Giving Back
Many of you already know my story: I quit the teaching profession after 11 years to start Danielle Walters Photography. I was burned out and looking for something new. As much as I loved teaching when I started, the daily grind of red tape, ineffective programs and standardized testing took its toll. I struggled with the decision for a long time. I wanted whatever work I did to be meaningful and helpful to the world - which is one of the main reasons I became a teacher in the first place.
With that in mind, I still left teaching. It was largely for my own happiness, but I also saw the benefit of making room for someone else to fill my shoes. Someone who was new, fresh, and fired up about teaching (the way I used to be). The students deserved that. It wasn't an easy or quick decision, but it was the right one.
I have never been happier than I am today. In hindsight I can see that when I was so burned out, even though I was in a profession that could allow me to help others, I was helping no one...least of all myself. In order for me to be a productive member of society I had to re-fill my bucket, so to speak. Photography is one thing that helps me do that. Getting back to the point of this blog entry, I had to give back to myself before I had anything to give to the world.
The road to success with this business has not been easy. I have been on a massive learning curve for the past 3 years - and not just with photography education. No one bothered to tell me (probably because it's very obvious) that when you are turning your photography hobby into a photography business, it's helpful to know how a business is run. Ha, ha! Even with all that, I've found the time to get to know myself better. I've realized that overcoming burnout - whether you make adjustments to your current situation or abandon it entirely for a new situation - is crucial to our happiness. No one can function forever in the final stages of burnout. It's ineffective and unhealthy.
It's like the oxygen-mask-on-a plane theory: you first have to put on your own mask before you can be of assistance to anyone else. Now that I've done that, I can give back to the world...and my world is a happier place because of it. Is taking wedding photos going to change the world? Maybe not, but it has changed mine. I'm a happier, more productive member of the the planet now. Because of that, I now have room to give back to other things I care about: my friends, my family, my neighbors, my hobbies and causes that I truly care about.
Nothing makes me happier than to make a positive difference in the lives of others. It may sound trite, but it's true. Being in a position to donate even small things to causes I care about fills me with happiness. We donate several photo sessions a year to important causes. And, what seems like a small thing to us can oftentimes have a big impact on others. Recently we donated a photo session & print package to my High School Dance Team for them to raffle off to raise money for their upcoming trip to NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The retail value of the package was $1,000.00, but the girls were able to raise FOUR TIMES that much for their trip. Donating that was a no-brainer. It was much easier than cutting them a check for $1,000.00 and had a much bigger impact! I'm so proud of the girls and hope they have an amazing trip!
So remember: you never know how the smallest gestures can help others in big ways. Here's to creating ways to make the world a better place. I hope that all of you will re-fill your bucket, find your joy and discover ways to give back...even if they are small.
