Where Does Your Passion Lie?

It's the New Year, and along with that comes a time for reflection in me. I take this time to reassess where I am at and plan out my direction for the new year. This year started off at a blinding speed of busy-ness that this introspection was hard. And although I wanted to write something for you earlier, I just couldn't. Until I had a conversation with my husband. In a very interesting and round about way, my husband said something to me that spoke volumes. Passion begets success. 

Passion.
Begets.
Success.

Now begets is a word you don't hear from me often, this is because my husband has spent the past five years learning how to speak like a pompous historian. But basically what this means is, if you have a passion or a drive, you will achieve success. They truly come hand in hand.

This statement came to me at a very significant time for me. 2015 ended on a very high note, but for majority of the year I have been struggling. I live in a new city where I don't speak one of the main languages here. I let my marketing go for a couple of months because I was distracted by other things, and unfortunately that resulted in almost an entire month of no bookings in the summer. Things are better now because I have smartened up, but for a few weeks our household had zero income coming in from my photography business, and I got pretty scared.

And when I got scared I started thinking of things like lowering my pricing (couldn't afford to because of the cost of running this newborn photography business was too high), or I figured I would need to start looking for a new job. 

But here is the thing. I cannot live without photography. I know to many that will sound dramatic and ridiculous, but to some of you, and to me, it's the plain truth. So while I have had to make my passion into a business in order to survive, I could not survive without photography. Also, I do not want to do anything else. The thought of punching a time card in, or getting a paycheck from somewhere else brings on this instant depression. So this passion and this need for photography has pulled me through that scary moment. It carried me through the inquiries that said "heck no, you're too expensive," and it has allowed me to have the patience with those who don't see the worth in what I do. 

If I did not have this passion, I would not be able to get through these rough times. These scary beginning years of a business. But I do know that with this perseverance and this drive to keep growing and keep showing my work, I will reach success. Because when my hard work isn't enough, and when I feel under appreciated, taken advantage of and tossed aside, my passion for this art will carry me through.

Passion begets success.

Where does your passion lie?

When you get scared or stressed FEED that passion. It's what will get you through, it will keep you trucking, problem solving and it will give you the fuel you need to get you through. Whether it's shooting a model session for yourself to let that artist breathe inside of you, or it's photographing your sweet little ones at play, feed your passion. 

They don't call us starving artists for nothing. Whether you are hungry for the art you want to create or actually hungry for food :) it all comes hand in hand, and honestly I would never live a different way. 

So I will ask you again... Where does your passion lie?

Comment below with your passion... I am excited to hear what your drive is :)