Click Away – A Soul Searching Experience | Personal

When I was growing up, my father worked in the pharmaceutical field and traveled a lot for work. He attended a LOT of conventions and conferences.  My sister and I would get way too excited about the bags and bags of random things he would bring home for us to go through. Pens, flashlights, mirrors, sometimes cosmetics…all with random companies names on them that we have never heard of. I knew he went to these things for educational purposes mostly and to network, but to us as preteen kids, we totally thought it meant to get free stuff. We would get excited about picking out “our” things even though, they would really just sit in our room for years to come.

Fast forward 23 years…When I first heard about Click Away last March, I was ECSTATIC. I am a HUGE Clickin’ Moms fan and give them a ton of credit towards a lot of what I do today in my photography. Me and a fellow girlfriend of mine who does photography as well, were all about it! The Click Away Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. A photography conference.  Conference. Wow, how cool? I can go to this thing, learn fun stuff, get cool schwag from vendors and get to visit a city I have never been before? My dad went to conferences when I was growing up. I’m a big girl now. I can go too. Done deal.

I was completely wrong. Not only was this conference more than educational, free schwag and in a beautiful city….. it was soul searching. It opened my eyes up to myself. My photography. The world. I know that sounds really extreme, but it’s the truth and anyone else who attended will most likely tell you the same.

The first day started with a keynote by  Elizabeth Gilbert who is the author of Eat, Pray, Love.  Seriously? Amazing. I knew after that speech, I was in for an amazing weekend and it would be completely opposite of what I thought it would be.

“Creativity and fear go hand in hand. But creativity should be in charge of making decisions, not fear.”

I got to meet Elizabeth that afternoon during her book signing. She lives in NJ now and we chatted about the Jersey shore and how beautiful it is.  Having Jersey forever in my blood and soul, I felt this weird bond with her. I kind of felt like we should of gave each other some fist pumps (jut kidding, people from NJ don’t actually fist pump), but instead she hugged me, and it was real. She was so down to earth. It was a really awesome moment.

I took a countless number of classes and sat in on discussion panels with artists I have been following for YEARS. I watched image critiques and went on photo walks.  I absorbed absolutely everything each teacher and panelist had to say. My notebook and my heart were full. From technical to photography in a whole, it was taken to another level.

I cried. I laughed. I was a huge ball of emotions. During Megan Squire’s live stream of “Composing a Creative Life”, there were so many things that stuck with me and I keep repeating back to myself. “Don’t be afraid of creativity” . “You become the definition of your creativity”.  “See what could be, out of what is”.

During Summer Murdock’s “Using Light, Life & Movement to Capture Authentic Images”, she said to “Push through your fears”. She asked “What drives you?”  “What inspires you?”  I had planned to answer those questions during her class, but the page is still blank in my notebook where the questions lie. Not because I don’t have an answer, but because it is so long and winded, it’s never going to fit in the spot I left open.

After an amazing first day, we ended the night at the cocktail party. Drinks. Photo booths. Red carpet. Karaoke at a non-tourist bar in SLC.

The second day was the day I really realized how soul searching this experience was for me.  I was able to attend one  of Meg Bitton’s classes. Those who know me, know how much I adore her as a photographer (and after listening to her speak, as a person). She really is quite humble and amazing and brings this whole perspective to life that we sometimes lose sight of. The name of the class was “Pre-visualzation to Final Product”.  Sweet! Meg is going to tell us how SHE does it. I want to do it like Meg!

Completely wrong.  Meg talked about how we should do it how WE as our own person want to do it. “You can not fail, if you make your own heart sing”. YOU CAN NOT FAIL IF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN HEART SING. Repeat that to yourself. I know I have only 35,000 times since last Friday.  It was all about finding YOUR tune to YOUR work.  Something in a rapidly growing industry some of us lose sight on because we are always trying to keep up. And comparing ourself to “so and so”. STOP, step back and reach into that soul bag and find the tune to your song. It’s there. I promise.

I love and adore this little business I have going for myself, but I would be completely lying to you if I told you there were some days, I just didn’t feel good enough and I’m not doing things like “so and so” are doing and I need to be editing more like “so and so” to keep up with what people want. What?! Do you know how ridiculous I sound?  The only person I should be keeping up with is myself. The only way I should be shooting is how I want to shoot. And the only thing I should be doing in post processing besides normal techy stuff, is achieving the final product I envision.

That really made me step back and dig deep down in there to what I want my story to tell. It made me appreciate myself more. This amazing community more. This life more.

No life is perfect. No job is perfect. And no photographer is perfect. BUT, I will do what I am doing to the best of my ability, the way my heart wants it to. I will keep learning. I will keep shooting. And I will keep telling people’s stories through the lens of my camera.

During Brooke Shaden’s “Turning Nothing Into Something”, we got to hear HER story and what inspires HER images as an artist. It was really remarkable to hear what drives her. She said “Believe your imagination is powerful enough to change your life”. There is so much truth to that statement.

Click Away for me was soul searching.  I found things in myself I never knew were there. I found a hidden drive to focus on what I really want to do with my photography and where I want to go with my business.  I feel like I came home a new photographer, artist, wifey and mama. I feel refreshed and content.

There will be some changes implementing in 2015 for Nicella Photography. I may lose some clients. I may gain some clients. But what I will lose is fear and what I will gain is heart. More heart than I already have in all of my pictures and clients.  I am really excited and I hope you continue to follow me on my journey.

I strongly encourage anyone to let go of fear and embrace what you love and go for it.  In the words of Meg Bitton, “You are amazing.”

 

Although I totally sucked at taking pictures at a photography conference (go figure)…Here are some images from this amazing weekend!