02/04/2026
While watching the other day, a lightbulb went off for me.ļæ½
These girls (mainlyā¦there was a guy doing it too) that were DESPERATELY searching for validation in almost every conversation. Even when it was given, they still couldnāt trust it or believe their partner. I became annoyed thinking āthey DO love you! They ARE attracted to you! Quit begging for it, and even if they are lying & arenāt totally into you yet, your self conscious attitude is a HUGE turn off! No one is attracted to that!ā It made me cringe just watching them self sabotage & create problems that werenāt there. Then I realizedā¦itās the same for me.ļæ½ļæ½
Although the phrase āimposter syndromeā has become overused, thereās no better explanation for how I feel as a photographer. I have a damned DEGREE in this thing & have been doing it for 15 years, yet I still struggle to feel āworth itā around my colleagues & online. When I look at the facts though, it makes senseā¦I can see it clearly. I AM GOOD AT IT! I deserve respect & admiration & most of all, deserve to be proud of myself. ļæ½ļæ½
At my last shoot for I was anticipating the weekend into with so much nervousness to work with the bad-asses (find them in the tag and FOLLOW if you know what's good for you). Iād meet & imagined them chuckling in the corner about me. I know it sounds crazy, but last time I shot at a competition it was paralyzing. I made little to no connections because I was too self conscious & intimidated. However, I luckily saw the LIB episode right before I left & it shifted my perspective to āwho gives a F**K?!ā Instead I operated out of PRIDE for myself for even getting the opportunity & total openness to learn, be vulnerable, and (most of all) be confident in my uniqueness. It paid off TEN-FOLD. I had a great time, let myself learn & best of all truly connected with said bad-asses. Guess what? Theyāre just people tooā¦and they didnāt laugh :)
