Picture Your Dreams, Make Them Come True

I am officially 2 months into this crazy photography business idea and I am busier and happier than I’ve been in years. Convincing people to pay you to do what you love is old, cliched advice…but it’s repeated so often because it’s true. Never do I think “Oh no, I have a photo session today.” I always, always think “Yes! New people! New location! New light! I am so lucky!”

ginger snaps pictures collage

It’s been a long road to discover what I wanted to be when I grew up. Until I showed up to my first day of Biology 111 in college I was convinced I was going to be a marine biologist. Then I wanted to be a journalist, a tv anchor, a Pilates instructor, a human resources manager, a house flipper, a real estate agent, a thrift shop owner, and some sort of unnamed, unspecific job that involved being semi-famous and doing glamorous stuff all day. I was somewhat successful at a few of those, incredibly unsuccessful at others and never got past the just-dreaming-about-it stage of most. But once the idea to start Ginger Snaps Pictures took over a tiny piece of my brain, I couldn’t let it go.

Am I still terrified on almost a daily basis? Totally. What if the day gets crazy and I flake out on an appointment? What if I drop my camera and it breaks in the middle of a session? What if my client hates every single picture? What if my computer and my back up and my back up back up all fail? What if I’m charging too much? What if I’m charging too little? What if I am the worst photographer ever and everyone is just too nice to tell me?

Believing in myself might be my biggest challenge. It’s hard not to compare myself constantly to other businesses. There is always going to be someone better than I am. Always. My goals are just to work hard, constantly improve and make my clients happy. It’s really not that different from parenting – except the clients are a lot LESS demanding and easier to please! It’s super cheesy to say that because I believe in myself I’m making my dreams come true, but it’s the truth.

Working hard to make your dreams come true no matter what stands in your way is also the lesson in Monsters University.
collage 1 Monsters University-3

Monsters University-5

Monsters University-7

Monsters University-8

This is the face I make every time someone wants to hire me.

We’re big Monsters fans in our house – we own the first one and I took the kids to see the second in the theater this summer. We watch a lot of happily-ever-after-type movies, so learning that hard work, determination and doing your best are worthy endeavors too is something I’d like to emphasize. Of course the message is cleverly hidden in an adorable, hilarious movie that my 2 year old, 4 year old and myself all liked equally. Plus I hope the kids can see that lesson in real life as my business grows. Fingers crossed!

You can pre-order your copy of Monsters University here! And to celebrate the release, Disney is going to give one of my readers their very own Monsters University Blu-ray Combo Pack PLUS a $50 Visa gift card. To enter, leave a comment telling me about a time you believed in yourself to achieve your dream.   

 

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “”#SweepstakesEntry””; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post”
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 10/3/13 – 11/3/13.
Be sure to visit the Monsters University Page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

 

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73 Responses to “Picture Your Dreams, Make Them Come True”

  1. Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens says:

    I graduated college, with my BA, at 30 years old! I will always be proud of this. There was a lot of doubting Toms along the road, and even more “why would you go to school if you have a job” like attitudes. But I always wanted an education, and didn’t let age, or motherhood get in the way, it was a huge dream realized. Next on my dream list is becoming an “some sort of unnamed, unspecific job that involved being semi-famous and doing glamorous stuff all day” that sounds amazing!

  2. Liz says:

    I love Monsters U!

    First off, here’s my tweet: https://twitter.com/yesnofilms/status/385764453909684224

    I would say getting a job in the industry of my choice was a time when I believed in myself. It took about 3 years but I finally work in the media industry. :)

  3. Krystle Randow says:

    I started at my current job when my now 3 year old was just 1. Coming back to work was hard, I was constantly torn between wanting to settle into SAHM and that nagging feeling that I had let my career driven self go.
    Finances and babyhood prevailed and back to work I went. Minimum salary when I started & at the bottom of the office heirarchy. Just 2 short years later & here i am in my “promoted” admin position, with a lot more flexibility, freedom & a love for my job…something i was SO worried i would never achieve having a baby at home & taking more sick days than all of my childless coworkers. I worked my butt off when I was here, and was able to acheive as much work/home balance as i think is possible. Dream reached!!

  4. Katie Gibson-Stofflet says:

    I have always been heavy but was still pretty comfortable in my own skin. For the last 21 years I have concentrated on my children (21, 17 & 17) and as a single mother for 10 years everything I did revolved around them; dinner, chores, errands, events, etc. Now that they are all “of age” and all are in college and doing their own thing I have decided it is ime to make one of my dreams come true. I have made the decision to have bariatric surgery to assist me in becoming healthy, learning the right way to eat and exercise. I have been approved by insurance, completed all the paperwork, had the physical, scheduled cardio clearance, psych clearance and have a sleep pressure test (I am alrady on a CPAP machine). I now have to see the dietician, exercise coordinator, attend a preop and postop session and meet with the surgeon. My surgery date is December 18th and I am so excited to start this chapter and have my dreams come true. Through perserverence, hard work and determination I will finally be the person on the outside that I am on the inside.

  5. Christa says:

    After hitting rock bottom in 2006 I have become almost obsessive with saving money and sticking to a budget. And after a few years of practice I’ve perfected it enough to be able to live on one income and be a stay-at-home mom! Some days I miss going to work and have that adult interaction but I’m not yet ready to get back in the workforce. If you want something bad enough you’ll figure out a way to make it happen!

  6. Leah says:

    I truly love how people appear to be just flinging their newborns at your for pictures. I don’t even know where I could find that many babies and you seem to have them piling up on your doorstep :)

    MY DREAM? Well, that’d be finally owning my own house. My fantasy dream? Someday opening up my own fabric store/sandwich shop.

  7. Lisa Brown says:

    Haven’t achieved my dream yet, but I stay positive and don’t let others influence me in a negative way.
    jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

  8. Lisa Brown says:

    tweet – https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/385866545215193088
    jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

  9. Mami2jcn says:

    After my parents divorced when I was 6, I had to leave the US to live in South America with my mother. During the 2 years I lived there, I completely forgot how to speak English. I returned to the US and had to go back to school, absolutely terrified because I didn’t understand a word that anyone was saying to me. But I worked hard to regain my language skills and believed I would catch up. Two years later I won the award for top English student in my grade. This was huge to me. The boy who won the Math and Science awards that year went on to Harvard years later, so those awards were very prestigious.

  10. Mami2jcn says:

    tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/385907955813474305

  11. Kelly D says:

    I believed in myself and achieved my dream to attain my MBA, when I was working full time. It took a lot of time management and organization, but I knew I could reach this goal, and I did.

  12. Elena says:

    I achieved my dream when I graduated from college working full time and caring for my baby at the same time

  13. Jessica To says:

    I wasn’t sure I would be able to go to business school and hold down a job, but I was able to do it and graduate!

  14. Cynthia C says:

    I believed in my ability to juggle a job and graduate school and achieved a master’s degree.

  15. D SCHMIDT says:

    I struggled to believe in myself prior to having children, as odd as it sounds becoming a Mother gave me a new found confidence. I try to be the best version of myself possible so that I can be a role model to my children. My dream was always to be content with my lot in life and I truly am.

  16. Karen says:

    I achieved my dream of being a stay-at-home mom! My husband went to school while working full-time to switch careers. Then we moved to a different state and I was able to quit my job and stay home with our daughter. I love it! It meant so much to me to have my mom home when I was growing up, and I wanted the same for my daughter. So now we have it!

  17. Susan Smith says:

    I achieve my dream by working hard and trying to have a positive attitude and confidence in myself

  18. Miranda says:

    I achieved my dream by…tweeting? But really, I believe that writing was something I was supposed to do and I found a way to make that happen.

  19. By surrounding myself with positivity and positive people who believe in me.
    onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com

  20. Jennifer W says:

    I picked my major in college through a high school personality exam…it was the 3rd option for me, so I figured I’d give it a try. After my first year, I had lost my scholarship due to grades and it wasn’t because I was a party girl. It was just that the classes were a lot harder than I thought they would be. I was scared that I would let my parents down if I changed majors and my dad’s advice to me was, “we’re happy, if you’re happy.”. It really made me look at myself and I knew that if I believed in myself I could complete that major. Years later, I finally did graduate in that major. So proud of myself!

  21. Francine Anchondo says:

    I haven’t reached it yet but believing in myself helps me know I will get there

  22. I think mine is more of a “having the guts to quit what I thought was my dream and actually wasn’t” (quitting medical school). This allowed me to meet my hubs and have my girls, which means it was totally worth it.

  23. Betsy says:

    An idea to start a cupcake business (I know, how cliche!), started in my head last year, and took root. I’ve been “practicing” and taking classes ever since. I truly love it, and hope to start a business someday. I’ll be moving to NC next year, and the area that I’m moving to, has no cupcake businesses, so I could be the first!

  24. Jessie C. says:

    I believe in myself because I know I am loved and I achieve my dream by expecting the hard way ahead and taking one bite at a time.

  25. Jessie C. says:

    -https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/388501089026183169

  26. Tina M says:

    I believe I can succeed and I put my heart into everything I do. Set a goal and take action for my dream.

  27. April G says:

    My dream was to work as an archaeologist (my major), but things changed after I got pregnant with twins. I decided to quit my job and pursue my NEW dream of being a SAHM. It’s been tough, but it’s worth it!

  28. Lynn says:

    I achieved my dream of finishing my BS while working fulltime! I am always setting goals for myself to improve.

  29. Tamar says:

    I worked really hard and put myself out there. I continue to do this each and every day.

  30. Erica Best says:

    not all dream have to be big mines is to my a mom one day

  31. Wild Orchid says:

    I believe in my self and achieve my dreams by having positive self talk, and reflecting on all of the things I have been able to accomplish in the past.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  32. Wild Orchid says:

    tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/392309711141220352

    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  33. Knowing that I had to pay for my graduate degree (and undergraduate), I worked as many as 3 jobs while going to school full time. It was hard, but it was worth it! Thanks kmassman gmail

  34. Chelsey says:

    I achieved my dreams because I reminded myself “just keep swimming… just keep swimming”. I put myself through university and became a teacher (with debt that I have thankfully since paid off).

  35. Kerry says:

    I had some weight to lose and with the power of prayer, positive thinking and believing in myself I was able to achieve my goal!

  36. Robin Wilson says:

    I always wanted to be a teacher. Two weeks before I graduated high school life through me a curve and I was diagnosed with Lupus. I wasn’t able to go to college then or later, but later as a wife and mom (a dream I didn’t even know I had) I have fulfilled that dream. I “teach”, though it may be life lessons, without a degree.

    zuzu.wilson(at)yahoo(dot)com

  37. Robin Wilson says:

    Tweeted: https://twitter.com/Zuzuz_Petalz/status/395851041234644992

    zuzu.wilson(at)yahoo(dot)com

  38. maria cantu says:

    I haven’t gotten there yet but believing in God and never giving up I will

  39. Tabathia B says:

    I believed that I could do it and went to school and practiced until I reached my goal/dream

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  40. Ellie W says:

    I married very young and had children. My dream was to have a long, happy marriage, and raise successful children. Many doubted us because of our age, but we knew what we were doing. With faith and trust we have have achieved that dream. and proved the doubters wrong.

  41. Lisa Garner says:

    I became a mom at for the first time at 18 and though I had lost out on my dream of becoming a nurse. It took years but with lots of dedication I finally was able to graduate from nursing school.

    lisalmg25 at gmail dot com

  42. Betty C says:

    Several years ago my company was offering a temporary job in Italy. Competition was fierce and the day before my interview I was so nervous I was quite literally sick. But I knew I would be successful and I enjoyed my time in Rome immensely.

  43. Harmony B says:

    No matter what the obstacles, I believe in myself and have picked myself up and keep striving for my dreams

  44. angie lilly says:

    I wanted to be the 1st in my family to get a college education with honors and I worked very hard both in jobs and in school for 6 years and graduated with my BA of English/Creative Writing Cum Laude!

  45. Dee says:

    I believe in myself and achieve my dreams by understanding that what I have to contribute is of value and by surrounding myself with positive thoughts and, better yet, positive, supportive friends. I also write out inspirational quotes each week and place them around the house as a reminder that I can reach my goals. :)

  46. Debbie B says:

    i have a good life and a happy family and i consider this an achievement

  47. Thomas Murphy says:

    My parents taught me to believe in my self and I worked hard to achieve my dream.

  48. Amanda Sakovitz says:

    I try not to give up and to fight for what I want!

    pokergrl8 at gmail.com

  49. Sarah L says:

    25 years ago I didn’t think I could sing, but I took singing lessons, joined two choirs and have been singing ever since.
    Thanks for the contest.

  50. anna pry says:

    when i was a single mom my dream was to be able to finish college which i did with determination and support from family pryfamily5@gmail.com

  51. Whitney says:

    Ambition and confidence helps

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