An Update and AN ANNOUNCEMENT *throws confetti*

 

In January, my husband and I went away for a few days to seek vision for this year. We laid our knowns and unknowns on the table and let God show us what to leave on the table, what to pick up, and what those things we picked up were supposed to look like.

I started 2015 ready to dig into photography. After investing a bunch of time and resources into the business side, I was antsy to start shooting consistently. But the ‘business’ kept getting in the way of my excitement. I was ready to implement my plan to take the biz in a more focused direction. However, thinking about advertising and targeting specific markets and how to handle discounts for ‘model sessions’ and …and…and… just made my head want to explode and shut down.

Like most creative types, God created me with an affinity for the abstract. I most naturally ‘think’ with my heart not my head. We already had enough stuff in life to give my brain a workout and I just wanted to grab my camera, frolic off to creative la la land and shoot to my heart’s content. *insert toddler temper tantrum*

I was prepared to put my toddler self in time-out in order to keep pressing on toward the goal of a successful business,  but thankfully God and my wonderful hubby gave me permission to let it go. I believe the hubster’s words were something along the line of  “Recently I’ve come to a new understanding of the fact that you’re a creative…you’re unique…you don’t fit the mold so it’s time for you to stop trying to fit the mold. Be creative. Be free to explore and try new things. Focus on the art and the business will come”

Music. to. my. ears…the Publisher’s Clearing House people might as well have just knocked on my door with their balloons to tell me I’d just won the jackpot.

So of course I immediately took off to start shooting 24/7 right? Unfortunately, no. Because as much as we’d like this life to be about instant gratification, it’s about the process. It’s about the journey and learning to be patient in the journey. Because even though we think instant gratification would be better, the truth is that the journey brings us far more than a ‘magic genie’ ever could. A genie could grant us wishes and give us stuff but the journey brings growth and relationships and experiences that are far more valuable.

To be honest, I wasn’t even sure exactly what photography would look like moving forward. I had clear direction for other areas in my/our lives but not so much in photography. Thanks to frustrating difficulties with the company, this website didn’t even exist for about 2-3 months because my domain was being held hostage! (I got ransom letters written in cut-up magazine letters and everything! Ok, maybe not)

But just as He always does, in His perfect timing – right when it’s ‘time’/needed – God has shown me a glimpse of the future and given me a project to work on. (More on the project in a minute)

If you want to follow a photographer who gives great business advice or who can show you how to edit 1,000 images in 30 minutes or who can tell you how to make 6 figures in a year, then you’re in the wrong place. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you how to make 6 figures in a year – but for now that’s not where I am.

I’ve always had it in my head that a ‘real business owner’ was supposed to have it all together. When I thought ‘successful business person’, immediately suits and briefcases came to mind. I’d think of sophisticated and proper people…ones who might be a hot mess but you’d never know it because they present a perfect facade. Perfect…the enemy of progress.

Don’t get me wrong, excellence is important. Professionalism and high standards are important. Approaching a business with wisdom is important. But perfect is never going to happen. If I keep waiting for perfect, I might as well just shut down this website and hang up my camera.

Soooo, Hi! I’m Erin Kass. As Forrest Gump would say, I’m like life and a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. 😉 Sometimes I’m a polished and sophisticated person and other times I’m a beautiful hot mess of crazy who would probably lose my brain if it wasn’t connected to my spine.

I love (LOVE) people. I love diversity. I love the quirks that make us unique. I love the messy. If you’re deep and introverted and want a deep and emotional photography experience, I’ll be right there with you. Or if you’re silly, goofy, love life and have the heart of a child, I’ll be right there with you too. I don’t care who or what you are, as long as you’re authentic.

Authenticity is HUGE for me, which leads me to the project I mentioned earlier. I’ll write a separate post with more info but for now…

****drum roll/trumpet fanfare/etc etc****

I’m looking for 31 lovely ladies of all ages and backgrounds. The Nester hosts a ‘write 31 day‘ challenge in the month of October. Last year I kicked off my new blog Ready to Breathe during this challenge and as I was pray-thinking through what to do this year, God revealed this project. Between now and the end of October, my goal is to photograph the hearts and celebrate the stories of 31 different women. Each daily post in October will feature a glimpse into a beautiful girl/woman’s world.

Stay tuned for more information! (I totally almost wrote ‘tooned’ for ‘tuned’…see? a beautiful hot mess of crazy lol)  AND if this has already piqued your interest, let me know!