Why Aren’t You Facing Your Fears?

I just returned from the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International conference (WPPI) in Las Vegas, and I’m over-the-moon jazzed with excitement! My fiance is a wedding photographer and I work for him part time – hence my attendance at the conference. Indeed, much of the conference was about creativity, technique, and a photographer’s unique eye. But the sessions that got me excited were the ones about creating a sustainable business.

Many of us write as a hobby. We dream about being published and writing full time someday. WPPI was full of practical advice on marketing, workflow, and customer service, but the stuff that got me thrumming with ideas were the classes that asked:

Why aren’t you facing your fears and committing to this?

If you’ve been following my Facebook or Twitter feeds, you probably read some of the following quotes as I tweeted from the conference floor. For this post, I’ve collected them together to share. And boy, do they provide one helluva kick in the pants!

The Hard Truth:

  • “You can be passionate about what you do and still suck at business. Being passionate isn’t the whole picture.” – Jeff Jochum

On Fear:

  • “Fear will cause you to lose focus every time, because you’re looking at all the potential for failure, instead of concentrating on success.” – Dave Ramsey
  • “The more fear we have of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” – Steven Pressfield
  • “The only limitations are those we set up in our minds.” – Napoleon Hill
  • “Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.” – Jaleel King
  • “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it only empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom
  • “Vulnerability equals value. It shows people you’re human and real.” – WPPI
  • “Fear is an opportunity for courage. We are all afraid, which means we all have the opportunity to be courageous.” – D Park Photo
  • “Remembering you are going to die is the one way to avoid the trap of fearing you have something to lose.” – Steve Jobs
  • “Fear gives you excuses for why not. But you can give a million and one excuses for why not. Beware of everything becoming an excuse. It becomes a way to keep yourself from living.” – Jaleel King

“You can either live in your fears or live in your dreams. Most people choose to live in their fears.” – Jeff Jochum

On Compromise:

  • “If you limit your choices to what seems possible and reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want and all that’s left is compromise.” – Anais Nin

On Impostor Syndrome:

  • “When you’re an artist, nobody ever tells you or hits you with the magic wand of legitimacy. You have to hit your own head with your own handmade wand. And you feel stupid doing it.” – Amanda Palmer

Surrounding Yourself With the Right Influences:

  • “You will become the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s always easier to pull someone else down, than it is to pull them up.”
  • “Where you will be in 5 years depends on two things: the books you read and the people you hang out with.” – Zack & Jody Grey
  • “The number one enemy of learning is experience. You think you already know everything.” – Jeff Jochum

On Finding a Balance:

  • “Live in the tension of who you are and who you want to be.” – Dane Sanders
  • “Expression beats perfection.” – Bambi Cantrell
  • “What is it that makes you feel like you’re not good enough? Flip this logic. Define what you love about yourself. This changes the energy from “I’m not good enough.” to “You’re just not right for me.” When you say you’re not good enough. This is YOU rejecting You!” – Jeff Jochum”

This is only a taste of the awesomeness that was WPPI! More inspiring blog posts to come!

“Stop hiding in insecurity. Start sharing your story, and begin your legacy.” – Katelyn James

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9 responses to “Why Aren’t You Facing Your Fears?”

  1. cgcoppola says:

    Awesome post. It’s always good to come out of something feeling refreshed and energized and ready to take on the world. Thanks for sharing this.

  2. L. Marie says:

    Thank you for that. I’m dealing with fear right now. I love the quotes and also the image you chose: “Fear is a liar.” I feel empowered just seeing that.

  3. Thanks Ingrid — I really love being reminded of this.

  4. So glad the conference was inspiring. It reminds me of the War of Art book which I love for its blunt, take-no-bullsh*t voice. It whips me into shape when I need it.

  5. I always find it interesting how different art forms inspire us. The creation process might use different tools, but the feelings around it in similar ways.

  6. laurasibson says:

    I know I’m a day late and a dollar short, but I just received this message in my inbox this morning. Those quotes and your energy are so inspiring! Thank you for sharing.

  7. Wow, Ingrid … I’ll only be able to remember all these wonderful snippets of knowledge because you were so diligent at note-taking while we were at WPPI!

    So fascinating to realize that it doesn’t matter what your creative or business goal is (writing, photography, or anything else) … you gotta commit to your craft, embrace the vulnerability, and knock down the fear and excuses to succeed. That idea is totally universal. You’re awesome.

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