I have been having fun using my Fuji Instax 210 on a number of assignments. Since I give my clients, the real prints, I like to photograph them for myself too…

A little twirl to celebrate their upcoming wedding.

Garrison and Sarah

Stay Curious

I don’t often share my portrait work, but this little guy’s curiosity goes so well with all that has me inspired lately. During a portrait session, while interacting with him, he was curious about the texture of the fabric and decided to check it out. I love the spot of drool on his bottom lip. Curious, but focused and determined. Good recipe for success!

Are you staying curious?

Ahh, WPPI – so many fun memories for me! My schedule has not allowed me to attend the conference, that I loved, for the past three years. As much as I miss connecting with old and new friends, the break from all of the information/inspiration has been nice.

It’s easy to come away really charged up from events like this, when suddenly you realize you received entirely too much information and you either get stuck by “analysis paralysis” or you try to implement too many things at once. Take it from me, neither place is a good spot to be in. I have been in both.

Whether you are a veteran attender or fresh onto the trail of pursuing your dreams, here are a few tips that helped me make the most of the goodness that comes out of a conference such as WPPI. I am hoping this will help you make the most of your recent experience.

1. Write down the ONE thing that inspired you most. This is HARD to do, because likely more than one thing got you energized. Think about what is important to YOU and how this “one thing” aligns with your vision.

2. How can you put your thumbprint on this “one thing”? How can you make it unique? How will it enhance the experience you provide to your clients/audience?

3. Backlog all of the other inspirational items so you do not loose sight of them. Once you master the “one thing”, repeat steps 1 and 2.

Slow and steady wins the race. Curate your ideas. Master them and make them a natural part of what you do. Remember that even though something you learned makes sense and works well for the person sharing it, it may not be for you. I can’t tell you how many times I tried to implement things that sounded fantastic, but just were not for me. It’s OK to make mistakes, this is how we learn and grow into the creator we want to be. Don’t get discouraged by mistakes and slow growth either. It takes time. LOTS of TIME. I am still working, learning, failing (most times failing forward) and continue to find joy in what I do.

So, What ONE thing inspired you most? Maybe I can be inspired too

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

This is a great video to bookmark and refer too, as you are in the trenches improving your work and vision.

Years of habits and looking in the wrong places can place you in a deep creative rut. Comfort sets in which feeds complacency – a deadly combo. This isn’t to say that the work you produce is valued any less by anyone, but for the creator, complacency becomes crippling.

Every once in a while, it feels good to clean out the head, heart and soul and trash it. Trash it all. See the world with a new set of eyes. Dig deep, look inward and decide what it is you REALLY have to say.

If you were to push the reset button today, what would Step 1 look like for you?

A few months ago I was introduced to this video by Simon Sinek.

Start With The Why

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend taking the 18+ minutes and absorbing it.

“People don’t buy What you do, they buy Why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

Whether you are selling something (product/service) or not – there has to be a way. Doing something for the what or the financial gain loses its luster and just becomes a commodity.

The why is your passion. Why do you do what you do? I remind myself of this video and ask myself the question often so I can stay on track.

We often do not need to learn new things but instead be reminded of the same things over and over.

I’ve never been an overly organized person. OK I am lying. I have never been organized – PERIOD. As shameful as it is, it’s the truth. I am very much an impulsive, go with the flow, adaptable kind of guy. It’s me and I’ll take it. My wife and peers, however like to “nudge” me a bit towards being more organized, because well – my memory sucks! I can literally, be in one room – think of something, intend to retrieve the something and completely forget what the something was…. Within seconds….

One place this is really challenging is when I have an idea. If I don’t record it, it’s history. “Carry a notebook with you.” I have tried it. “Use a voice recorder.” I have tried that too. I have tried writing things on my hands, using post-it notes everywhere I may look and of course i have tried about 1,582 different software apps. Nothing has stuck. Until I met Wunderlist…

Wunderlist is simple and fast. It enables you to make different lists like Ideas, Production Work, Home, Admin, etc…

When I have an idea I open the app, type it (or use Siri) save it and it’s secure. I can also add a note to the idea if I need to elaborate. It’s now saved and synced to all of my devices.

I also use Evernote which is a workhorse, but for quick and easy Wunderlist gets my vote. It’s also FREE.

I just had an idea

Source: iPhone | Subject: Passionate Guy with guitar.

I grabbed this picture on the NYC Subway a few years ago. I love this guy! As we were sitting there, he stepped onto the car, and just started jamming and singing away. Not a care in the world. What a reminder this is, to stand up, be bold and live out your passion.

What are you going to do about it today?

Source: iPhone | Subject: Bryleigh