upstairs, put away some laundry or clean up my room, if I think of it I’ll do a nighttime face mask and read or crochet. Sometimes I’ll have a glass of wine and watch Outlander for 3 hours straight. Sometimes I fall asleep sitting up while scrolling Instagram. There are many nights I stay up until Sean gets home at 1am.

That’s a very typical day for me! We have afternoons where Lily gets home and we have to get right back out the door for dance classes or Scouts. We occasionally squeeze in a mid-week playdate or Target run. But right now in the wintertime, if we don’t have to go anywhere, we hunker down for the evening.

It’s not perfect, but honestly, I feel very lucky to get to spend this time at home with Andrew during the day, and be home to get Lily off the bus. Some days we spend more time playing or running errands, going to the playground when its warmer or the library when it’s chilly and we need to get out of the house. We go out for breakfast once a week as a family, and have settled nicely into our non-traditional family schedule.

And it’ll all change in a couple weeks when Sean starts working days! He will be home around the same time as Lily is getting out of school! I am very excited for this change, since I currently go non-stop with work and parenting from 7am-9pm. Being on my own most nights for dinner and bedtime, while we have gotten used to it, is very tiring.

And while some days are not as productive as I’d like them to be, I am thankful for what I am able to do with a flexible schedule to be home with my kids. If I need to, I can easily take a laptop to dance class and hammer out an email blast or blog post, or take my kids to visit their grandparents on the weekend while I have a photoshoot.

The life I dreamed about 10 years ago is here, and it’s beautiful. Messy and chaotic, but beautiful.

The Creative Happy Life Podcast Episode 2 :: This is Us/Me/You

Welcome to episode two of the Creative, Happy Life Podcast! In this episode, I’m tackling the subject of storytelling as a means of creating connection, understanding, and empathy. I share a couple personal stories that I consider to be a core piece of my “backstory”, that has directly affected who I am, and where I am, today. We all have a story inside us. What’s yours?

LISTEN HERE:

Show Notes

Episode 02:: This is Us/Me/You

Trigger warning: I am sharing a little bit about my miscarriage in this episode. Nothing graphic, but how storytelling helped me cope with grief through connection.

Hello, my friends! And welcome to episode two! Today I am talking about storytelling, and how important it is to create connection, understanding and empathy. But first! I want to take a moment to say thank you for your kind words, feedback and support following the launch of this podcast back in September. Your response has meant so much to me, and to paraphrase the words of Emma Thompson in the movie Late Night, I hope to earn the privilege of your time.

I’m going to start sharing a review at the beginning of each episode, and if something you hear on this podcast inspires you, or makes you happy, please take a moment to leave a review on iTunes! Every review and rating helps get this show recommended to more and more potential listeners. 

This week’s review is from addictedpinner1 who wrote “A fresh new podcast for creatives!

Shannon keeps it real and fun (and that’s just episode one!) Can’t wait to hear more from her! Creatives need to stick together!”

Yes, we do! I firmly believe that creativity inspires more creativity! There are so many people and things that inspire me, and I hope to pay it forward with inspiring, insightful and fun entertainment with each episode. Thank you so much for that review, addictedpinner1. 

And if reviews aren’t your thing, there are other fun ways to show your support - you can take a screenshot of your phone while you’re listening and share it on Instagram, and tag creativehappylifepodcast. You can share this episode with a friend through text, or share it to Facebook. Even just leaving a comment over on the podcast Instagram brightens my day!

So let’s get started!

First, a confession. This episode? I’ve recorded it three times. It’s been a struggle. I put a lot of pressure on myself. And if I’m being honest, I was being a perfectionist instead of just doing the dang thing! Remember episode one? Perfection doesn’t exist. So I pushed episode two off for nearly two months, trying to get it just right. And all I really needed to do was cut the crap, show up and do the work.

So storytelling...humans have been sharing stories for as long as we’ve existed. We’ve passed down glimpses and anecdotes, lessons and epic tales. We decide what stories will be passed on, and how we will share them, bearing our hearts, minds and souls in our writing, in songs, and in art.

We all want to be remembered, right?

Storytelling makes you vulnerable. In choosing which stories you share, you open yourself up to a whole slew of possible repercussions. But we keep sharing, because most importantly, stories create connection. They help us to better understand. They inspire us, they comfort us, and at the root, make us feel. We see ourselves in the stories of others. We see glimpses of things we can relate to, we want to know more, we anticipate what’s next.

Think about a story that compels you. Fact or fiction, what about a story appeals to you? The person or character? Lots of action? Conflict? Lessons learned?

I am a big fan of character development and backstory, which is probably surprising to, oh, no one. It’s easier with books and shows and movies. You get to know a character in the present, and then you get these pieces of their personal history unfold as it relates to where they are now. You get to see cause and effect. Crossroads. Turning points. These pieces give you a glimpse into why the character behaves a certain way, or makes a certain choice.

The more that’s shared, the more is understood.

We’re all complex characters, right? We all have things that have happened to us in life that explain who we are today.

Let’s do a little exercise. And just a warning, this might get your brain rolling, which might be a good thing, or might be an uncomfortable thing. But that’s life, right?

Ok, so if you’ve seen the Pixar movie Inside Out, you know what I mean when I ask you to think of a “core memory”. In the movie, core memories are things that happened to the character Riley, a young girl going through some big life changes when her family moves and she’s growing out of the little kid stage into adolescence. As life goes on and we grow and we change, our core memories, the things that have the most impact on who we are, also change.

So I want you to think about a couple memories, core or not, that really shaped who you are, or how your path has unfolded. 

One of mine is from when I was around 14, a freshman in high school. I remember thinking to myself, I’m not going to go to college. I’m not going to work in an office. I have big dreams, and I want to do big, important things with my life. At 14, that dream was moving to New York and auditioning for musicals and being a big Broadway star. Well, ok, reality check, I went to college and graduated and got a corporate job that I stayed at for 9 years. But that mindset I had when I was 14? That stuck with me. I knew I wanted to find something in life that I could do that was bigger, important and lasting. So I took up photography. I’ve photographed hundred of beautiful, important moments. I captured milestones and celebrations and love and loss and have seen my photos displayed in homes and shared after loved ones have passed.

I am pretty sure I got my dream.

Another core memory: I’m 22. I just graduated college and moved to Connecticut. I was living with a roommate and starting my corporate job. I was excited to finally live near Sean after four years of dating long distance. 

And he broke up with me. Two weeks after moving away from home, starting a new chapter at a new job and feeling like I was at the start of something new and exciting, the rug got ripped out from under me. I called my mom in tears and she told me she’d come get me. She help me repack my things and she’d bring me home. And I said no. I told her I’d stay. I don’t remember exactly if it was intuition or stubbornness or wanting to save face and not be seen as “the girl who moved for a boy and got dumped before she unpacked her suitcase”, but I decided in a moment I’d stay. I had a job. And an apartment. And some new friends. And I had hope. And a couple months later, after figuring out how to communicate with each other, Sean and I got back together, and two years later we were living together and engaged. And we’ll celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in a couple weeks. 

But sometimes, I wonder how different life would be if I had moved home. If I quit that job and lived with my parents. I’m so glad that’s not how things turned out. But that decision, that crossroads, defined my path.

And maybe you didn’t know that that happened. This was way before everything was on Facebook and Instagram. I remember changing our relationship status and that’s how I communicated what had happened. It felt raw and vulnerable to put that part out there.

As a photographer, I tend to look at life in moments and memories. Sometimes I’ll watch the world around me and see “frames” of moments. Sometimes I say a little “click” in my head, little things and big things, and wonder if other people see things the same way. 

It’s kind of like watching an episode of This is Us. You’re watching the story of this family unfold, and you get these little flashbacks that deepen the story, that help us understand what a character is thinking or feeling. We can relate. Things make more sense. 

We’re all so much more than what we see on the surface. Every single one of us has a backstory. Every single one of us has things happening right now, or yesterday, or a week ago, or longer, that are impacting us and those around us.

We all have stories to tell, if we want to.

Last, I want to talk about connection. The power of sharing stories can mean connection in a world that feels really big and confusing and scary. We share memes about marriage and motherhood and work and family and we all have a laugh, but what’s happening is we’re connecting through a shared experience.

When someone posts on Instagram that they’re just having one of those days and feels like a failure and one kid pooped in the tub and the house is a complete disaster and they just can’t even - they’ll probably get more than a few comments saying “Same, my friend.” This is relatable. I’ve been there. You’ve got this. Sending you love. Life is hard. Thank you for your honesty, because me too.

A year ago, I lost my third pregnancy. I was almost 16 weeks along, we’d just found out he was a boy, and had told Lily, and shared with our family and friends. I had announced on social media. And then he died. And it was so hard. But all I knew to do was write about it. I shared what had happened, and I wrote about my grief as it came, and through sharing this incredibly raw, painful year of my life, I connected. So many women, girls I went to high school and college with, people I barely knew, friends, women in my family, reached out and shared their stories. It was hard as hell, but even in the worst time of my life, I felt loved. I wasn’t alone. And my heart hurt for all the women who have been through it and didn’t, or couldn’t, share. 

Because at the root of all of this, our experience isn’t new. Nothing is new. I do not think I am all that special. But without sharing these stories and experiences, we would just see the surface. We have the opportunity to go deeper. To love deeper. To connect deeper. To experience life deeper. And yes, sometimes feel sadness and pain that is so, so hard. But in that pain, we all need to know we’re not alone, if only we allow ourselves to get a little vulnerable, a little uncomfortable, and find the voices who reach out from unexpected places and say “me too”.

So, how can we share our stories in a way that’s meaningful and lasting? We can write. We can speak. We can compose. We can paint and write poetry. We can message an old friend, or visit a grandparent or aunt or uncle. It doesn’t matter how we share, or what we share.

What matters is why. For our kids, for better understanding. For lessons to be learned. For decisions that will be made. To laugh, to cry, to entertain and feel loved and to experience that moment when you, yourself, can be the one who reaches out to someone and tells them they’re not alone.

We all want to feel connected. We all want to feel loved. We all want to be remembered.

So, what’s your story?

With each episode, I hope to nurture a community of creative minds and hearts who want to continue the conversation. If this episode got your creative wheels turning, join me over on Instagram. Share a story, tag #creativehappylifepodcast in your post or in your story. Let me know if you have a story to share but aren’t sure how to express it.

Or open up a journal or Google Doc and start writing. Even if you never share it with another person, there’s a story in you, waiting to be told.

Thanks for listening, my friend. I’m grateful for you, and hope I earned the privilege of your time.

Until next time, stay awesome.

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How to Shoot Natural Light Flat Lays in Your Home

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Sometimes I get an idea to record a tutorial and then it blooms into this whole thing. This is the thought process behind this post today…

I made some bread!

I’m going to eat the bread for breakfast. Oh, it looks kind of nice on the plate! I should take a picture.

I should do a quick set up and actually make this look nice so I can share it on my Instagram.

If I’m doing this much, I might as well record HOW I’m doing it. And share it to IGTV. And Youtube. And throw the video in a blog post and…

This is what it’s like being a content creator. Once you start in on an idea, your brain spirals out into a million directions of how to use the content to optimize the reach.

I’ll probably send this to my email list, too.

In this video, I did a very quick, basic setup in my front kitchen window while Andrew watched our steps being torn apart outside. I’ll link to the things I used below if you want to explore creating an at-home product or flat lay setup.

Whether you’re photographing food, products, or a lifestyle flatlay, all you really need is space on a table or floor near a diffused natural light source. A “diffused natural light source” is sunlight that is coming through a window, maybe filtered with sheer white curtains or an overcast day. You want bright, but diffused light, not full direct sunlight (that would be too bright and create harsh shadows). Think of it like the clouds, or sheer curtains, are creating a soft, even light.

Here’s the video tutorial!

Things I used:

Vinyl faux marble background - This 3 pack is great if you plan on doing different styles of flat lays.

White foam core boards - I like the smaller size to use as reflectors, and the bulk pack because they can get beat up and bent (or stolen by my kids for art projects)

That’s it! I shot and edited on my iPhone using Adobe Lightroom Mobile (free to download and use) and my own editing presets, which will be for sale in my shop soon! If you want to grab them as soon as their available, sign up for my email, because a little birdie told me my email list will be getting early access and a discount code.

I have a couple other backgrounds that give a good variety of options, depending on the look you’re going for! There are solid colors for a clean pop, and double sided marble and stone. I’m also a fan of these square board sets when you are looking for an especially branded look.

Personal Branding Tip 01: Show Us Your Face

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Here’s a little branding tip for you, friend, and spoiler alert, it’s a very obvious one!

Show us your face!

This can be such a tough thing to do for some people. I’ll get into that in a little bit. First, I want you to understand why this is such an important part of your personal brand.

If you are a personal brand - the literal face of your business - we need to actually see you! Seeing your face creates connection. And connection over time builds loyalty. This is a basic, core piece of your branding. It’s not just about what you write, offer or sell. It’s also who you are, where you work, and creating familiarity with how you craft your story.

The difference between a brand and a personal brand…is the person!

Think of it this way...You are your own storefront. With every place you communicate your message, whether it’s social media, email, blogging, networking events or marketing materials, you have an opportunity to greet your audience and welcome them into your business, little stories of your life, and tell them all about the things you love, make and offer. Each post you make is like opening your front door, greeting them with a handshake, high five or hug, and leading them through the door to show them around.

Decide how you’re going to make that connection, and do it regularly. With your face!

Growing an audience is a long game. It doesn’t happen overnight with a single post. It comes with consistently showing up, so you audience sees you over and over and over again. It takes time for your audience to get used to seeing you show up regularly, then for you to become familiar, and then more for connection and trust to build. It can take weeks or months to develop a relationship with your audience, so if you are not getting personal, it’s time to start!

How does this work if you run a shop, or have a studio or other business space? If someone found you on Instagram and decided to pay you a visit, would they recognize your storefront from the street? Same thing. Show your storefront! Create fun displays that are beautiful or interesting to look at! Make sure your sign or name is highly visible. Create an amazing experience for your customers and audience, so when they walk into your store, it feels like home.

Not sure what your brand is? My friend, I have a freebie worksheet for you to help define your brand.

Overcoming Fear

For some people, the idea of showing your face might be less than exciting. You might feel self-conscious, or not feel confident in taking great photos of yourself. You might not know what kind of pictures to take and share. It can actually cause stress and anxiety trying to figure it out and get it done.

We get bogged down by this idea of perfection. We all have an idea in our head of what “perfect” might look like, but the problem with that is it paralyzes us into inaction. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to accept that we are imperfect, flawed, and make mistakes - and show up anyway.

Perfection doesn’t actually exist.

It’s important to me to show my audience that I am imperfect. That is part of my brand. I am not looking for anyone to idolize me or look to me for style inspiration. I am looking to make you feel comfortable, and empower you to show up, just as you are.

We are all messes. I fully embrace my mess! I can do my job, despite my mistakes and “flaws”. I don’t need a big, clean house and expensive styled outfits and a full face of makeup and nice hair (although every now and then, hey, that would be nice!). That’s not me, or my brand. It might be yours! The beauty is in showing us who you are, and sharing pieces of yourself along the way that compel your audience to want to know more. And if I can help you feel better about yourself (“Hey, if Shannon can do it with bags under her eyes and being awkward 90% of the time, I can totally do it!”), I will continue to show up for you!

Here’s my advice:

Start small. But START.

Start with a selfie on a Monday or Friday morning. Find some good natural light and take a picture of yourself. Post it with a short introduction. Tell us your name, where you’re located, and three things about you and your business. Here’s what I would say:

“Hey friend! Happy Friday! I’m so glad it’s almost the weekend, this week has been a busy one in the personal branding world. In case you’re new around here, allow me to introduce myself! I’m Shannon, a personal branding photographer for small businesses and entrepreneurs. I’m based in central Connecticut, and my work takes me all over the state as well as parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts! I have lived in New England my whole life and couldn’t picture living anywhere else (although I have a long bucket list of vacation destinations). I have been in business for close to 10 years, and truly love what I do. I love doing creative work, and helping other small businesses and bosses feel more confident and empowered to share the heart behind their work. And when I’m not working with my incredible clients, I love to write, work on art projects, and spend time with my husband and kids, going out to breakfast, taking long nature walks and snuggling up with some popcorn to watch Disney movies. I live for the simple things in life!”

Believe it or not, for me, that’s short! But you can easily make it shorter:

“Hey friends! I’m Shannon, a Connecticut-based personal branding photographer, and I thought I’d tell you a little bit about me and my business today in case you’re new around here. First, I love working with small businesses and entrepreneurs. It lights me up to watch their confidence and businesses grow! Second, I am all about the holidays, so this time of year is my jam. I don’t break out the Christmas tree for another couple weeks, but I enjoy making our home feel more “festive” starting with music and lots of baking! And lastly, I have an awesome promo I’ll be announcing to my email list for Small Business Saturday, so make sure you don’t miss it and sign up today! I have a link in my bio to make it super easy!”

Oooh, see what I did there? A little business, a little personal, and a call to action. I’m going to high five myself for that one. Feel free to copy and use those two samples as a template for your own captions! All you have to do is personalize it. The more you start writing, the easier it gets.

A “call to action”, or CTA, encourages engagement by encouraging a like, leaving a comment, answering a question, or clicking over to a website, subscription or link.

And if captions are not your thing, I will have a sweet offering for you. Click here to grab 5 free caption templates for your personal business.

Hire a branding photographer.

This is an incredible way you can invest in your business and save yourself so much time and stress. Have someone else do the work for you! You’ll feel more confident sharing your beautiful images and level up your branding all at once.

Take better selfies.

We all know what a stretched out arm means when we see it in a picture, and you guys, I’m guilty of it, too! Luckily, there are some awesome tools you can use to take pictures anywhere! I use these when I’m at home, and when I’m out and about, because they allow me to frame my picture and then step away to create the kind of portrait I want.

Selfie Tripod with Bluetooth Remote - easily to fold up and take with you, or just use at home for photos and video. It comes with a bluetooth remote so you don’t even have to set a timer and run!

Phone Holder Grip with Adjustable Gooseneck - I love this one for attaching to my desk (I don’t have room for a tripod on my desk) and Facetiming or watching videos while I work. I also throw it in the car and can attach it to a window if I’m driving around and see a great spot for a photo. I roll my car window down, attach it and set up my shot. It can attach to so many things: countertops, tables, branches, railings, lots of possibilities! I even attach it to my kitchen cabinets to record videos or Facetime with my mom while I’m cooking. It’s a very versatile tool!

Ring Light - I do not have this light, as I prefer using whatever light I have available, but if I were to start off with a light, I would try this one. Especially if you do a lot of live videos on Facebook or Instagram, or are recording for Youtube, ring lights are very flattering. These are great if your studio or office don’t get a lot of good natural light, they help give you even, natural looking light so you don’t appear yellow or blue from overhead lighting or lamps. There are bigger, more expensive options, but this one has tons of solid reviews if you just want to give it a try for minimal investment. Just know that it creates a little ring of light in your eyes, which some people don’t care about, but you might not like how it looks. You decide! I think I’m actually going to add it to my cart right now…

Start believing in yourself and that you provide value and are worthy of success.

Confidence sells. It has taken me 36 years to feel comfortable in my skin and showing my face as I am. Some days I wear makeup, but most days I don’t. The more you show up as you are, the easier it will get. I say it to my clients all the time, but we all have things we are self-conscious about. I promise you - PROMISE - people do not see us the way we see ourselves. If you are holding yourself back, do the hard work of breaking down those walls. It takes time, but you can do it.

You have important, helpful and valuable things to say and share. You can and will succeed, it just takes work and real passion, because some days will be really hard, and what separates those who succeed from those who don’t is that they keep going on those hard days. I hope you never let feelings of self-consciousness stop you from sharing these gifts with the world. You are smart, you are talented, you are experienced, and there are people out there waiting to hear from you.

I hope to see your awesome face in my feed. If this post was helpful, tag me over on Instagram and let me know, I’ll cheer you on!

Share the love!

I appreciate any comments, pins or shares you make with this post and any information you find helpful!

 
 

10 Reasons to Invest in Personal Branding Photography

You didn’t leave your 9-5 job with a dream of working 24/7.

Think about that. Read it again. Can you relate?

Running a business is a ton of work, and there’s a reason big businesses have different departments to handle different areas. You should be able to focus on your strengths and have peace of mind that the rest is handled.

No matter what your business is, or what your brand represents, chances are you are immersed in the world of social media and the constant need to churn out content.

And it’s kind of exhausting, right?

Every day, thinking of something new to say that will be interesting to your audience. Taking or finding the perfect (or hey, just good enough) photo that pairs with your message and will make someone slow their scroll. You have mere seconds to catch someone’s attention, and then a few more seconds to draw them in with your words.

Some days, the pressure to do that can make you want to bury your head in the sand. You should be spending your time focusing on the work you love, and instead you spend hours trying to figure out this huuuuge piece of the marketing puzzle.

Confession time: I have these days, more often than I’d care to admit!

So, how can you make this piece of your business easier? How can you take the guesswork out of social media and get hours back in your day and week?

The answer is Personal Branding Photography.

Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you haven’t.

Blog post: What is Personal Branding Photography?

I’d like to share from a photographer, small business owner and maker’s perspective how adding personal branding to your business will not only make your life easier, but will also grow your business.

10 reasons to invest in small business or personal branding photography today:

10. SAVE A BUTTLOAD OF TIME

Spend more time doing the work you love/with your family/traveling/etc - the reason you started your own business to begin with.

Content creation and social media planning can suck up your time and take you away from your work…and sometimes friends and family, if we’re being honest. It takes time to plan your visual content strategy and then write your captions or website copy. And if you don’t already have visual content to work with, that’s another task that will take time to plan and execute. And what if you don’t have great photo skills? Or equipment? Or know how to edit? You might not feel as confident to post your content, which is a real bummer when you have amazing products and services to share!

When you have person al branded photos ready top use at your fingertips, you immediately get hours of your life back. You can spend an hour a week planning and scheduling your content and spend the rest of the week on your business, your art, your product development, with your family, sitting on a beach or at a cafe in Paris enjoying your coffee.

Tip: It’s far easier to get work like this done in batches. Instead of deciding, writing and posting each day, sit down and do it all in an hour or two. The more you do this, the easier it becomes and the less time it takes. Read more about the Productivity Power Hour here.

9. TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF “WHAT SHOULD I POST?”

So picture this:

When you sit down to schedule your week of posts, or write your email newsletters, or make updates to your website, you have a full, cohesive collection of branded photos to choose from. No pulling ideas out of thin air that you must then plan, create and edit. No wracking your brain trying to strategize all the pieces to the puzzle.

You’ll have variety of interesting and storydriven images that have been planned out to tell your story. This will inspire your captions, blog, or email content to correspond easily with your photos.

Depending on the nature of your business, a branding photography session could provide you with anywhere from one to three to six months to a year’s worth of content, depending on how you plan, schedule and reuse evergreen content over time.

Tip: Remember, every person in your online audience won’t see every single post you make. This allows you to cycle through and reuse your best images and captions, saving you even more time in the future.

8. SIMPLIFY YOUR SCHEDULE

Chances are, social media isn’t your specialty. There are many facets to running a business. And in order to grow and make money, you need to be working on what you sell.

Did you know it can take 3-6 hours a day to work on marketing and grow an engaged audience if you don’t have a plan? Nobody has time for that!

And even if you hire someone and outsource your marketing, you’ll need to provide visual content for them to use.

So, whether you do it yourself or outsource, having a library of images to choose from saves hours of time each week trying to think up what to photograph, taking the photographs, choosing which ones to use, editing, and finally writing and posting.

Tip: Once you have your images to work with, schedule time to build out your posts for the week. Create a simple template for a social media calendar and keep track of which hashtags you’ll use, and your call to action. Want a free template? Boom. I just saved you a couple hours. :)

7. BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

Do you have a clear picture of who you are speaking to and what you want to say when you post or send an email?

Do you have a strategy, or do you tend to post on a whim?

Having a branding session with a photographer will help you take a good look at your business, your story, and the message you want to convey. Working with a photographer who cares about and knows what they’re doing, they will take the time to get to know you and your business, and help you figure out your visual story.

And when you have images that truly and beautifully represent your business or brand, you will feel excited and empowered to share about your business, why you love what you do, how your business can serve your audience well, and create real engagement.

Tip: Never post “same day” without strategy. Giving yourself time to plan and strategize your images and captions, you can post with more confidence and certainty that your message and intent is clear.

6. GROW YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND EXTEND YOUR REACH

Collaborative sessions with other small business owners and service providers can extend your reach, and create lasting connections, support, and community. Recognize areas where you can work together with other businesses on sessions (maybe a seasonal styled shoot or event).

The people you choose to surround yourself with as a small business owner, entrepreneur, artist, maker, or brand matters. No one knows better than the self-employed how impactful one person can be on your business. Now imagine you form a network of people you can work with, recommend, support and lift up.

By lifting others around you, you build a valuable community.

Tip: Make a point of direct messaging at least one fellow local business per week. Introduce yourself, give them some encouragement and love. You never know whose day you might make with a simple act of kindness and community!

5. STAND OUT AND RISE UP

We’ve seen it happening in many types of markets - you seem to be one of thousands of photographers, coaches, makers, bloggers. How can you compete?

You must elevate your brand to stand out among the crowd. You do this in a few ways: using your authentic voice, providing excellent stand-out service, and putting forth a brand that looks and (more importantly) feels next level.

The quality of your images will speak volumes, and consistency is key. When you have plenty of gorgeous, professional photos to choose from, you will stand out and first impressions can be the difference between growth and riding the struggle bus.

Tip: Create a visual branding board on Pinterest or in a program like Illustrator or Photoshop. Include images, graphics, typeface, your logo and 10 words or phrases that describe your brand. Use this as a guide and for inspiration for everything you post, share and send. Just starting out with branding your busienss? I’ve got you covered with a free personal branding worksheet.

4. TAKE YOUR BUSINESS SERIOUSLY

Do you get that random comment from friends or family that your job “must be so fun” and you don’t have to work hard, or that “it’s nice you can make money on one of your hobbies.” These comments sting, but the hard truth is, to be seen as a business, you need to conduct yourself as a business. This includes (but is not limited to) having a clear brand voice and image. This will differentiate you from “just another mom with a camera and a Facebook page” or someone making some extra cash on Etsy.

Having a clear story to tell through your images and posts will set you apart from sharing whatever random pictures you take on your phone on any given day.

Tip: Use an app like Planoly, Plann or Mosaico to plan and schedule your Instagram posts. You can move your images around to whatever arrangement you like best, write your captions (or copy and paste them from your social media calendar), add your hashtags of choice and post each day according to your schedule.

3. REACH THE RIGHT CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS

It’s the law of attraction, friend!

We’ve all done the Instagram scroll, right? What makes you stop and double tap a post, or take a minute to read the caption? First and foremost, it’s interesting images that appeal to you. The content, the quality, maybe you recognize the brand quickly and easily for the person, the color story and style.

No one wants to be standing in the middle of crowded Times Square shouting to the masses “LOOK AT ME!” It’s exhausting and pointless. Maybe you’ll get a little extra attention. But before you know it, those people have moved on with the crowd.

You don’t want to be the shiny object of the moment.

But what if you set up shop on a specific corner and show up every day where you know your audience is hanging out, be there consistently, speaking directly to your target audience. They want to stay and chat and hear what you have to say. They come back again and again, bringing friends who they think will like what you have to say.

By knowing who you want to reach, your message is clear, and you establish trust through consistency. Your images reflect your specific business and brand, and your words amplify your message.

Tip: Get to know your “Target Audience” avatar. Give them a name. Specify as much as you can about them so that when you are speaking to them through captions, emails or blog posts, your are speaking to them like you would your friend. You know them that well.

2. GROWTH TAKES TIME AND WORK

I’m just going to say this. You’re probably not going to go viral. And you’re not going to get rich overnight. Growth takes hard work and consistency. For many it takes years. But you can take upward steps each day, and a year from now, look back at how far you’ve come.

Maybe professional photography seems out of reach, or you keep thinking “I’ll do it in a few months, maybe when I’m a little bit bigger and more established.”

What if you invest in your business now and start growing tomorrow, with a professional “starter pack” of images to work with?

You can keep dreaming and planning, or you can decide and act.

Tip: No matter where you are in your business, write down three actionable steps you can take today, this week, or this month, to propel your business forward. Then do them.

1. YOU ARE WORTHY OF SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

That last one is important. We get caught up in being busy and “the hustle”, and many days forget why we started in the first place. For me, it was to be able to provide for my family and be there for them when they need me. But that doesn’t work if I’m working around the clock, tied to my phone or laptop.

Great photography is not just for big established businesses. It’s not a privilege or luxury. It’s not for the businesses and brands that we admire and maybe aspire to. It is a business tool that will help you grow, just like the right software, apps, skills and equipment. It’s easy to look at someone else’s photography and think “I’m just not there yet, maybe I will be someday. Probably not, but maybe.”

That’s so not true! Let me tell you a little story.

For a long time, I got caught in the mindset that running a small business is just a long, hard journey and maybe I’ll always be poor. I would tell my friends and I started believing that I was just always going to be on the struggle bus. Someone would always have a nicer camera, better lighting equipment, a gorgeous studio and all the right things to say. I didn’t believe that I could be that person. I accepted that I’d be a permanent passenger on the struggle bus.

That’s not a great mindset to have.

You have to start believing that you deserve and will achieve great things in life.

You deserve to be happy, to have a successful business, to make changes in the world, have that family life, travel wherever you want and eat amazing food.

You. Can. Have. It.

But it does take work.

And confession time? I am still working on getting there. That’s the beauty of life. We’re all in different places and want different things. There are still many who have nicer equipment and gorgeous studios and all the right words. But I no longer think that I’ll stay stuck where I am. I’m working towards more and better.

What has your mindset been like lately? Do you believe you can have the life you want? How can you get off the struggle bus and grow your business, reduce your stress and feel happier and fulfilled?

Tip: Write down a set of affirmations for yourself, no matter where you are in business. Revisit it monthly and write new ones to help work through whatever bumps, snags or turns you are facing at the moment.

With 13 years of experience working as a photographer and graphics specialist, it has been my goal to grow a business that I can be proud of, support my family, and work with other small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to do the same - but don’t have the time, knowledge or tools to make these vital connections.

I want to hear from you. Where are you at in your business journey? What are you stuck on? What do you love about your work, and what do you think is just the worst?

Whether it’s one thing or ALL THE THINGS, let’s help each other on our path to success. We all have so much to offer!

For a weekly dose of creative juice and inspiration, listen in on the Creative Happy Life podcast!

Shannon Sorensen is a Connecticut-based small business and branding photographer. Personal branding photography for small business and entrepreneurs focuses on showing the heart behind the business, compelling stories to help your audience get to know you and your business better, and turn fans into paying clients! Learn more about personal and business branding photography.

Book your branding session with Shannon!

Related blog posts: Twelve Months of Personal Branding Photoshoot Ideas to Grow Your Business, The What Why and How of Personal Branding. What is Personal Branding Photography

What is Personal Branding Photography?

“What is personal branding?”

You’ve probably heard “personal branding” popping up more and more in conversations among small businesses and entrepreneurs. Or maybe this is the first time you’re hearing about it! Either way, I am here to help you learn and understand what it’s all about in relation to photography.

Personal branding photography, or “PBP” as we call it in the photography world, has always been around as a style of branding and marketing, but it is certainly gaining popularity in the world of small business and online marketing! In short, it is photography that tell your story, that you use to market and grow your business.

“But isn’t it just headshots and lifestyle portraits?”

It’s actually so much more!

Personal branding photography is about storytelling and creating connection with your clients and audience. By creating images that showcase not only what you look like, but who you are, infused with personality, action and purpose, you can easily and professionally tell your story. The images give your audience an intimate look at the life, the work, and the person behind the business. Paired with copywriting that is specific to your brand voice, you engage your audience to not only pay attention, but to care about you, and want to support your business as it grows!

And personal branding photography is not just about photos of you. A solid PBP collection will include a variety of marketing images for you to use. To get the most bang for your buck, you should work with a photographer who gets to know your business’ needs AND knows how to shoot this variety of images.

Here’s an example of a set of images for a 2-hour personal brand session. Kyndra’s Kitchen is an at-home prepared food service based in Kingston, Massachusetts. Kyndra often collaborates with her husband on meal preparation. She wanted to photograph several pieces of her business:

  • her kitchen where she cooks

  • what a typical day looks like while she works on order processing and meal planning

  • what deliveries and her branded bags look like

  • cooking together and sharing a meal with her husband to show one of the many benefits of her service

  • her family, including their doodle, Nixon

  • and behind the scenes of cooking, photographing and packaging her meals

Depending on your business needs and time of year, a personal branding session might include:

  • WHO ARE YOU - The face and the heart behind your business, images of you at work, at home, with your family, working on location or at your office, studio or shop, giving both a bigger picture and distinct branded details of what your life looks like as a business owner, and why you are passionate about what you do.

  • WHERE DO YOU WORK - people love to see where you spend your days and how you get work done. Whether it’s a studio, a shop, an office, a coworking space, or a desk tucked in the back corner of your closet (a “cloffice”), you are further painting the picture of how and where you spend your days. People want to see your stuff. Trust me.

  • WHO DO YOU WORK WITH - Do you have a support team or partner? Do you work solo at home? Are your kids running circles around you while you write your blog? Does your partner or best friend help you out? Who are the people you most closely surround yourself with? They are part of your story.

  • WHO DO YOU SERVE - The most important part of branding is not to speak to everyone, but to speak to your audience. Create a clear picture of who you serve by showing them in your images, working with clients, greeting customers, gathering at networking events and meetups, and addressing your audience directly through your writing.

  • HOW DO YOU SERVE - Do you create a product or provide a service? Take your audience through the process with you. Show the steps you take in brainstorming, organizing ideas, sketching, designing, editing, and making. How do you package your product? How do you choose your packaging to make it special and your own? How do you make your customers feel special and well taken care of? The same goes for providing a service. How do you make your clients feel and what are you helping them achieve or accomplish?

  • WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE IN ACTION - This ties into other points above. What does a typical workday look like for you? Where do you make or build? What do you wear? Do you mostly work in the same space or do you work on location? Take note of all the various things you do to run your business, and what that looks like to your audience if you were to zoom out a bit. If you had an audience watching you, what would they see?

  • TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT - What do you use daily to run your business? Is your work mostly on your phone or laptop? Do you work with power tools or photo equipment? What do you use to organize your business, like a planner or calendar system? Do you work at a gym or studio? What physical elements do you need to get work done? And which ones are your favorites?

  • STYLED/DISPLAYED PRODUCTS - If you are a product based business, you want to show what you make! This can be done several ways. You may be a home-based maker and style your photos for your Etsy shop or e-commerce site. You may run a brick and mortar shop and have displays and styled areas that showcase the product and environment.

  • ROUTINES AND RITUALS - Consider sharing your morning or evening rituals. How you prepare for the day ahead, or unwind when the workday is over. What are some things that are important to you to stay grounded and happy? Some ideas may be journaling, prayer or meditation, working out, preparing a meal or coffee, skin or body care routine, favorite books or music you’re currently enjoying.

  • A GLIMPSE AT FAMILY OR HOME LIFE - You get to choose what elements of your life you share as part of your personal brand story. You might include occasional family updates, a glimpse at your home, where you rest or have your routines and rituals, a favorite space in your home or recent project. Find ways to tie these little pieces in as it relates to your brand. Maybe your lifestyle is part of your brand: where or what you eat, travel, hobbies or activities.

  • SEASONAL UPDATES - Even if you don’t live somewhere that experiences distinct seasons throughout the year, there are changes and holidays that occur that may affect your story. And not just nature, but seasons of your life may change, with a move, a promotion or recognition, or life event such as marriage, pregnancy, stages of parenthood, friendships, loss, and personal growth.

  • PRODUCT OR SERVICE LAUNCHES - A whole session may be dedicated to capturing a new product, service, course, podcast, book. So many possibilities!

  • BUSINESS GATHERINGS OR EVENTS - Networking events, conventions, retreats, meetups, coffee with a friend, coworking, launch event, book tours, celebrations, seasonal markets, holiday events. Again, lots of possibilities to share important happenings with you and your business throughout the year! You can look at the year ahead and what you already have scheduled, or book a la carte coverage as these events come up.

So, as you can see, there is a lot to personal branding photography. It’s not just a couple pretty pictures of yourself. It’s showing an in depth picture of your business in whatever way that you want to share it.

Another important thing to consider is growing a close relationship with your branding photographer, so they can help you maximize your sessions and create the best assortment of personal branding images for you to choose from. As you work together over time, they will be more and more in tune to what you need for your specific business!

What questions do you have about personal branding photography? Have you had a PBP session yet? Do you know how to find a PBP photographer who is local to you?

Shannon Sorensen is a Connecticut-based small business and branding photographer. Personal branding photography for small business and entrepreneurs focuses on showing the heart behind the business, compelling stories to help your audience get to know you and your business better, and turn fans into paying clients! Learn more about personal and business branding photography.

Book your branding session with Shannon!

Related blog posts: Twelve Months of Personal Branding Photoshoot Ideas to Grow Your Business, The What Why and How of Personal Branding

Twelve Months of Personal Branding Photoshoot Ideas to Grow Your Business

Not sure if monthly branding sessions are right for you and your business? After all, how many pictures can you really use each month? That all depends on your business and how you market your brand!

Here are twelve ways (one for each month of the year!) to use monthly branding sessions to grow your business!

  1. CHANGING SEASONS - Unless you’re traveling, it can be a bit odd to see a warm weather photo when your audience knows you should have some snow on the ground! Seasons affect your wardrobe, your environment, and maybe your product offerings! If your brand is more focused on personal topics like food, skin care, fashion or family, the seasons will be a major factor in dictating your content.

  2. SEASONAL OR HOLIDAY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - there are tons of promotional seasons per year, and if you are a product or service based business, you want to show off your newest offerings for back to school, fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter, gifts, New Years, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Break, Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, summer, Fourth of July. If you’re a shop owner, you maybe also incorporate seasonal decor and displays into your sessions.

  3. NATIONAL DAY OF….Tacos? Margaritas? Ice Cream? Best friends? There’s a national day to celebrate almost every day of the year, and you can pick and choose what fits your branding that you want to celebrate and share with your audience! Remember - social media is for engagement, entertainment and fun! Your audience wants to see the things that you enjoy that they can relate to! If you’re an influencer, chances are a lot of your sponsored posts could revolve around this type of content! See below for quick links to all monthly national days, weeks and months of observance!

  4. EVENTS - Whether you’re attending, hosting, or planning, you can look at your year ahead and hand pick events that you want featured content for as it relates to food, fashion, decor, planning, seasons, new product launches, awards, and lifestyle.

  5. PROJECTS - Home renovation? Setting up shop? Featuring a seasonal menu? Creating a course or launching a big new product, service or collaboration? Keep your audience informed and excited as you go through the process and share your big reveal!

  6. YOU - This is what personal branding is all about, after all! Sharing your face, at work, out and about, doing your thing, attending events, your style. You should get a variety of shots to maximize your content and be able to use your photos for a number of marketing strategies. This means lifestyle shots, zoomed out and space to add text or info, close up details shots, a variety of poses and actions.

  7. YOUR SQUAD - Depending on your business or brand, you may incorporate family stories into your work. At least twice a year, you might consider a session with your partner, kids, pets, best friends, or team!

  8. YOUR WORKSPACE OR SHOP - Consider a session that showcases your workspace, shop, studio or home. Wide shots, details and you working within the space. These are images you can use throughout the year! Add seasonal shots as you go, and schedule another workspace shoot if you do a major renovation or update.

  9. STYLE - As a style blogger, influencer or small business, you may plan around events or new seasonal wardrobes, gift guides, or travel to feature your personal style! You may have sponsored posts or your tried and true favorite items that you want to incorporate or make the focus of a session.

  10. BRANDED DETAILS - These might be considered “filler” images, but things that showcase more of your brand can help add variety to your content. These might be considered your own personal stock photos. Things like your desk, tools and equipment, letterboards with favorite quotes or sayings, flatlays with an assortment of items. There are so many possibilities! You can also think of your environment, like shots around town or your city, storefronts, and places that fit your story. This may be a harbor of sailboats, a busy city street, your favorite park bench or outdoor seating area at a coffee shop. If your home is full of plants or decor, you may do a styled shoot featuring these kinds of details.

  11. WORK LIFE - Action shots, working with clients, having meetings, greeting customers. Whatever work looks like for you, there are a lot of ideas and options to share with your audience!

  12. MILESTONES AND CELEBRATIONS - Did you hit your first 100, 1,000 or 10,000 followers? Did your business just turn 1, 5 or 10? Did you receive an award or recognition? Celebrate your wins and share them! Order yourself a cake, pop some champagne, and book a shoot!

These are just a few ideas, but even within these categories, there are so many possibilities!

Not sure where to start? I created a 30-day content planning template to get you started!

“but wait- there’s more!” she said.

keep scrolling for daily, weekly and monthly celebration and observance quick links!

National Days, Weeks and Months to Celebrate

Just for fun, here are ideas for each month of the year, specific to the calendar year, as well as quick links to all those daily, weekly and monthly national celebrations and observances:

Plan for the Year Ahead

I hope these ideas inspire you to look at your calendar and start brainstorming for the year ahead! As it is in business, the days can pass quickly. And when you create a clear plan for your marketing and content, weeks or months in advance, you’ll save yourself time and frustration because you’ll already know what’s in your calendar!

grab a free 30-day content planning template

Shannon Sorensen is a Connecticut-based small business and branding photographer. Personal branding photography for small business and entrepreneurs focuses on showing the heart behind the business, compelling stories to help your audience get to know you and your business better, and turn fans into paying clients! Learn more about personal and business branding photography.

Book your branding session with Shannon!

The Creative Happy Life Podcast Episode 1 :: Start Before You're Ready

Welcome to the first episode of the Creative, Happy Life Podcast! In this episode, I’m discussing the importance of starting before you're ready, punching fear in the face, and accepting that done is better than perfect. There are lessons to be learned in every experience, even the ones where we think we've failed.

LISTEN HERE OR ON ITUNES

Show Notes

Episode 01 :: Start Before You’re Ready!

I have a confession to make: I have no idea what I’m doing!

Seriously! I am in the middle of a podcast course at this very moment, I have a microphone and some resources, but you guys, I decided I just have to hit record and get this ball rolling, and here’s why…

I could have put this off for a few more months or another year, or forever. I could have been perpetually planning a podcast for the rest of my life. I could have waited until I was more comfortable, or had some practice, or until I had time to finish my course, or more money to invest in fancy intro music and a podcast editor to outsource the work...but…I got tired of waiting. I didn’t know if I’d ever really feel ready. So I decided to just start - to hit record, and see where this goes!

Fear can be paralyzing, and in this episode, I share a story about facing fear and the idea of being prepared enough. It’s about the idea of perfection and how that doesn’t actually exist. But we put so many things on the back burner because we’re waiting for things to be better or perfect or more ready.

Fear creeps in and tells us to keep waiting. That we’re not ready, not perfect, or not enough.

You have to punch fear in the face and just do the thing.

You’re more ready than you think. That’s what it is to be prepared enough. And the thing is, if you keep waiting until the time is just right, oh gosh, life is going to keep going. So do it. Start before you’re ready. Hit record. Book the flight. Buy the URL. Call the real estate agent. Prepare what you can, but do not let fear keep you from taking that step towards what you desire.

I also don’t believe in failure. Because even if something does not go the way we want or hope or expect it will, there’s always a lesson learned. There’s always a takeaway. There’s always something to gain from losing. That’s why I don’t believe true failure actually exists. You’re always going to come out of it with something. 

Ok, I know that’s a lot to unpack, and I want to hear what you think about all this. If you have a story to share, or strong thoughts and feelings on fear and success and failure, this is the starting point. I honestly didn’t expect to have this kind of topic to start my podcast, but I guess the best things in life are sometimes the least expected!

Now that we’ve started this conversation, I want to hear from you! My goal for the Creative Happy Life Podcast is not only to share stories, and inspiration and creative topics with you, but what I really want is to create a community through an insiders group on Facebook. This is a place for you to be able to go have conversations with fellow listeners and myself, to answer questions, to discuss episodes and ideas, and to get inspired!

When it comes down to it, we need more connection, and if you’re a creative person, you know, creativity sparks more creativity!

So what IS this podcast about? I’m glad you asked!

Did any of you watch the show Nashville when it aired? I won’t spoil anything, I promise, but the lead character, Rayna James, was a country singer and she had a family and through her life she had all these twists and turns, she was super famous, she was considered one of the greats of the country music industry, and she had this song about just looking around at the end of the day, and praying that she had a life that was good. This simple idea that when you look back on your life, and your experiences…

I think all any of us want is to know we lived a good life, hopefully a happy life. When you strip away the extra stuff, the material stuff, the sum of your experiences is a feeling of fullness, and happiness. That’s a bit of an abstract idea - we all have different definitions of what a good life might look like, or what happiness is. I thought I might share a couple of my own ideas of what happiness means to me. 

I’ll start with the very general question of “What makes you happy?”

In the podcast, I list a lot of things that make me happy, including creative hobbies and interests, my family, being in nature, music, art, little things like the first hot sip of coffee, warm blankets and a hug from my mom.

Friends, I could go on for days. Seriously. Just listing off things that makes me happy. And if you couldn’t tell, a lot of the things I listed relate back to feelings. Nostalgia, comfort, peace, joy, pleasure, excitement, satisfaction. We all pull happiness from an enormous variety of life experiences, interactions, people, places and things.

What I hope to explore on this podcast is the fact that happiness can mean something different to everyone. And the stories we share about our lives, the creative experiences and our creative differences - are all important. And worth sharing. And worth hearing. You just never know who might be out there listening, waiting to be inspired. 

Thank you so much listening, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to do this again soon!

Bye for now, my friends!

share the happy!

If you enjoy this podcast, it would mean so much to me if you’d Pin the image below to Pinterest, share it with friends, leave a review in the comments, and join the Facebook insiders creative community!

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