Oh, friends, how quickly life changes! I know that many of you follow our journey on here and I try to keep you updated, but goodness, if I shared everything happening in our lives weekly, your head would be spinning! Just two year ago, Will and I were just finishing our honeymoon in Jamaica, without a care in the world it seemed. We were coming home to a rental house where we were paying far too little for the size of it, with minimal bills, both working but with plenty of time to spend watching hours of Netflix every evening and money to spontaneously spend a weekend at a gorgeous cabin, or head to Carowinds on a whim.
Just like we loved the thrill of roller coasters as newlyweds, it seems like we find the same thrills two years later through the highs and lows of our lives. Over the course of the past year, I have been pursuing a business in photography that started with the idea that I wanted to be able to create memories once we decided to have a family and it turned into a creative passion + a calling to serve others in a new way. We became foster parents with the intentions of giving a safe haven to kids who needed it, until I could stay home from teaching one day and have a baby, but then God had other plans.
While at one time, teaching was something I felt so called to do and something that came so naturally to me, that shifted once I became a mom. Of course, I loved my school kiddos last year (they were the BEST!), but my heart is so consumed with my own child that I was starting to feel like I was spreading too thin.
During the year, when I was pouring out to kiddos at school all day, and then coming home to pour into my own little, there were days when it just felt like there wasn’t enough left in me to pour. Thankfully, I was blessed with an exceptional group of parents who were such a support system to me, an encouraging principal, and a loving staff to get me through the year. But photography became an escape for me; a chance to be creative and spend time with adults, and I loved it! I just wanted to spend more and more time doing that, even though I was already so spent. Instead of looking forward to a time to rest at the end of a work week, I looked forward to my sessions, even though it meant more time on my feet.
Throughout the summer, we have had an abundance of family time that has been so wonderful. Our foster love has just been incredible; since my last post she has matured so much, and the time together has done so much for her sense of security. I’m not saying everything is going to be perfect, but we have been coasting on a high streak for awhile and have been so thankful!
In the midst of this family time, Will and I have gotten the chance to photograph so many weddings, and it seems like each time we do, we love the experience even more. We love spending time together, we love getting to know new couples, we love photographing the sweetest moments that we know will be cherished, we love how fast-paced and unique each one is. We love it ALL.
So if I LOVE photography so much, and if I love the flexibility it offers + more time with my family and my precious girl, why should I go back to my day job? A day job that I used to be very passionate about but because of how our roller coaster life has shifted, just isn’t my passion right now…
I could list a hundred reasons why.
-It’s stable income.
-I don’t want to let my principal (who is amazing) down
-I don’t want my students to be disappointed
-I don’t want to disappoint my family
-Self-employment taxes are ridiculous
-I might not be good enough
And so on and so on…
But you know what I realized? I am 25 years old, and this weekend was spent catching up with friends who instead of talking about crushes and shows on Netflix like we used to, talked about marriage and mortgages and realized we are definitely adults. And I could spend my entire adult life being stretched in ten different directions because I’m SCARED, or I could take a risk and pursue a passion that I have been gifted in and still get to be the mom that my girl deserves and the wife that my husband deserves.
So, as scary as it is, I decided to go FULL-TIME as a wedding + lifestyle photographer and I could not be more excited!!
(p.s. I had a hard time titling such important news… if you don’t get it, go watch Parks + Recreation and thank me later.)
Thanks for following our journey! Please pray for us during this transitional time!
xoxo,
Katelyn Workman
