We were lucky to catch up with Julia Bri recently and have shared our conversation below.
Julia, 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?
This is a great question! I feel like so much plays into it. One of the biggest things, I think, is the people you surround yourself with. Not only are some of the people I’m closest to incredible artists, but they inspire me to try new things with my own work. Having that inspiration and motivation from people you love and care for is such a beautiful way to keep that fire burning. It also doesn’t hurt to have other creatives in your corner to bounce ideas off of or collaborate with!
Something else I believe helps keeps my creativity alive is allowing myself to be inspired by everyday things. Whether it be the media I’m consuming, the music I’m listening to, or simply little things I see or do in day-to-day life. Sometimes the littlest thing will spark an idea or concept and giving myself the freedom to make it come to life has played a huge part in keeping my creativity alive.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m Julia Bri! I’m a photographer based in Spring, TX. I specialize in families and couples and if you take a peek at any of my social media or website, you may notice I’m a little bit of a dog person. That being said, I’m a huuuuuge advocate for including your pup (or pups!) in your session. It’s kinda my thing. I’ll show up to your session with treats in my pocket and ready to make the weirdest noises possible to make those ears perk up.
I’m a firm believer that every family, couple, and individual is different so each session should be treated as such. I take my time to get to know you before your session and create an experience curated towards you. I’ll help with everything from outfits to locations, even making a playlist with your favorite bands and songs for us to jam to!
Here’s what I think: making memories should be fun. I want my clients not only to have lovely pictures but to be able to look back at their session itself and remember how much fun they had.
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?
Oh boy. I’d say self-confidence, patience, and time management are three big things.
Time management is such an important skill for creatives. My advice here would be to first and foremost prioritize your tasks/projects. What needs to be done today and what can realistically wait until tomorrow? Write things out or time block if you need to. (This has been extremely helpful for me.) Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. Other valuable skills that come with time management are balancing work and personal life as well as learning what your boundaries and limitations are and learning to say no when you need to.
Self-confidence is another big one. And honestly? I think this is one that comes with time and practice. When you’re starting out, I feel like it’s easy to compare your work to others and to feel discouraged. Trust me, I’ve been there. My advice? Give yourself time to find your voice and style. Try new things and figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. I dabbled in so many types of photography before I found what I thrived at. So seriously, give yourself time to grow, evolve, and experiment.
And then we have patience. I’m not perfect, this is still something I struggle with from time to time but I think it’s super important, especially when you’re first starting out. You want more clients, a full calendar, and dream inquiries filling your inbox. I find that practicing gratitude helps a lot when impatience creeps up on me. Jot down the things that you’re grateful for right now and remind yourself of your achievements.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to allow me to try different things with full support. As a kid, I tried many different activities to see what would stick or what I felt drawn to. They always welcomed my new interests with supportive energy and did whatever they could to make it happen. Guitar lessons, dance lessons, sports- they allowed me to try it.
I’m honestly not sure if photography would have happened for me if it hadn’t been for the support and love I received growing up. Because my parents gave me the freedom to try new things, I did end up finding my thing. And I am forever grateful for the lengths they went to to help me thrive and find something I was passionate about.
Contact Info:
- Website: juliabriphotography.com
- Instagram: shootlia
- Facebook: shootlia
- Other: Pinterest: shootlia
