Have you questioned your own work or struggled with constantly feeling like you aren’t finding success as an artist? Hearing this might help remind you that we all experience similar struggles and many times, we are our own worst enemies.

This past winter, I took a trip to northern Norway to try to capture the northern lights. This video showcases just how hard it can be to show up to a beautiful location and walk away feeling like we got nothing at all. It leaves me questioning myself: “how on earth can I be somewhere this beautiful and not capture anything?” Most importantly, I speak vulnerably about how the experience left me feeling, and it’s something I think every photographer needs to hear, no matter what genre you shoot.

As artists, we tend to put heavy, many times unnecessary, weight on our shoulders to create new work, to stand out in a sea of millions or, at the very least, find satisfaction in ourselves. We create expectations based on all of those around us, and many times, there is no upside to these feelings. Satisfaction with our work is completely defined within ourselves. If you stick around for this entire video, it will hopefully connect to your own experiences. 

I wish more people got to see what struggles we can go through to capture an image rather than just the final result. We all consume the end product and never quite know what it took to get there.