We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brie Pereboom a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brie, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by utilizing multiple creative outlets, finding inspiration in unconventional places, and prioritizing time to create “just for fun”. I find it helpful when I’ve been busy with photography to stop and take a break with painting, writing, or drawing. I also like to push myself and try other mediums that I feel less skilled in, like collaging, or sculpting. I work really hard to remind myself that not every creation needs to be something I plan to sell, gift to someone, or hang on my wall.
The book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron serves as my creative inspiration when I’m feeling lost. The book is very fond of what they call “artist dates”, which is a date with yourself to “refill” your creative well. Going for a walk, a hike, or even a drive can be a really helpful practice to refill my mind with inspiring imagery. I also love going to places that make me feel happy like a plant store or a library. I love finding inspiration in nature or unexpected places. If I want to create a painting, sometimes I can draw inspiration from a pottery design or a piece of fabric. I like finding inspiration from places other than the medium that I’m wanting to create with, so I can make it my own.
Creativity can often feel like something that we “don’t have time for”. The book Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross shares evidenced-based ways that creativity can have a positive effect on us and our mental health. This is another book I like to pop open, when I’m avoiding creativity. I love being reminded of the power that art and creativity can have on us.
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?
I am the owner and CEO of Opal Hour LLC / Opal Hour Photo. My primary passion is destination boudoir and empowerment portraits, but my creative endeavors exceed beyond this niche. I love celebrating women in all areas, especially local business owners, through shopping locally and offering branding photography. I also have a great love for dogs; I offer pet photography and hand-painted pet portraits, as well. I really just have a love for creating and meeting new people. On occasion, I shoot weddings, couples, families, headshots, and events. If my friends have a need for some sort of photography or art project, I’m always happy to jump in!
My current focus is on expanding my boudoir clientele and creating a more in-depth experience for my clients. So much of my own journey has been through boudoir, photography, art, and creative experiences. I want to curate a more interactive way for clients to be a part of the creative process and help them find ways to document their journey, through the experience.
I’m always looking for ways to build community, share resources, and connect with others. I have a few ideas in mind to help fellow creative entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own business. I’m hoping to launch something in this space, within the next year.
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?
Self discipline, financial education, and mental health have been the top areas that I have been working to develop. I wish that I had more skills and knowledge in these areas previously, but expanding these areas have had a huge impact on my personal and professional growth.
My best advice would be to find people who you feel have experience in the fields that you are wanting to develop. Learn from people who are at least a few steps ahead of you and who are growing in an area that you want to progress in. Whether that person is a mentor, business associate, or a hired professional, ask ALL of the questions. The right people will be grateful that you clearly want to be involved in your success, and that will make them feel good about investing their time and energy into helping you.
I really encourage you to tune into yourself and practice trusting yourself. For some people, it might feel difficult to identify what emotions you’re feeling, or what goals you really want to be pursuing. Finding a therapist or coach who can be a sounding board and offer accountability, can be a great option. Creating time to sit with yourself in mediation or journaling, can be another great resource for tuning into yourself.
Stop trying to keep up with other people or appear “successful”. Tuning into yourself can be a huge practice to aid with this step. I feel like people are so quick to spend money, especially with the belief that a certain purchase will advance their goal. I’m encouraging you to slow down and ask yourself, ” Is this really a good deal?” or “Is this purchase aligned with my goals?” Will this purchase save you time, money, or bring you happiness? Have you thought about retirement? Do you have any savings or investments? Trust me, I know this stuff can feel like the scary, boring, avoid-at-all-costs topic, but it will only hurt you to do so. Educating yourself financially will actually help you build success and make it sustainable.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is anyone who is kind, both to themselves and to others, and anyone who is curious about what this experience might look like for them. I love meeting people from different backgrounds, different life experiences, and different life chapters! So many people say that they will do a shoot when “xyz happens”. Oftentimes the thing holding them back is their weight, size, or appearance. It seems counterintuitive to book a shoot when you’re not feeling your best, but that can also be the time that you need this experience the most.
I think that a client who shows up with curiosity to their photoshoot, will have a much better experience than someone who shows up with a laundry list of expectations. I’m more than happy to collaborate and plan out the photo session, it isn’t about that. It’s about letting go of any grandiose ideas that this shoot, or anything really, will be a one-stop-shop for solving whatever problem might be going on. The experience won’t solve all of your problems, but it can be a great step forward on your journey.
Like most skills, I look at a boudoir experience, as a practice. It’s a practice to show up for yourself, it’s a practice to prioritize yourself, and it’s an opportunity to view the experience as something that you deserve. It’s a practice to show up with curiosity and see how the experience will feel. It’s a practice to look at your photos with kind eyes and encouraging self-talk. No one feels perfect when they show up to their shoot, but the photos become a bookmark of the journey thus far. The photos become proof of all the hard things you’ve overcome and hope of the new things that you will accomplish, moving forward.
If this sounds like something you’d like to experience for yourself, I would love to meet you and help you document your story!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.opalhourphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opalhourphoto
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@opalhour
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
