Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Instagram is probably the largest photography referral service right now for photographers who work with entrepreneurs. I started to see Arlene’s work pop up in the tiny Orlando bubble because her style is something I lean towards. She’s been so kind and supportive and I want more people to hire her to take photos of them doing what they love.

I’m an Orlando brand and product photographer specializing in images that help creatives and small businesses tell their story. My passion lies in capturing real moments and emotions I was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and you can find me listening to music all day while sipping my favorite coffee, Cafe Bustelo. When I’m not helping businesses and people with their photography needs, I’m teaching my son through distance learning or watching The Office or The Good Place with my husband.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

For work: putting on my headphones and listening to R&B. When I need to spark some creativity and I’m not working, I love to leave town and head somewhere different, and just look for things to photograph that inspire me. Architecture, cool places, or an amazing cocktail all help with this process. I really think the change of scenery helps me a lot creatively.

What made you decide to start your photography business?

I started out as a travel blogger, and my focus was to show the many awesome local aspects that Orlando had to offer: shops, restaurants and artists, murals and more. I started using photography as a way to compliment my blogs and post to social media and started to realize how much more I enjoyed photography. I started investing all my free time into learning everything I could about photography, from shooting in manual settings to lighting and composition.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

St. Augustine is my absolute favorite place when I need to get away and get inspired. Alternatively, music is really influential to me, from how artists are styled in photoshoots to how they create their visuals for music videos, particularly Beyoncé.

How have you had to pivot in the age of COVID-19?

I started getting more into product photography since it was something I could do at home and not around people, and I’ve actually fallen in love with it! I wanted to bring a different style to the work I was creating so it didn’t look like just products on a white background, and found inspiration in the morning light that hits my front porch each day.

I started doing little shoots for fun and posting them on social media, and those fun shoots have actually landed me a few clients.

How do you find your voice among all of the photography trends??

It’s hard to not feel like you have to jump on whatever is trendy right now, but I want my work and the images I deliver to people to be timeless. With photography, I feel like there is always a popular way to edit at the moment (light and airy, moody, etc) but I stick with editing a little on the warmer side while trying to keep most colors as true to life as possible and maintaining the natural look to my client’s skin tones.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Not letting imposter syndrome prevent me from putting my work out. Social media is great for putting you in front of new people and connecting you with new and old friends, but it’s also notorious for the comparison game. I’m definitely not immune to that, but I try to not let what others are doing makes me feel I’m not doing enough or my work isn’t as good. We’re all bringing our individual talent and flavor to what we create.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Honestly, stop debating and wanting things to be perfect and just do it. Start now. You will evolve and improve the more you get out there and create, so don’t be discouraged. Keep reading and practicing. Do your own thing and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing! Follow your instincts and what inspires YOU and the right people will find you.

Connect with Arlene: Portfolio | Instagram

The post Artist Showcase: Arlene Laboy of Arlene Laboy Photography appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is my friend! I met Melissa via Twitter after attempting to work with two other bloggers to get all of the Florida Bloggers together on one site. (RIP to that idea.) Melissa lived in the same town as I did and we spent many an hour in our local Starbucks bonding over coffee, business, and all of the nerd things! Melissa has an amazing company Jelly Design Studio and has been working on a fun new venture JDS Creative Studio. She is a delight and the nicest human. She bakes all of the amazing things. I am so thankful for everything Melissa does and I’m thrilled to share her work and story here on the blog.

Melissa is the owner and designer of Jelly Design Studio — specializing in WordPress website design and development for creatives and other small businesses. She recently started a new venture, JDS Creative Studio, where she offers Squarespace Templates for creatives. When she’s not working, you can find her reading the latest YA book next to her sweet puppy Luna.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

I always start the design process for any website project on paper. I love to just jot down my ideas and do some rough sketches. My sketches are definitely messy and don’t think anyone will make much sense of them — but this helps the ideas flow for me. I then tidy up the sketches a bit and move on to converting my ideas into a digital design.

How did you start Jelly Design Studio?

I started Jelly Design Studio back in 2012 after wanting to learn a bit more about design and development. I had a lifestyle blog that I always wanted to customize and as it was just a hobby I figured I could learn how to make those changes myself.

Blog friends would eventually reach out asking for assistance on their blog — and slowly it turned into referral clients. From bloggers to boutiques, my client base started to grow.

What started out as just wanting to learn a few more skills here and there — eventually turned into a full-time career that I created for myself where I would work with so many creative and inspiring small business owners. 

Where do you often find inspiration? 

This may sound cheesy but I do believe that inspiration is everywhere that you look. One of my creative outlets, when I’m in need of inspiration, is the kitchen. I love to bake and make all the pretty sweet treats. The process of combining raw ingredients and then using different flavors, textures, and colors to create something fun for others to enjoy is a process that I love when I need a change from sitting in front of a computer.

How have you navigated challenges as we navigate COVID-19 and all of the other things affecting our country?

This year has been a curveball for us all. The year started with a lot of plans and honestly, most of my goals have completely shifted. This year has taught me that sometimes our business needs us to pivot towards a new path and we shouldn’t fight against it.

For my business, I realized that I needed to offer different solutions that can help small businesses in all stages. I expanded my offerings so it can work with a business that is just getting their foot in the door or for a business that has been around for over 10 years.

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

As most of my design work is custom I always focus on what my client needs, not trends. My main goal for any project is to create a website that my clients will love and their target market will be able to easily navigate.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Investing time to learn a new skill or improve on a current skill is something that is a bit of a challenge for me. As a creative that runs a business, it’s sometimes easy to just fall into this cycle where I don’t take the extra time to try something new because there is always something else that is waiting for me on my to-do list. Whether it’s trying out a new process for designing a website mockup or learning a new skill that can be converted into a new offering for my clients.

I do my best not to fall into that cycle and I am constantly adding to my “things to learn” list and creating the time to work on it. A recent example of this was learning how to make Instagram filters for Stories. I  made time to learn this new skill and I am now in the works of designing a new filter for a client.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Don’t wait to get started. If you have an idea for a business that you are passionate about — go for it. We sometimes get stuck in this cycle of waiting for the right time or having to make something perfect before it launches. This is just a way that we postpone moving forward.

I look back at some of my work from when I first started and it makes me cringe a little, but that is part of the process. We grow our skillset, improve our craft, and continue to discover our voice throughout the years. So don’t hold back.

Connect with Melissa: Jelly Design Studio | JDS Design Studio | Instagram

The post Artist Showcase: Melissa Bandera of Jelly Design Studio appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is someone who I’ve been following in the blog world from way back when. She has been so inspiring to me, personally, and I’m grateful to have been following her journey via Instagram. She’s grown so much creatively since I stumbled upon her blog and she is so supportive of other creatives.

Nikkita Cohoon is an artist who designs holistic brand identities for business owners with big vision to help them convey their value with clarity and build trust with their people. She also designs patterns, art, products, and planners to help you find the ritual in the everyday and make the everyday a ritual.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

For branding, I work mostly digitally, but I always start in my sketchbook because I love working by hand. I love trying a variety of techniques including printmaking, playing in Procreate, painting on ceramics, and working with ink.

How did you start Ritual Morning Studio?

After getting my MFA in poetry, I started work as a communications director for a non-profit management company. My writer friends often needed posters for readings, banners for their blogs or websites, and different promotional materials, and I also started designing books for a few poetry presses. I realized I loved helping creative professionals and businesses translate their vision into holistic design, so branding was the natural combination of those things. I started creating patterns for some of my clients and fell in love with surface design as well.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

I take a lot of walks and am always snapping pictures of different elements of nature that I encounter, or even collecting specimens. I’m inspired by architecture and the geometry found everywhere you look. I love the bold graphic appeal of vintage paperbacks, and I used to collect lots of collage material and inspiration from a book repository in grad school. I’ve always loved patterns found on textiles, wallpapers, and inside book covers. Really I’m just always filing away visual information!

How do you find a balance between your service-based offerings and your retail business?

My clients are always a high priority for me, and I truly gain inspiration from the collaborative process of creating a brand identity. But I also find it necessary to follow my own creative curiosity, and I love seeing things I create on tangible objects that can enter people’s homes and give them a moment of joy, pause, or reflection. I find with each season the different things I do ebb and flow, so I can focus on what is most needed at the time.

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

While I’m aware of some trends because I’m part of the design community and love seeing what my friends are doing, my design work is always informed first and foremost by my clients themselves. We spend a lot of time in the discovery phase developing a strategy that considers who will actually be seeing the designs, how they will interact with it, what they’ll be attracted to, the impression the design might make. Those are the driving factors for choices like color, type, and the design itself. For branding especially, we’re trying to create designs that will hold up as time passes, and grow with the business. So I’m using my voice to express that, rather than speak to a trend.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

I’m a very creatively curious person, and for the most part this serves me well. But I don’t have time to do all my ideas justice (at least at one time), so my biggest challenge is focus and what to give time to when.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

First, is it something you truly want for yourself, and do you have something to offer that people need or want? Sometimes people see a person creating, doing, or making something unique and tell that person they should start a business. So I want to say first it’s great to do something just for the JOY of it and it doesn’t have to be a business because someone told you it could be.

But there are also people who just have that entrepreneurial bug and they will feel that calling regardless of what those around them say. For those people I would say make sure you’re ready to wear all the hats, because early days of running your business especially you’ll be spending just as much time on accounting, administration, client/customer management, and logistics of running a business as you will with the creative component (and sometimes more). Make sure you take a lot of notes on what’s working and what isn’t, track your time so you have a realistic picture of how you’re spending it, and set up systems to help automate what you can.

Connect with Nikita: Portfolio | Instagram 

The post Artist Showcase: Nikkita Cohoon of Ritual Morning Studio appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are back with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is hyper-local as another Osceola County resident. I was thrilled to find Kristine’s Instagram and have really enjoyed following her journey as an artist. She’s very transparent with her process, how she creates her work, and she’s undoubtedly talented.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

I started with gouache and acrylic paints but have really loved learning digital illustration. I am mostly using my iPad and Procreate to do it.

How did you come up with Curated Dry Goods?

I wanted something that could grow with my brand. I have big dreams to put my art on lots of different products and didn’t want to limit my brand to just paper products. So, I chose Curated because I make art and Dry Goods for all the future products I’ll put that art on.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

Gardens! My mom has always been a gardener of exotic fruits, plants, and flowers. I grew up surrounded by nature. So I love to visit botanical gardens and her home garden to find inspiration when I need it.

Why is important for you to have mental health greeting cards that give back to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida? 

Four years ago, I was Baker Acted for suicidal ideation and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. At the time, my friends and family didn’t know what to say to support me. They loved me and stood by me, but no one knew how to talk about it – I didn’t either.

So I created mental health greeting cards to make those conversations easier for people who have experienced the same thing themselves or with their loved ones. It’s so important to have a support system because caring for your mental health is challenging sometimes. We need our loved ones to say “You’re doing great, I’m really proud of you.”

Going to therapy, taking medication, and making art have been life-saving for me. Giving to organizations like MHACF, who make finding treatment possible for everyone, is the least I can do to pay it forward.

How do you have a voice among all of the design trends? 

I thought about this a lot when I first started and to any artist who is struggling with their style or voice – it will come with time. I’m doing a challenge where I’m only posting old artwork on Instagram for 30 days. I’m surprised to see each of them together creating a cohesive look when I thought I didn’t have a voice or style at the time I made them. So, every artist has it even if they don’t know it! Keep honing it.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Comparison and perfection! Hands down. I have to remind myself often to create imperfect things just for fun because it makes me happy.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Do something you really love and find a way to pay it forward.

Connect with Kristine: Shop |Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

The post Artist Showcase: Kristine of Curated Dry Goods appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Happy Monday! I’m so excited about today’s interview with a local artist I met at Artlando this year. It’s always been important to me to support local artists and with the weather now cool enough, there are plenty of local art festivals to attend. It makes for a great outing with a little one and allows room to allow me to be inspired. Andi was one of the few artists who was warm and welcoming. She didn’t mind my crazy lady invasion and was happy to do this interview. I’m so excited to use my platform to share Andi’s work and her story here and I hope you all enjoy her as well.

When did you become interested in design?

I became interested in Design when I realized I wanted to create things that would not only showcase my love for Jesus, but also my love for making everything pretty ! I also find it really relaxing and refreshing to create things, it recharges me.

How do you stay connected with the local art scene?

I have a lot of friends who create things around the area, so mostly through social media or by hanging out around social church events.

Which creatives inspire you the most?

Rifle Paper Co is definitely a big inspiration for me! It’s a dream!

What has been your favorite project in your career thus far? 

My favorite project so far has been creating a self promotional mailer for a class I took spring 2015. It was so challenging, yet really rewarding. It also made me realize how much I love lemons ! (:

How do you have a voice among all of the design trends? 

I believe the voice I have among other trends is just making sure the heart of my company and all art is the heart of Jesus. I want nothing to do with negativity. My goal is to encourage people by loving on them and letting them know the value that they hold. 

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative? 

My biggest challenge as a creative is being able to manage my time productively. I am always so busy with my jobs, school and with my freelance business. Life is hectic!

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Don’t be afraid to look stupid!  seriously, this is something I struggle with sometimes. Post whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want ! just do it !

Connect with Andi: Portfolio | Behance | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

The post Artist Showcase: Andi of With Love Andi appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Happy Monday! I am doing so many great things for Studio 404 this week but the best is being able to kick off the week sharing a new creative I adore. Corinne of Stuck with Pins is a talented designer, artist, and photographer who is currently in San Diego making beautiful things. I really adore Corinne’s aesthetic. It fits her interests and represents her in the best light. She’s so great and I’m happy to share her work and story with you guys!

When did you become interested in design?

Oh boy, it’s been quite a journey! I always say that I’ve been an artist ever since I could pick up a pencil. The same goes for design – as soon as I was on a computer in the 90s, my hands were finding ways to make art on the Internet, from customizing my Neopets store, creating Xanga layouts and Geocities websites, to designing Myspace pages for bands. It was during the Myspace days that I realized I could turn this hobby into a full-time career when I landed my first design client at age 16. And I haven’t looked back since.

You have so many skill sets! What is your favorite way to be creative?

I love any way I get to be creative! Although, sometimes I’ll get burnt out from design and fall deeper in love with photography or illustration, and vise versa. Or I’ll start dabbling in a new skill – right now I’m having fun playing around with stick-n-poke tattoos as a hobby. It’s nice having so many outlets for my creativity, there’s never really an opportunity for me to get in a serious creative rut.

Which creatives inspire you the most?

Neil Kellerhouse is one of my favorite graphic artists. He’s a film poster designer whose most notable pieces include artwork for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network. He just has this way of perfectly combining type and image that feels moody and mysterious and encapsulates the overall vibe of the film. I’ve watched movies I wish I hadn’t just because his artwork hypnotizes me into it. It’s refreshing to see commercial artwork made with such intension and passion. Some other various major influencers (photographers, designers, and other artists) that have inspired me over the years with their dark aesthetic include: Sally Mann, Kiki Smith, Tim Walker, Richey Beckett, BMD Design, and Jason Levesque, among many many others.

What has been your favorite project in your career thus far?

The projects where I get to combine both my photography and design skills have to be my favorites. The vinyl artwork I did for Being As An Ocean’s “Dear G-d…” album is a perfect example of this. The band gave me complete creative freedom to do whatever I wanted. So I rolled around on my bedroom floor with my camera, a deer skull, a crystal, and the dusty afternoon light from the window, making dark moody images I’d later combine with scratchy organic lettering and found textures I scanned. When I was on tour with the band, a fan actually made me sign it for him. So that’s pretty cool, haha.

How do you stay relevant with ever-changing design trends?

I’m always keeping my thumb on design trends, especially through sharing sites like Dribbble. But I think it’s important to define your own style and not let trends completely dictate your design choices. I can’t tell you how many designers on Instagram all look the same now. Just because you can replicate the latest vintage hand drawn hipster lettering style doesn’t mean you can create a successful, lasting design. By all means, have fun with trends – play around with them and figure out how they fit into your own work. But seek lasting inspiration from the masters – people and work that have a major impact on the world of design – and learn about why their work matters. I’m partially speaking to myself when I say this too since I’m definitely guilty of sometimes making things just because it’s trendy and looks cool. But when I look back on designs I made years ago, the ones that gave into trends now look silly, whereas the ones that were designed with purpose still have a place in my portfolio. All of that to say: make real work that outlives trends.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Staying motivated and not falling into the comparison trap. I think that’s almost every creative’s biggest challenge, especially in the age of Instagram.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Really take the time to learn your trade and don’t be afraid of being a beginner. I see so many people jump into setting up an “official” business without having hardly any experience, and then they just burn out. With this whole “#girlboss” wave, everyone and their mom wants to be a creative solopreneur without putting in the work it takes to go from a beginner to an expert. Yeah, it’s good business to position yourself as an expert, but I see a lot of people stifle their creative growth when they refuse to be a beginner. Take classes, read books, learn the ins and outs of design theory, glean advice from experienced professionals, share work with peers, and never stop striving for authentic growth.

Connect with Corinne: Portfolio | Dribbble | Facebook | Instagram

The post Artist Showcase: Corinne of Stuck with Pins appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

So excited to start this Ask A Freelancer series back up for the end of the year. I’ve got some great ladies lined up for the next few months with some topics that I really find helpful.

Today I have the amazing Jessica Suhr of Lovely Day Atelier and Kaylee Nicole of Bright Colors Happy Things here to chat about marketing as a freelancer. I met both of these ladies through Nesha’s Shelancers Club which has been a Godsend in need help, asking questions, and being motivated as a lady-boss. These ladies are full of great information so let’s get started.

What has been an effective marketing strategy for you?

Kaylee: Effective marketing is such a difficult concept to understand. I am constantly changing the way I market to see what works best. With how fast marketing is constantly changing and evolving, things don’t stay the same for long. What I’ve found to be the most effective is constantly and consistently interacting with your audience. It doesn’t sound super fancy nor is it anything near what you pictured a marketing director might be doing, but that’s the best way to grow your audience organically – interact often. Don’t try to be phony either. People can sense when you’re saying things just because it sounds good. They know when you’re not being authentic. If you post and interact often, but are not authentic about it, it can be worse than not posting at all.

What have you learned about marketing yourself as a freelancer?

Jessica: Marketing is difficult, multi-faceted, and – second only to doing great work – it’s the most important part of the freelancing puzzle. I’ve found that I need to work on marketing everyday to keep my backlog of work full and to stay relevant and prominent to potential clients. And for me, building relationships is the most important part of the puzzle.

Marketing for a service-based business is very different than a product-based business and I’ve found that developing relationships with people via Facebook groups, Instagram, and even the old IRL networking groups is key to getting the word out about your skillsets and services. You never know if that random lady you’re chatting with has a friend that needs exactly what you provide. And you might be able to refer her to your friend that needs exactly what she provides.

What’s your official “title” and how does it fit what you do?

Kaylee: My official “title” is marketing strategist and virtual assistant. It fits what I do almost to a ‘T.’ I help small business owners, freelancers, and bloggers break down and understand the big, scary concept of marketing. I also assist these passionate people in getting these tasks done by encouraging them to outsource their work to someone who knows more about it – which happens to be me.

What is your favorite social media outlet for marketing?

Jessica: Instagram is my favorite for following others, but for me Pinterest definitely brings the most traffic. I recently started using Buffer to schedule pins and that has helped me be more regular with sharing my content and other people’s content to continue to grow my followers. And I’m toying with the idea of promoting some pins on Pinterest in the future.

Also, networking via Facebook groups has been instrumental in turning up leads and making it easier to warm up a lead before I ever reach out to them directly.

So, Facebook groups and Pinterest are my two favorites, if I’m allowed to pick two. 🙂

Have you booked a project directly from your marketing efforts?

Kaylee: I’ve booked several projects from my marketing efforts. It may sound like I am declaring anything that I do marketing, but participating in small, focused Facebook groups can be the best thing you’ve ever done for your business. I’ve heard many people say that Facebook is dead and that the future is in Instagram or Twitter or even Periscope and while building a following on Facebook may not be ideal or even easy, I have built such a large following from participating in Groups that are focused in my industry. These groups are exactly where I can find my potential clients.

What has not worked for you in terms of marketing your business?

Jessica: Every marketing effort works to some degree, even if that’s just increasing visibility and not leading to instantaneous conversions. For example, some of the local networking groups I’ve checked out didn’t really have any ideal clients for me or didn’t lead to ongoing relationships but I’ve had some useful conversations. I will say that I’ve joined some Facebook groups for business people that I was really excited about, but ended up just being places for people to complain. I quickly left those groups because who needs any more negativity in their life!?

Please share any of your favorite marketing resources:

Kaylee: My favorite marketing resources are Buffer, Canva, and any stock photography website – mostly Death to the Stock Photo, PicJumbo, and Unsplash. I’ve also used Hootsuite, which works just as well as Buffer; I like their interface and layout more.

Jessica: I’m loving Latergram.me to schedule Instagram posts directly from my computer and Buffer to schedule Pinterest posts. And of course there are a ton of fantastic bloggers out there writing about marketing. A few of my favorites, Elle & Co., Nesha Designs, Amanda Genther, and the Nectar Collective.

Connect with Jessica: Site | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

You won’t find anything about the things I do on my own to better myself and work towards becoming a better more skilled worker. You won’t find anything about my hate for math classes or my love for personal development challenges. You won’t find any testimonials from friends, past clients, or past employers thanking me for staying late, arriving early, or going above and beyond to help in any way that I can. You won’t find anything about my belief in there always being hope – no matter what the situation. You would have to meet me to be able to find all of that. Reach out to me kaylee@brightcolorshappythings.com to be able to experience all of the imperfection that is me. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn off the light.” Albus Dumbledore

Connect with Kaylee: Site | Facebook | Google+ | Instagram | Periscope: @brighthappyplnr | Pinterest | Twitter  | YouTube

The post Ask A Freelancer: Marketing appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

I’m so excited to have my dear friend Charisma Moran on today’s Artist Showcase. Charisma is a local photographer who is extremely talented. I’ve never grilled her too much about how she got started and what inspires her as a photographer so I’m so happy to have her here. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I do!

When did you become interested in photography?

When I was a young girl, my grandparents took a long vacation to Italy with my aunt and uncle. When they returned, they developed hundreds of images from their trip. The photos were a mixture of far away landscapes, stunning architecture, and candid snapshots. They had recently purchased a panoramic camera and they put it to good use while they traveled. When they returned from their trip, I sat up at their kitchen counter, desperate to get my little hands on all the photos. Seeing their travels through photographs made me fall in love with travel and photography in the same day.

What made you start Charisma Moran Photography and how has it effected the way you create?

I started Charisma Moran Photography the year after my grandmother and my nephew died. The year before had been incredibly hard and felt so hopeless. Through all the heartbreak, I realized that life was short and I should follow my dreams, however crazy they may seem.

Having so many photographs and wonderful memories with loved ones who are no longer here brought me an incredible amount of comfort during a difficult time and made me realize just how important photography really is. I remember this with every single image I create. After your wedding day is over, after your child is grown up, and after your loved one is gone, all we have left are memories and photographs. It is highly important that I document every memory with love, passion, and authenticity.

Where do you seek inspiration?

I am deeply inspired by music. I’m a classically trained singer and I have always felt a connection to music in everything that I do. When I am shooting, editing, or even meeting with a client, there is a song in my head that is inspiring that moment. I also draw a lot of inspiration from traveling, old movies, and my grandparent’s collection of vintage photographs.

What has been your favorite project in your career thus far?

This question may be impossible to answer! There have been so many projects that I have loved and I feel so lucky to have worked with incredible clients, stylists, and artists. If I had to pick a favorite, I would say it is a project that I am currently working on called Mixed. It is a visual representation of people of mixed race and it highlights the personal experiences that many mixed people go through.

How has connecting with others locally affected your work?

There is a large amount of amazing, creative people in the Orlando area. Connecting with other creative people has been a great way to find like-minded individuals, collaborate on fun projects, and receive constructive criticism on my work. Working from home means that I don’t have a network of employees to communicate with but being able to connect with a local community of artists makes up for that, tenfold.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

A challenge I still face as a creative is being brave and bold enough to put more of my ideas out into the world. I still feel like I hold back a lot of what I am capable of because of fear how others will judge my art. This is something that I am working on getting over and I can’t wait until I do!

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about starting their own business?

Starting and effectively running a business is incredibly difficult and laborious and completely rewarding and wonderful. If you want to be a business owner, you will need to learn to take the good with the bad. You will also need to learn to turn the bad into good. It is not something that you can do halfway. You must put 100% into it if you expect to get what you want from it. Having a dream is one thing but having the tools, time, and determination to make it into a reality is another.

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