As I get older, I'm getting better at looking at things with a growth mindset. As a younger man, I wasn't as eager to embrace new challenges and see them as opportunities for growth.
I'm not perfect, but I am getting better at leaning into that feeling we all get sometimes. You know the one. The butterflies in your stomach appear when you start to believe in your imposter complex. Opposite thoughts exist in your mind simultaneously: both "I can do this" and "I'm in over my head." New beginnings are rife with these, but that's how we grow. Being "ON" forces us to think quickly and creatively. Learning happens while solving problems and overcoming obstacles.
Something that tends to ease my mind in situations like these is being close to easygoing people - people who aren't in a hurry, who are patient and forgiving, and who possess that easy levity for which we all strive. These are my people. For me, having these people as friends is essential, but working with them always feels like hitting the jackpot.
Michelle and Adam are two of the most down-to-earth, easygoing people I've ever met. They both work for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources which means they get to spend a lot of time outside. In their free time, they value being able to fish, hike, gather oysters, and forage for mushrooms in the solitude of nature. They also value each other, of course, and they asked me if they might also include a third member of their family in the shoot: their dog Daisy.
Daisy loved this engagement shoot. As we puttered through some pretty rough chop in Charleston Harbor on our way to the beach, Daisy was unfazed. Once there, she happily snuffled around while Michelle and Adam caught some incredible early morning sun. Since they are both gorgeous, it didn't take much to create some great photographs. It was a windy, chilly morning by Charleston standards, but my models were great sports!
My imposter complex is slowly crumbling. I need to find more people like Michelle and Adam to work with!
