Two weeks ago I spent my twenty-fourth birthday overlooking Portlaoise, Ireland from the ruins of a castle built in the 9th century. I photographed my first major styled shoot and followed it up by getting margherita pizza and Peroni in Dublin to celebrate. It is crazy to me to think of how much has changed in the last year but I credit so much of it to this absurd habit of mine to stubbornly fixate myself on seemingly unattainable goals. I had it in my head around this time last year that I was going to pick up film photography, attend the workshop of my dreams, and finally travel back to Europe.
This year, I figured I would roll with it and put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard – and jot down small goals to accomplish over the next year —
Shoot. More personal work and styled shoots. If this trip has taught me anything at all, it is that there is no better ego boost than putting something together entirely on your own or by collaborating with likeminded people. Working on editing this shoot from Ireland for the past week has been so reinvigorating after my busiest wedding season yet and it has shown me that there is nothing more important to my career than keeping the feeling that led me to it in the first place alive and well.
Travel. To at least one new place I haven’t been. Scandinavia is calling my name and Norway is looking more appealing than ever.
Rebrand. The last few years while building my business, the focus has really been on just getting a name out there, building a style, and figuring out where I want this to go. Now that I feel like I finally have (most of) it figured out, I really want to focus on developing it into something that really reflects who I am, and creating an experience for my couples that makes them feel like they are the most important people in the world.
Explore. Different creative mediums. Even being in a creative field, things can sometimes feel stale and repetitive. Branching out into other things like making behind the scenes videos and taking a calligraphy class are things that have been on my mind for ages.
Create. A home. After moving out of our condo in Toronto and temporarily living with our parents with dual custody of the dog, I am so ready to purchase our new home and actually make it our own. We missed the mark in our last apartment which didn’t have a single photo or piece of artwork on the walls, and really took “minimal” to a new level. I want to spend time this year taking my own advice by doing small things like having family photos taken professionally and framing a few for the mantle.
Comment below with any goals you want to accomplish over the next year! I would love to hear what is on the top of your list!