I have had a chance to get back and sort of get into the routine again. As the emails have been cleared and the dust has settled a bit I finally have a chance to wrap my head around everything I experienced at Infocus this year. It was a banner year for me. Not just because I now can insist that my partner no long call me Mandi, but simply "the Master". Bwahhhh haaaa hhaaaa hhaaaa. I am seriously loving this new moniker. But mostly because this year I felt was so incredibly full of practical stuff that I could implement in my business straight away.
I rode the bus back from Rotorua and took the time to work on my Marketing Plan and redesign my shop based on the valuable information I got. I had a whole book full of notes that I spent 6 hours pouring over, restructuring, advancing and slashing previous limitations I had set for myself as if they were mere toy soldiers I could knock over with a flick of my wrist. My studio / shop was my only sticking point. I was a bit stuck on how I was going to make it all work and was kind of kicking myself for not taking out a bigger lease for a shop that was at the other end of Jackson street. I waited too long to make up my mind if it was the right move and it was since rented by a frock shop...darn. So I on that bus ride home put it out to the universe that I wanted something with more space and more natural light so I could shoot in studio. As i was walking up to my shop I noticed the shop two doors down had been vacated (twice the street frontage, twice the space, twice the light)....I rented it before I even opened my shop for the day. Wall #1 broken down....what is next....Whoo hoo.
The thing that kept resonating with me was not just the practical aspects of the course, but also this underlying mental games that we play with ourselves. It was brought to our attention by Sue and the Bebbs repeatedly that we were often our own worst enemies when it came to what we could achieve in our business....
So this new studio might be a big mistake....But "What IF" it is what helps me to crack it and really create the buzzing place I have always dreamed of....What if.
If you didn't go to the conference please stand up. Balance on one foot and use the other to kick your self in the bum please. You really missed out, big time. Next time set aside the money. If you have too, have one less coffee a day for several months and then use that to launch your business to the next level instead.
Next year will be in Christchurch, and if you don't go you are daft...there I said it. DAFT. It feels like a lot of money and time but the paybacks I have gotten every year are priceless...and if you don't put yourself out there and try to create something for the awards you will start to dry up in the creative parts of your brain. That is what I love about the Iris awards. They push me to push past my skills as a photographer, to set a goal and create something newer better. To become a more amazing version of myself through the art that bubbles forward in me. And grow a pair and go to the judging...Don't be afraid to hear the judges comments...They are what make you grow and get better. Every year I have gone to all three days and each year I walk out and see the world differently, with more detail, with a greater understanding of the stories that are unfolding in front of me. You can have this too. The best training in photography from my experience has been going to the judging each year...and it is free. If nothing else just go to watch the judging. You will be a better photographer for it.
So next year. The only thing left for me is to get a Gold to move to my Fellow. So here we go, It is my year to work on creating 10 Gold prints for next year....because What IF it actually happened? I am a firm believer in the ridiculous. Let the insanity begin.
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