We were lucky to catch up with Abby Sholar Lampton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Abby, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
As a creative, I think it’s pretty easy to get burnt out and lose your “why” – especially when creativity is your job. I find that I am more likely to get in a creative rut when I am only creating for other people. One thing that has helped me keep my creativity alive is to take the time to create something just because I want to, not because I have to! It helps me get out of my head and stretch myself creatively & artistically. If I am only practicing my artistry when I have to, I will have a hard time growing in my craft. I think that creativity thrives when we leave space for it to thrive! Another thing I like to do to keep my creativity alive is to find inspiration through other artists – whether that’s other photographers, painters, jewelry makers, dancers, musicians, etc. I think that it really helps me to sit back and take in someone else’s art, rather than only spending time staring at my own. Not only does this spark new ideas, it reminds me of the community that exists behind art itself. Art is a communal thing – something to be shared with others. Art is bigger than the one person who creates it.
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 a photographer, designer, and business owner in Nashville, TN! I absolutely love creating art with each and every one of my clients. Not only do I strive to deliver gorgeous photos, I also strive to create a fun, comfortable, kind, & encouraging environment for clients to thrive.
I have been in the photography industry for about 8 years now, and along the way I gained a passion for aesthetic development for brands & individuals, editorial photography, brand design, & interior styling. In addition to my photography business, I am launching a creative company called Kindly The Studio (@kindlythestudio on Instagram)! This business specializes in branding design, branding photography, interior styling for homes & small businesses, as well as carrying a brand through the whole design process of conceptualize > develop > launch!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Patience, openness to learn, and connection! Building up my portfolio and credibility took lots of time and patience. It wasn’t something that was going to happen overnight – though I wished it would. I made sure to get practice anywhere I could – even if it was just exploring the city and taking photos with my friends! At some point, I formed a habit of finding photographers and other artists who I looked up to, but would get really overwhelmed when I compared my work to theirs. I think another thing that helped me was learning the difference between comparison and inspiration to learn and grow. By opening up to the goal of learning and expanding my knowledge & skill, I got to take a step back from my habit of comparison. At some point, I also realized that it’s hard to learn on your own – it can feel super isolating. I wish someone had encouraged me sooner to connect with other photographers & artists in the community. Connection is SUCH an important part of my career. My skill, knowledge, and opportunities expanded immensely when I started making friends in the industry! Community > Competition!
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I don’t know if there’s one right answer to this question for everyone – but for me, I have found it helpful to lean into my strengths and be kind to myself in my weaknesses. I am naturally a perfectionist, and for a long time I thought I had to be perfect in all areas of my life/career. I was afraid to fail, therefore I was afraid to do anything at all! I don’t think it’s inherently bad to want to be good at things – in fact, I think being well rounded is great! It is super healthy to challenge ourselves, and I don’t think we should completely ignore our weaknesses. I do think, though, that my desire for perfection became an unhealthy, unrealistic, and unattainable goal I had created for myself that I would never (and could never) live up to. It definitely held me back in a lot of ways. I’m now finding the balance between challenging myself & striving to be the best I can be, and having grace for myself where I need grace. I am also learning that failure can’t be avoided, and that it isn’t the end of the road, it’s just a stepping stone to the next part of the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: abbysholar.com
- Instagram: @abbysholarphoto @kindlythestudio
Image Credits
Abby Sholar Photography / @abbysholarphoto
