Hey Friends,

Justin here with another honest and open letter for my fellow creatives, but mostly a reminder for myself.
I’m gonna be real for a minute.  I used to hate Mondays.  But not for the reasons you’re thinking.  Sure, coming down from the high of the weekend can definitely be a drag and waking up to face “reality” might not be ideal, but what I didn’t like about Mondays is a little different.  The beginning of the week is usually a time to reflect and look forward to the projects and events that are to come!  Every Monday I’d scroll through social media and look at the work that my peers are producing and the places their work is taking them.  Yup, you guessed it.  I was once again comparing my work to theirs’ and wondering why I’m not exactly where I want to be in my career yet.  My continued scrolling was really just me digging myself a deeper hole.  And my slightly jealous, yet “I’m happy for you” double tap followed by a heavy sigh sealed the deal…this Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday and so on) was going to suck.    Let’s all be real…I know I’m not the only one!  WHY do we do this?!  Why do we constantly dig our own graves and burry ourselves in the work of others?  Why are we so consumed by their perfect Instagram feeds and the fact that they have so much engagement on their posts?  While I don’t have the answer to those questions, I do have some solutions to fix our little problem.

1. Stop complaining.  Don’t worry!  I’m not one of those friends that interrupts you during a venting session only to tell you to quit whining.  With that said, we DO need to stop complaining and take a look around and appreciate what we HAVE accomplished.  Easier said than done, I know.  But take a break from stalking everyone else’s IG feed and take a second to scroll through yours.  So beautiful, right!?  It’s okay to be proud of your work!  What’s even better is that the people in your posts will forever be in love with their images that you’ve captured so beautifully.
2. Make a game plan.  So many of us paint these beautiful pictures in our mind but never take the time to transfer it onto paper.  Where do you want to be?  What are your career goals?  Type it, write it, doodle it!  Just put it down on paper and think of how to can realistically achieve those goals!  You’ll soon realize that your dreams aren’t so far fetched and those #goals are totally attainable!
3. Get some help.  I will be the first to say that this step DOES NOT come easily for me.  I’ve found that some networking events just aren’t my jam.  Walking into a room of other industry professionals that already know each other is not only scary, but super intimidating.  But its all good!  Bring a friend to those events OR do what I do!  Reach out to other professionals that share the same interests, aesthetic, ideal clientele, etc. and setup a date to drink some coffee and talk shop.  And I know… you’re already thinking about rejection, right?  Don’t!  It’s crazy how many other entrepreneurs are in the exact same boat as you.  Most are ready and willing to get to know you especially seeing the extra effort you put in to reaching out to them on a more personal level.  Talk about your goals and see how you can help each other to reach them!  Finding your people and building a tribe definitely takes some effort, but it’s completely worth it!  So many view it this way, but our industry should not be seen as a competition, but a way for us to come together as a community of creators and build each other up.

So, I hope this helped even one person!  But like I said, these open letters are really a great reminder to myself to keep on keeping on and to embrace and appreciate those who have helped me get to where I am right now.

May your Mondays never be mundane.
-Justin