We were lucky to catch up with Jean Maureen Woodfin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jean Maureen , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Finding my purpose and the why of pursuing a career in Photography at the ripe old age of 41 was really a difficult decision for me. I needed to work and contribute to my family and the decision to start a whole new career seemed a selfish move on my part. Having spent 25 years raising children and taking care of my Ill Mother for 5 years I felt empty and without a purpose. I felt too old to learn a new skills and told myself I had no talent and shouldn’t even be thinking I could at that point in my life.
I took a class here and there while still working my other job. In one of those classes there was a 68 year old man who was dying of cancer. He was determined to learn and do creative projects that he never allowed himself the time to do before in his life. It was so profound to me that he was not laying around waiting to die but giving himself the gift of creativity in his last days. I felt foolish for giving myself all the reasons why I couldn’t do this thing. But before I could really move forward with it I had to figure out why, Why did I want it so bad. Once the decision had purpose everything seemed to fall into place. That was 22 years ago and I haven’t looked back. I love what I get to do!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
The last 8 years of my 22 year Photograhy career I have focused on book covers, working with some amazing Indy Authors and models while still serving my local clients seasonally.
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?
Learning every day, practicing to improve your skills and craft with lots and lots of hard work!
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Changing Technology. Keeping pace with the leap in technology is a real challenge. I will keep learning and working hard to fulfill my creative visions in an ethical way and hope the value of that holds true.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jwphotographicart.com
- Instagram: @_jw_photog_
- Facebook: JW Photography and Covers
Image Credits
Jean Maureen Woodfin ~JW Photography and Covers
