When I started my own business, I jumped headfirst into the wedding photography industry. Little did I know what I was getting into.
So far, I think I've done fairly well. However, I have much more to learn - not just about photography, but also about business and marketing.
Once upon a time I attended The Art Institute for Graphic Design. So 'designing' a website shouldn't be an issue, one would think. However, just making something pretty isn't the entire picture - I have a brand to promote, and there is an image that needs conceptualizing, a logo or 'Face' that needs developing, and all of these things need to work together fluidly.
To be honest, designing projects for school was INFINITELY easier. Why?
Well, because you were given about 5 bullet points to work with, to describe an entire corporation or business, or a mission statement, and a product.
But an individual has layers upon layers of personality awesomeness to draw from. And designing for myself? I know myself better than anyone. I really want my 'brand' to represent me, for people to feel like my website is a true reflection of me, my work, and what I'm all about.
Because of that, I am struggling. I simply have a plethora of material (the material being my personality, in this case) to draw on. No simple mission statement. No 5 neatly bulleted points to incorporate, here. Just me, me, and more of me. And when you LOVE everything, as I do, it's easy to get distracted.
So I had to re-frame my thinking. I was letting my 'frame', the imaginary creative box in which I was cramming website ideas and design elements, be TOO large, and TOO infinite. Not every single facet of my personality is applicable to my business. It was, and continues to be, my passion for my work that blurs the line between Samantha Renn and Arms Up Photography. I invest my whole self in my work endeavors, and they become emotional works of art to me. Gifts that I give clients, really.
While I don't regret that in the least (because it makes my work more emotionally powerful, and wedding photography is an emotional industry), it makes it difficult for me to narrow down what actually SHOULD be included in my website. I've written my own mission statement, made a bulleted list, and tried a dozen other 'tricks' to narrow down the list. But it has been a struggle, and thus, my website has seen several re-designs so far. And I'm in the midst of another.
But I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing; I'm only in the first year, and I think this is part of the feeling out process - testing the water, and growing fins. Learning what works and what doesn't. Re-evaluating myself with such a microscope, and being open to change, will only strengthen my foundations.
Upon further examination, that open-topped idea box isn't such a bad thing afterall.
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