Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Smith-Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lauren, 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?
Creativity for me is really as close to divinity as I ever feel. When I can get into that artist flow it’s really where I make magic and true emotive art. I think that creativity is sourced at my inner child, before any trauma or societal norms were placed on me, just my inner 8 year old who loved art and color. To keep her alive, and embrace my best creative self, I really lean into community connection. I love to host. I love to do things like puzzles and painting just because. Creating just for myself instead of consumption.
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 truly believe that photography is where I’m meant to shine. I can feel it in my bones when I’m creating for my clients and know when we get the best shot. Being queer has taught me very early that I need to find my tribe. I have spent my entire life creating a safe space for the weird and artsy kids like me. I have felt so other in so many rooms and I really want my art to be a place of expression and joy and nostalgia for those who have felt that too. I love connecting with all kinds of people and telling their stories. I’ve told the stories of couples in love, women healing from trauma, women loving themselves, true emotional moments, and fun funky editorials. Whatever is weird and wonderful, I want more of that and I want to tell the story of it.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Running a business based on your art is so hard especially when it’s service based. I’ve been a licensed hairstylist for 6+ years and retired this past August to be full time photography and I’ve truly learned to follow my knowing amongst all else. The clients will come. The money will come. Never do anything that doesn’t sit right with your morals for your business or profit. I spent a lot of time learning customer service and how to professionally handle situations. Talking to people nicely really can go a long way. I take advantage of organization apps and automated systems because boundaries are probably the most important way to ensure longevity of your business. Really make sure you set business hours for your business to do list. Then make time for joy and passion projects. Those will keep the business hours feeling like they’re for something. If you don’t set your boundaries and passion time in the beginning it’s so easy to be a say yes person and lose your vision.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Untamed by Glennon Doyle felt like it lit a fire in me and reminded me who I am. The book is full of small stories of liberation and human questions. The author tells a story of leaving her religious, heterosexual marriage to follow a wild love with a woman and life of nothing but questions. There are so many stories of liberation.
The constant theme of the book that is most important is that we all have an inner knowing, Glennon calls it a wild, and sometimes life feels like captivity at the zoo, like we’re a cheetah born in captivity but we think life should’ve been much more beautiful than this, but it’s good enough right? Meals, shelter, safety. But we’re all cheetahs, and we should all follow our wild because there is a more beautiful life for all of us, but we have to tap into our wild to find it. To be fully happy and ourselves. I think this is true as artists too. We have to tap into our knowing, and trust it fiercely.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anchor.fm/lauren-smith-reed
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citruscollectiveco?igsh=MW1ubjhicHFqMTNoYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
