You could wear the same dress twice with the same makeup and accessories, but the essence of the moment captured will always be different… That’s why I love photography because that moment captured is frozen in time and has its own aesthetic.

Being a creative is more than hard work especially with the surge of social media, comparing yourself to others and in this day and age when everyone considers themselves a creative or social media influencer, it’s becoming harder to set yourself apart.

The question we must ask ourselves is what sets us apart from the mob of creatives out there. What other services do we provide that makes people choose us over the plethora of choices social media bombards them with? As creatives, are we confident in our craft or in constant competition with others? These are questions that I battle with daily… maybe not daily but they tend to pop up unannounced lol!

As a photographer, I am still growing in my craft, I struggle with self-doubt because I compare myself to others, always wonder if people will see my vision when I put my work out there, how many nods I will gain and how bad I will be critiqued. It’s a nerve wracking yet exciting feeling; the calm before the storm before I release new material because we are our harshest critics and our only limit.

In my moments of wallowing in self-pity and harsh self-critique, I was reminded by a fellow creative that ‘the moment you start being comfortable is the moment you become complacent’. So, some nerves and self-awareness enables us to fail, learn and grow into the creatives we are to become.

I fell into this self-depreciating thought that less likes on social media equals incompetency (don’t act like that never crossed your mind… maybe it didn’t and I am the only one out here who is crazy)
But perception is everything because I have reached out to collaborate with other creatives and was rejected because of my number of followers as they assumed I cant make a difference, which hurt!
Also when it concerns costs, people don’t respect your craft and want to pay based on their budget rather than your talent, so it is frustrating being a creative sometimes..

A friend/Vintage Fashion Designer Bettina Coleman encouraged me to stop looking for validation and wasting my creativity on social media and submit my photos for online magazines to be published and critiqued by fashion editors. I was hesitant if the magazines would think my work worthy or would I get rejection after rejection after loads of time and energy put in. I took her advice and still in awe that I got published… after some rejections LOL! I have to tell you, seeing your creativity and your name in print in a magazine is a WHOLE snack ( I think that’s what the kids are saying these days Lol! )

Dare I say being published in a magazine gave me a little renewed confidence (I still have many self-doubt moments … I am a work in progress) and I am learning to appreciate the creative process, not compete with anyone and continually delve into my imagination.

It takes courage to create and As I learn, fail, fall to the ground and get back up, I am reminded that our creativity evolves with our growth so never stop learning and pushing yourself.
As a creative, inspiration comes in different forms, it could be from a mood board on Pinterest, a work of art at a museum, browsing through social media or even seeing a piece of clothing, but always be reminded no matter where your inspiration hailed from, make it original and make it your own, don’t be a copy cat!
It takes a team to execute a vision but when you are starting out and don’t have money to pay others or college credits to offer for interns, you will learn how to multitask and collaborate with others.

To all the creatives I have worked with, others I have met, the ones that have been influential In speaking positivity in my journey, big thanks to you for believing in my crazy ideas and daring to believe that I can be an inspiration and one who someone aspires to be. Cheers.

As a creative, what is your greatest challenge, how do you get your creative juices flowing and who are you creating for? Yourself? For social media validation or are you leaving a legacy?