We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Amanda, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I love this question, there’s so many layers that it was easy to see the simple message like ‘Don’t ever give up on your dreams’ and not look any deeper. It seems so easy and also so impossible. Looking only on the surface was what stopped me from finding my purpose for years. The message started to feel farther and farther away, when rejection was on repeat. “How much rejection can one person take before moving on? ‘Am I insane? Doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result?’ I gave up on my purpose a few years back. It felt like I walked away deshoveled, licking my wounds, when I said ‘F it’ I’m just going to do me. I’m going to stop caring what people think, I’m going to resentfully live my life, because life wasn’t going to give me what I wanted anyway.’ I was spiteful. Looking back I think that’s what lifted the limits. The ones that burdened me from accepting myself, the rules family and people powerful positions expected from me. I didn’t see it at the time but I was breaking free. I nurtured myself, because no one came to do it for me. I supported myself, because no one showed up for me. I stood up for myself because again, no one did it for me. I only had me. That is how I found my purpose. When the barriers lifted and I became my own best friend, the world started to shift around me in my favor as a by-product. Of course not without flinching of the other shoe to drop. But the self clarity that came with putting myself first said ‘It’s going to be ok babe, cause you got you. They can try you, but we got this.’ I tried to fit into the universal box to become successful to be someone of importance in the world. But accepting, loving, nurturing, supporting and being my own powerful advocate is the reason I found my purpose. I use my power to help others. I poured in my own cup so it can overflow into others.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I don’t know many healer photographers, it wasn’t something I could follow a blueprint for, which is why getting started felt so difficult I almost gave up.
I listen to client stories of what they are working on overcoming and healing. I help them create a visual shoot concept that will alchemize those energy blocks. One that will strenghthen their sense of self-worth and find their authentic self-expression so they can call in peace and balance, with a stronger bond to themselves, with more ease. I provide the most gorgeous prints so that it can be their reminder when they need it.
My upbringing with some great memories in my earliest years went dark until my late 20’s, when I started my awakening, and how all of this got started. In the darker period I felt like an outcast in my own family, so I would often try to transport myself to the happier years by looking and ‘reliving’ the feeling through old photographs. I have always felt that photographs are priceless memories, it is important how you use them though. It can be to escape or remind/reflect. I like to preface. I was ignored, shunned from my own family for not being the version they wanted me to be. As much as I tried I was always failing. It left me feeling like I wasn’t enough and that carried throughout my years. When I started my healing journey and my photography career seriously, I promised myself my business would center around making women feel supported. It was one way of healing my inner-child. I never wanted anyone to feel the pain I felt. Through my own lessons and continuing on this path, I keep this why close to me. I learned that we can be who we aspire to be, we all just need a little help. And in my little corner of the world, this is my contribution.
Healed people, heal people. Loving people, love people. Empowered people, empower people.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First, be intentional. With word, every decision, every move you make. Question yourself, but keep the balance. Ask yourself ‘Why do I feel this is important?’. Get curious with your own motives, it will bring much clarity to your why and how you will execute it. Don’t be afraid with what you find, it may get dark, but you are a complex human, you are safe enough to explore these parts of yourself. And you will come out with more clarity than before.
Fiercely protect yourself. Cut the ties, burn the bridges, set the boundaries and do not let up. No matter what kind of response you get. Only you truly know yourself, you will be misunderstood and even accused of things you know isn’t who you are. It will tear you apart if the relationship with yourself is on shakey foundation. Build that routine, protect your peace, as Kendrick Lamar says ‘I made a decision, never give you my feelings, fuck with you from a distance.’
Everything is temporary, nothing is permanent. I was deathly afraid of this one, but perspective is everything. I was scared, unsure and mean to myself. It’s a no wonder I had this reaction. After some time, this phrase felt freeing. We tie ourselves to expectations and beat ourselves up when it doesn’t come into fruition. But the feeling of failure is temporary. Take back your power, do not let things stop you from your mission. Allow this phrase to free you to be and feel whatever you want whenever you want. Because no matter what, life is going to keep on going. Happiness, joy, sadness, success and failure is all temporary. Lick your wounds, find the lesson, and keep it moving.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
This question stirs up some uncomfy feelings, so it feels like this is the one to answer. I say this is uncomfortable because I do not have a straightforward, pretty package answer. The vision is still coming to life.
What I do know is the work I do, deep feeling, emotional and sometimes uncomfy itself, I would like to work with other people who are not afraid to face the uncomfortable parts.
I would love to collaborate with other types of healers, to host these experiences with for our clients. Human design and astrology is one important to me in my own journey of introspection and feel a introduction for clients could not only provide validation of themselves, but support other forms of healers and healing avenues. I think the world could get use to the idea of more therapy options outside of talk therapy.
Also love to work with people who have the spaces to physically support the work in safe locations to photograph in. We often are working on a full spectrum of emotion, sometimes even grief in the form of anger and sadness. A safe space where the work is supported is my number one priority. Currently the only space is my personal home, which isn’t always conducive for a few reasons. It would be great to have relationships with people in the central Texas area to work with and rely on.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.frenchpressphoto.com
- Instagram: @frenchpressphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchpressphotographie
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/french-press-photographie
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@amandalwphoto
