Speesees studio, San Francisco, CA, One of my studio inspirations, Canon Rebel Xti

I remember my friend calling me the day she bought her first expensive laptop for her budding business. “I can’t open it,” she said. “It’s been a week and I still can’t open it!”

I coached her through the ceremonious ripping open of the package. I reminded her that she is a real photographer and we need to celebrate putting money into our work, taking ourselves and our businesses more seriously and that there is so much power in investing in ourselves.

As women, I think this is a typical issue. We are often afraid to invest in ourselves, to believe in our work, to take certain leaps of faith. If you are like me, you are brave in the ways of the heart but cautious when it comes to other pursuits. In certain ways I have taken incredibly brave risks with my business and my life, but I also see where I play it small, where I’m afraid to grow, expand and be more financially abundant.

For the last 10 years I have run my business essentially by myself. I think I have liked the control I have this way, how contained and manageable it is. I have also enjoyed the intimacy of it, the simplicity and did I mention the control? 🙂

But my spirit feels ready for more, ready to grow and challenge myself in new ways.

In the spirit of this, I rented a beautiful studio space yesterday! I will be sharing it with two people and fulfilling my longtime dream of working alongside other creative folks. I am so tired of working alone! and even more tired of hearing myself complain about being lonely. I never thought I could afford to fulfill this vision (and had bought into the idea that one can’t afford such things int he Bay Area… ) but honestly, I had never even researched how much it would cost. Within 24 hours this weekend, I found a big beautiful space and two people who wanted to share it with me. It’s a fraction of what I thought it would cost and it is what I have always dreamed of!

What came before this choice however was another one: I chose to invest in myself. Every time I have done this in my life, so much opened up. I am so excited to see what comes from this.

Where in your life can you invest in yourself and in your dreams?

p.s. I can’t resist posting the Girl Effect video…
and while I’m at it, the J.K. Rowling commencement speech from Harvard:
The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination