I Was You. I Get You. I Appreciate You.
I used to be one of you. Awake earlier than the rest of the family to get myself ready for work, then getting the toddler up, dressed, fed, off to daycare, racing to work (and arriving late again). Catching glimpses of my little guy via photos on my desk or texts from daycare throughout the day but mostly trying to focus on the next big problem to come across my desk. This time of year, particularly, was full of little proverbial fires, and my head was full of problems and all the ways to problem solve. I had no time to consider life outside campus while I was on campus, and often would spend the 30 minute commute back to daycare on the phone with a colleague or team member who needed attention I wasn’t able to provide between 8am and 5pm.
I’d arrive to daycare late sometimes, crushed by a day of nonstop going, to greet a toddler who was the last to be picked up in his class. The guilt of not prioritizing him over the work that HAD to be done that day would cling to me like a saggy maternity top that I was wearing because - oh yeah - I was pregnant, too.
We’d drive home, hungry (hangry), tired (exhausted), and shove down dinner before immediately addressing bedtime. Back on the laptop after bedtime, with my feet propped up to make the swelling in my ankles go down, finishing a spreadsheet that never seemed to be finished, data swimming before my eyes. My husband would head to bed at 11pm and that’s when I would shift gears to accomplish what little task I could before bed. Searching for a photographer for our newborn photos. Attempting to hold onto my side-hustle photography business (using what brain cells?) and looking for one or two new maternity pieces online because my clothes were tighter today than they were yesterday, and were about to be unwearable.
I appreciate you, because I was you. I worked the 8-5 job, rode the guilt train to and from daycare, spent grossly little time with my family, had even less time for myself, and wished away summer so that I could go on vacation in the fall. So I get it. It’s hard to find time to even think about something as luxurious as photography. So when you, dear client, do reach out, I know your time is precious. You’re busy. Beyond busy. “Busy” doesn’t begin to cover it. You’re buried. Swamped. Overwhelmed. (And also, interestingly, persevering according to Thesaurus.com, which could probably be a whole other post.)
So I’m not here to waste your time. The time you have for photography is shoe-horned between toddler haircuts, swim lessons, and work obligations. You have exactly zero time for shenanigans, unless those shenanigans are with your family.
So, all that to say, I appreciate you. I see how hard you’re working to keep every slippery item firmly on your plate, as you balance it on the top of a stick, jumping up and down on top of a ball. Like your own version of the Cat in the Hat. Thank you for the time you carve out for photography (your future self will thank you). Thank you for trusting me not to waste your time. For the investment you make with a stranger, for your family. I see you and the desperate push and pull to not let life go too fast without a quick pause to document it.
I have an easy way for you to reach out, if you’ve been meaning to but the post-bedtime task list has been too long lately. You can schedule a call right here. I even have one evening a week (Tuesdays) dedicated to client calls between 8 and 8:30pm, for those who need an after-bedtime consultation. And if you’re not quite ready for a call, you can fill out the form at the bottom of my contact page, to get more info automagically instantly emailed to you. Even at 11pm.
