So... I finally quit photography after 14 years of photographing many people in the DMV and New York Area. This decision was partly because I've been scared of COVID and now monkeypox but also because it was time.
When I started, I was in my early 20s, just coming out of college, was working at my first design job, and then later was laid off—me being laid off supercharged my hustle mindset around money, work, and life. I've become an overachiever, the hardest worker & developed a perfectionist character trait. Those new traits defined me for 14 years, but the reason behind that hustle was because I felt like I would have been a failure if I did not have a bunch of things going on, and I did not want to be replaceable at work.
But this came at the cost of my mental health, being overly critical towards myself and work, and TIRED. At first, me being tired was like a badge. I walked around with that Hustle badge proudly, but over time it was a very heavy badge I placed on myself. Now dont get me wrong, working hard is not all bad. It did help me get my master's degree, talk at conferences, and explore opportunities that I wouldn't be able to get just working my 9 to 5, but hustling is and should always be a sprint. There needs to be a hard stop.
Now that I am older and lived a life, It's worth slowing down and enjoying the people around me; instead of photographing people and highlighting them, let me be the leading lady of my life.
I am walking away from photography; I am walking towards a more sustainable venture and stepping back into the spotlight as the Brandmixlogist.
