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.

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.

Personal Branding Tip 01: Show Us Your Face

Hey there! Just a note to let you know this post contains affiliate links through which if you choose to click through and purchase items, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help offset the costs of running this blog and site. Thanks!

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!

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Dreaming Big Creative Business Dreams

So, we're well into the new year....at least it feels like it. I intentionally avoided making resolutions because I know myself and by February I'll be looking at a list of these resolutions thinking "Hey girl, what were you thinking?" I tend to live an unplanned life, open to change and new directions, and while goal-setting is an admirable practice, it just hasn't been for me. I wind up disappointed in myself for not losing the weight, saving the money, keeping my house spotless and the other 5-10 things I try to convince myself I am capable of while running a business from home with a 4 year old and a baby on the way. 

Call it self awareness? Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit and I'm actually just lazy. It doesn't matter. I know myself well enough to know that setting goals is not my forte. 

But goodness gracious, I'm a dreamer. 

When I started my business 7 years ago, I dreamed of a day I'd be able to work from home and have a flexible schedule and do the mommy things I knew I'd want to do and live a life doing work I was truly proud of - and now I'm in the midst of that dream. It's reality. It's a lot of hard work and constantly trying to find the balance between working and being mom, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It seemed so far away for so long, I had so many days I'd come home from my office job feeling defeated, like I'd never actually reach the point where I could leave the life of working towards someone else's vision. 

And it's not easy, not by a long shot. There are still days of feeling defeated or uncertain, where I question if I'm actually kidding myself and should go get a job with regular hours and regular pay. But there's that part of me that will never give up because I hand over photos to a client and know that I am giving them something so incredibly special, that they'll treasure the way I treasure photos of my own family. It's about so much more than hours worked and money and the physical and mental wear and tear this job takes. It's having the privilege of witnessing some of the most special and personal moments in someone's life and ensuring that those memories are documented and treated like they're more precious than gold. 

So I keep showing up and dreaming big dreams, because I want to keep reaching higher and seeing where I can go from here. Instead of resolutions for a year, I dream of where I want to be next year, or five or ten years from now. Here are a few of my big, badass dreams on the horizon...

Open a studio.

I'm dreaming of having a space of my own where I can work, shoot and meet with clients privately. I'm picturing industrial, exposed brick with tall windows, maybe an old mill building. Funky but comfortable vibe. 

Get published.

I need to step outside my comfort zone and start collaborating with so many of the amazingly talented local New England vendors to make some big and beautiful shoots happen.

Shoot elopements worldwide.

Whether they're in Hartford or Boston or NYC or the Caribbean or Paris. Just saying. I'm not picky. Any day of the week, I love photographing couples who are eager to get started on married life. 

Shoot more documentary sessions with families. 

Raw, emotional, active, playful photos without a bit of posing. Tell these stories and inspire people to want more of these kinds of sessions. 

Hire an assistant.

If I had someone else to do more of the business end of things, I could spend more time on the art. 

And on a personal note, I'm going to add:

Buy a house.

Like a studio space, I want a home that we can call our own. A place that we can paint, knock down walls, do renovation projects, and really make our own. So the kids can come home from school and have a yard to go play in and a neighborhood to go bike riding and where we have some space to breathe. 

What are you dreaming of in the near to distant future? What steps can you start taking to make them a reality? How can I help and cheer you on?

Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. And please keep dreaming.