Birthdays and Bucket Lists

Its my birthday. 

How about that? 

Its a big one guys. 

So big in fact, that I'm having trouble getting my head around it. 

Four. Zero. 

How thats even possible I'm not sure, because I still pretty much feel like an 18 year old most of the time (especially when I think about people I went to highschool with....they can't be turning 40 this year too can they?!?!) 

I'm not going to pretend that my feelings about all of this are figured out and that I'm super chill and awesome about this new milestone. They say it's all downhill from here, but honestly I feel like I'm still climbing. Still pushing boulders up hills in excitement for whatever might be at the top. 

But let's not get too deep here and instead lets look at some cake. 

Since I'm a huge nerd list maker I thought this would be as good a time as any to finally write out a photography/business bucket list. And to be even more cheesy, I'm going to write 40 things on this list. See what I did there? Sooo brilliant I tell ya. How do you guys stand it?

Ok here we go! (in no particular order)

1. Shoot a double exposure
2. Shoot a romantic shot in the rain using flash
3. Shoot a proposal
4. Shoot on a ferris wheel, ski lift or rowboat
5. Shoot a wedding in a European country
6. Shoot a destination wedding in a tropical country
7. Speak at a local or national photography or business conference
8. Start a podcast
9. Write a blog post on a national or large audience blog
10. Be featured in a national wedding blog
11. Take a self portrait every day for a month
12. Shoot a wedding or session in at least 25 different states (four down, 21 to go) 
13. Sell a piece of artwork 
14. Hire an assistant
15. Grow my mentorship/coaching program
16. Create resources and community for introverted creatives and photographers
17. Host a workshop for those same people 
18. Teach a photography class to high school kids or young adults
19. Shoot a session in NYC
20. Shoot an awesome light painting or fireworks shot
21. Have a photo place in the top 3 in a photo contest
22. Shoot an in-home engagement session
23. Create a resource library for budding photographer entrepreneurs
24. Shoot an engagement session with a dog(s)
25. Host a series of webinars
26. Be published in a magazine
27. Grow my email list to 1000+ subscribers
28. Shoot a wedding on top of a mountain
29. Shoot a wedding on a beach
30. Shoot a ridiculously amazing sunset 
31. Publish a blog post that goes viral
32. Book a wedding through instagram
33. Have Paul join me in my business when he is done with the Army
34. Create a 6 figure income with my business so we can give back
35. Attend a Creative Live session in person (in Seattle) 
36. Shoot a wedding in Seattle and Albuquerque
37. Shoot a session at the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque
38. Shoot a surprise wedding
39. Do one creative personal photography project per year
40. Continually learn and continually teach (<---I know thats not really something I can cross off, but it's something I want to strive for!) 

GUYS. That was hard!! I really started slowing down with the ideas around 25. But it was a great exercise to go through to really consider what's important to me and what I'd love to do with this little business 'o mine going forward! You should consider writing up your own photo or business bucket list if you haven't yet!! 

Now...it's time for cake and whatever else Paul has in store for me today! Yippeee!

A look forward and a look back // Happy New Year from CWP

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, as to be expected. The holiday season always is, right? Despite the "busy" and getting ready for all the new year has to offer, I have spent some time in reflection about everything that has happened this past year. And while it's always important to look forward, and move, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time towards your goals...I know it's equally important to take stock in how far you've come. 

Image by Lairsey Paper Co. 

There is a constant struggle to know "where you stand" in the online world. All of our newsfeeds are different but yet somehow we feel like they are all the same. Like everyone else has this whole thing figured out and they are all staring at you wondering when you are gonna finally get a clue. While I may be fangirling or admiring and deep in the throws of comparison and envy about someone else, it's easy to forget that someone else may feel (and most likely is feeling) the same about you. 

So I don't write this post to brag or make it sound like I have it all figured out because 99% of the time I feel like I am pretty much failing at life. In my head I know and understand that is a symptom of our social media obsessed world, but my heart takes longer to catch up. 

Instead I write this post as a reminder to myself that even though I feel like I have so far to go, I have indeed come a long way. I have fallen down, I've had some success, I've grown, I've learned, I've made mistakes. All of that results in me being in a very different place than I was a year ago. And there is beauty in that. 

My 2015:

• I started the year knowing we would move but had no idea where we would end up
• I attended Amy & Jordan's workshop in Scottsdale and WPPI in Las Vegas
• I completely revamped my blogging strategy and stuck with it
• I shot 25 sessions in Ridgecrest before we moved and also 2nd shot a wedding
• I traveled to Italy with Paul
• I rebranded and hosted a giveaway
• I joined the International Academy of Wedding Photographers and am on my way to completing my classes
• I launched an email community
• I moved from California to New Jersey, lived in temporary housing for a month and moved into a new house
• I joined a few local photography groups on facebook and became active in my Rising Tide Chapter
• I booked a wedding three months after we arrived in NJ
• I participated in my first styled shoot and will hopefully be published on a local and national wedding blog
• I 2nd shot two weddings since we moved, one in Brooklyn and one in NJ. 
• I hung out with, had lunch with, photographed and generally connected and became friends with: Laura, Jennifer, Jillian, Nancy, Leaha, Debbie, Christina, Brittani, Chelsea, Michelle, and Amanda. 
• I launched my blog outsourcing services
• I have connected with numerous other creatives online through various facebook groups and have helped others, partnered with others and have worked hard to be a positive and encouraging light within the community
• I organized and launched a massive wedding blog series called With This Ring in which I partnered with 18 other creatives to write posts about wedding related material to post on my blog. 
• I have secured solid connections in order to meet my 2016 2nd shooting goal. 
• I have a wedding booked in Seattle for next year and another wedding pending
• I joined a local chapter of BNI and am excited for the opportunities that will also bring

While I do have some goals all ready to go for 2016...I'm not quite ready to dig into those yet. I'm taking this time to soak in the goodness of 2015.

When I look back at this list I can't help but smile knowing and seeing everything God has done for me this year. It's humbling to know that despite my shortcomings, He cares for me in ways I can not comprehend. My constant prayer for my business is not for fame or glory or loads and loads of cash...it's that He be glorified through whatever it is that I do. I don't know exactly how that works, but I have complete trust and faith that He does. Reflecting on this past year shows me glimpses of his plans and I love it. 

Happy New Year friends! I hope that 2016 brings you love and joy! 

Tell me what you are most proud of accomplishing this past year!!