Your story matters too.

While teaching our online course, It’s become more and more apparent that at the heart of becoming a photographer, or at the point of even being able to take a photograph with soul, you need to believe that you have a story too.

I often wonder if in all of this visual stimulus that we now have, our minds are over saturated with what our photography voice should look like and in turn everything becomes confusing.

So where do you start?

Right back at the beginning.

Right back with you.

Each of you see the world in a different way. We often say to the kids, you can totally do this. IT may just be a different way, but you can still do it, and it WILL be something special.

In the school holidays, we braved taking all three of our children to Manchester for the day. Their age ranges can make choosing something to do together a little difficult at times but we figured the diversity of the city would be enough for everyone. While we were there we visited art galleries, music shops and some really great cafe’s. It made me smile to myself seeing all the students sat with their mac books and fancy coffees, I’m pretty sure when I went to uni there, I just hung out in my room, searching the depths of my mind for something, anything different I could use my visual voice for. Often the inspiration came from places outside of the work I was creating, not from the same subject.

Feels quite funny that today I’m sat at our favourite cafe in Hebden Bridge writing this. I envisioned the same kind of creative spark would come to me while I sat there drinking my fancy coffee, but it didn’t.. and I couldn’t help feel a little disappointed. Turns out for me, I’m best with a little bit of uni style angst rather than taking on lots of the weird and wonderful conversations going on around me.

While I’m sat here I’m suddenly reminded of the wonder that is our very different lives. As mundane or totally crazy things can be, we ALL have somewhere to speak from. We all have things that mean something to us, we ALL have experiences to draw from and messages to share.

When creativity feels to have flown right out of the window, or you need to do some serious soul searching to find a place to create from, I usually find getting out of your usual surroundings help more than you realise. Go and experience something different with your own eyes or DO something with your body and all usually becomes much more clear.

It’s when our heads are stuck in other people’s work too much, other people’s thoughts, that we start to feel inadequate. Those imposter feelings kick in and as much as you may be inspired by what they are doing, it’s not coming from the right place for you.

So try to ditch the internet searching for awhile, go outside into the air and remind yourself of things that matter to you.

Your story will always be valuable if it comes from a genuine place.