A mentor can listen to your words and experiences, look critically (not negatively but with acute attention) at your work and your process and reflect back to you what is working, what serves you best and where your voice is the strongest.
I think that there are lots of photographers (artists) out there, often women but not always, who are hungry for dynamic conversations about photography but when they extend their branches in search of these conversations, they are most often met with advice from gear heads, or practical business ideas. While understanding gear and how to market yourself is extremely valuable, this is not the type of conversation these people are looking for.
What if instead, we talked about photography (art) with a dynamic, interdisciplinary approach? What if we considered psychology, point of view, lived experience and embodiment all to be on a higher pedestal than technical discussions? I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about anything technical ever again, those conversations in context are both valuable and necessary. But instead what if both facets of conversation went hand in hand? What if we saw our technical choices as emotional choices? What if we directed our attention to how our bodies react to what’s in front of us? What if we created more awareness around what holds us back and what pushes us forward in a given moment, how we would we react in the field then? If we could support our interests with technical choices, could we view technical in a whole new way?
I think yes. How I play with these ideas is the main difference in how I teach and mentor photographers. If you’re hungry for these conversations and photographic growth in a way that feels dynamic and personalized, we’ll love working together.
This year’s mentoring is for those are looking to grow their work (at any stage) and develop or strengthen their voice. I firmly believe that our work serves us best when it speaks to who the artist is and how they see the world in their own individual way. We stand out the most when we are the most ourselves, and yet it is so hard to determine what is unique about the way we see and that’s where support in learning is helpful!
A mentor can listen to your words and experiences, look critically (not negatively but with acute attention) at your work and process and reflect back to you what is working, what serves you best and where your voice is the strongest. This is what I absolutely adore about working with photographers. The same observation skills I use as a photographer serve me to help you sort out where your perspective lives.
I genuinely believe when you give yourself permission to embrace imperfection and allow yourself to fall in love with process, you see the most growth in your work. As a bonus, you’re likely to build a sustainable art practice (and way of being) that is rich in meaning and joy.
You don’t have to be at a certain place in your work to soak in the benefits of being mentored. If you’re waiting until you’re ‘good enough’ the chances are you won’t leap because ‘good enough’ is just something you’re telling yourself. I don’t expect you to be perfect and why would I? That would be boring. I’m not perfect and I’ll never claim to be! I hope to guide you toward loving the process of growth and learning, and I will help you get your work where you want it to be in the process. No artist should be an island! Sometimes the path to improvement isn’t what we expect, and generic photography advice won’t apply to you. I’m here to help navigate what actual photographic growth looks like for you. I hope you join us!
