Photography and Self Care

I’m pleased to share another piece from Beryl Ayn Young, a talented teacher and photographer.  As I know many of my readers are using photography either personally or professionally as a tool for documentation, I’m always happy to share Beryl’s work.  The focus for this latest course particularly caught my attention:  Photography as a form of  self-care. 

I strongly believe in the importance of self-care for care-givers and have several creative and active outlets that serve that purpose for me.  I also know that Beryl has personally used photography as a therapeutic outlet at a critical and difficult time in her own life.  I can’t think of anyone better to share with you the power of photography in this process.

This summer, my mind feels a lot like my overstuffed pool bag.

They’re both filled to the brim with the day to day items that hold together the minutes, hours, days, and weeks that make up our summer vacation.

On today’s internal to-do list: wake up and breakfast, dog walk, playdate at the local splash pad, lunch and errands around town, afternoon nap, and dinner prep with work squished in between and after the kiddo is in bed for the night.

In the bag: keys, wallet, sunglasses, swim suits, towels, clothes, snacks, and a camera.

Days like today are meant to enrich the life of my daughter and fill her days with the right mix of routine and childhood magic. but, there are the times when I long for days that fill me up too.That’s not to say I don’t love our bucket list filled with fun adventures together (I’ll never tire of hearing her high pitched squeals and seeing her happy eyes as she runs through the splash park). It just means that some days I long for moments that allow me to fill my bucket too.

There’s this unsaid dichotomy us moms face when we take on the immense responsibility of caring for our tiny humans. It’s that struggle between caring for them and caring for ourselves.

Which is precisely why my camera gets tucked away in my overstuffed bag each time I feel the weight of overwhelm and desire for self-care come creeping in.

Photography can help moms rediscover passion and purpose in three ways, and today I’m sharing them with you.

1) Memory Keeping

For many moms, the job of family ‘memory keeper’ falls our our shoulders. There can be a lot of unspoken pressure that comes with that task when we long for beautiful photos but are challenged by frustrating light or busy subjects. However, when you are willing to push past those challenges you’ll discover a whole lot of joy that comes from seeing the world in new and exciting ways through your camera lens. Looking through the viewfinder regularly can and will help you see your life with a fresh perspective and increased gratitude.

2) Documenting

After photos are snapped, it’s important to also share the stories behind them. As a mom I’m always forgetting details of a particular event or time because the moments all feel like they’re whizzing by too quickly for me to breathe let along write. But when you are willing to prioritize jotting down details about your photos in a journal you’ll know that as your kids grow and you forget, the memory will always remain. Even if you’ve hated writing in the past or feel like you’re a horrible writer, writing your memories down will help you to become more introspective about your days and allow you to become more clear about who you are as an individual and mom.

3) Editing

So many moms I meet are frustrated with their photos. In the age of social media, professional quality images are filling our feeds at every turn and we feel like our own photos should look the same. Little do we realize, there’s a certain level of photo editing that goes into creating those beautiful bright images. Amazingly however, the process of editing a photo can be both an easy and fun creative release. Learning technical photo editing will keep your mind active, have you learning new skills, and allow you to flex your own creativity muscles alongside your kids (while capitalizing on a snapshot’s full potential to be a beautiful image).

Want a bit more hand holding through the memory keeping, documenting, and editing process? I’ve got a completely FREE week long class coming up July 21st and I’d love for you to sign up. Not only will we edit together but the ‘Shades of Me’ class will also encourage you to explore self-care behind the lens of a camera too. Any camera will do (no DSLR required). Come register for this free summer fun experience by clicking  HERE*  now.

*Affiliate Link