Hello! Hello!
I am so excited to kick off Seven Questions. I get to interview super-talented, people-I-admire, creative folks and feature them here! And I picked Mondays to showcase these interviews. Inspiring interviews seemed a good way to chase away those Monday blues, don't you think?
Drumroll please..... for my first guest Susannah Conway!
Susannah is a super talented photographer, blogger, teacher, author and a fantastic person. She loves working with polaroids.
I don't remember how I found her blog, but one visit and I was hooked. I think it is a rare talent to be able to write about your life tastefully and elegantly especially in this world of over-the-top, bare-it-all reality shows. And Susannah has that talent. She talks about life, photography, raw emotions and yes, grit in such a gifted way that she touches the very core of your heart.
I got to her know her even better when I took her Unravelling class. I owe my interest in photography to her. Before Unravelling, the camera was reserved for vacations and special occasions. But looking through the lens on a daily basis has taught me to appreciate life so much more. And I got to meet some very talented women through this class. Thanks Susannah!
You can catch her at her blog susannahconway.com, check out her e-courses, business and marketing tips at her e-courses link. And you can find out about her books and twitterings and much more.
So here we go!
How did you get started creatively? What set the ball rolling?
I’ve always been creative. As a kid I was constantly drawing and reading and putting together scrapbooks of pictures I wanted to keep, so I knew I’d end up at art college when I left school. It was there that I discovered photography was my great love — three years in a darkroom sealed that love! Between then and now I got a degree in journalism, worked at a national newspaper and later went freelance. In 2005 the man I loved died from a heart attack, and it was my journey through bereavement that helped me find my way back to what mattered to me most — my creativity. I started blogging, picked up a camera again and now I can’t imagine my life without words and images in it.
What inspires you?
Exploring new places with my Polaroid camera. Walking in nature. Decaying cities. Music. Art. The blogging community. Kindness.
When you encounter setbacks, criticism, rejection or unkindness how do you deal?
I tend to retreat into myself at first, like everyone does — I lick my wounds and feel sorry for myself. But what usually turns it around is getting some perspective. I talk to the people that matter most to me — my sister, my mum, my friends. I’ll visit with my nephew and smother him with love. I go for a walk and remind myself that I am lucky to be able to do that. I’ll journal it all out and try to uncover what I could have done better and where I want to go next. And if all else fails, I’ll put a DVD on and cocoon myself in a blanket for a while.
How do you balance your time? Especially since you are your own boss!
I don’t and I wish I could learn the magic formula for creating balance in your life, but I have a feeling it doesn’t really exist. There are two elements at work here: my passion for what I do and feeling the responsibility for it all. Being my own boss means things only happen when I do them and it’s that knowledge that keeps me working seven days a week. I might find balance one day, or maybe I’ll be able to employ an assistant, but for now, today, it’s all down to me. And I quite like that :)
Any thoughts you would like to share on being self-employed and running a creative business. Something you wish you had known when you got started.
I wish I’d known I was actually creating a business; it all happened without me realising it. I didn’t know my e-courses were going to take off, and six months in I suddenly clued in to the fact that I had a wee biz on my hands. So the learning curve has been to find ways to promote my work in a way that feels good to me. And how to juggle all the other hats I wear — copywriter, PA, accountant, PR, creative, administrator…. the list goes on.
Could you share a guilty pleasure? Or interests that are not directly connected with what you do?
A bumper box of Kentucky Fried Chicken eaten with my sister and bro-in-law. And many bottles of cold beer.
Your idea of a fun vacation is.........
A two-week trip to the USA to visit my friends! I love love love visiting the States and can’t wait to get back to New York and San Francisco in particular.
Thanks so much for talking to me Susannah! Thank you for the inspiration!
All images are from Susannah.
Wonderful article! Congrats on a great job. I'll be checking out Susannah's blog. Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Tricia
Posted by: Tricia Leng | June 13, 2011 at 11:43 PM