What if the most powerful thing you ever did was allowing yourself to be seen?
Let’s talk about it, because this one question is changing my life profoundly. As a kid who grew up in an abusive household, being seen or heard was about the worst thing you could do to yourself. I spent my life hiding. In grade school, I would jam papers in my desk and only toss them out on the way to gym or lunch, when I absolutely had to leave my seat. I kept sharpened pencils at the ready in hoards just in case one broke. On and on it went in an astounding myriad of ways on a daily basis through my four decades on this earth until I was straight called out.
You can imagine that I about died when my mentor told me sternly to STOP HIDING in my business. “What? Hide? Me? I don’t know what you are talking about!” I was called out by fellow photographers for not being the face of my business. When everyone else named their business proudly with some form of their own birth given name, I picked a name that resonated with how I feel about photography and how I wanted my future clients to feel when they experienced my love around the art.
Had I ever been photographed for my About Me page (cringe)? Nope. Was I showing up in Live videos on social media? Nope. Was I hiding in corners eating all the finger foods and looking desperate at every networking event? Yes, like real bad. I had to talk myself down to even get out of my car and go in. Did anyone even know my business existed or who the heck ran it? Nope and listen, if you are in business, that is a huge problem!
It took a lot of therapy, gratitude and self-love to work through the idea that I deserve to be seen. It took another photographer creating a safe space for me to show up in while he lovingly guided me through the process. I had to push through some old scripts and say good-bye to perpetuating behaviors I no longer wanted as part of my story. Hello martyrdom, self-loathing, people pleasing, and dependent behaviors (hoping ANYONE else would acknowledge me). But I think I am finally seeing the light and the transformation. How is it that I could do this for everyone else who stepped in front of my camera, but I couldn’t do it for myself?
So, I will ask again…What if the most powerful, the most courageous thing you ever did was to allow yourself to be seen? What would that mean to you? What would that mean for you? What would that mean to the people you are closest to? What would that mean to the strangers who are yet to know you, but are now empowered to be seen simply because you bravely made that choice to share and to be open? What would that mean to your kid, your niece, your nephew, or any small child who looks up to you…”I learned THAT from my mom!”
Isn’t it time you celebrated the journey you are on, because believe me, you are worth it NOW! You don’t need to earn it. You were born WORTHY of it. Every. Single. Day. And when you are ready to be seen, let me know. Creating a safe space for my clients to show up is what I do! See you in the studio soon!