Meet Stephanie Leaver

We recently connected with Stephanie Leaver and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

I’ve experienced burnout multiple times, and each time I come out the other side, I’m reminded how beautiful renewal can be. Burnout is real, especially as a creative and as a mother. Sometimes it sneaks in quietly and wears you down slowly day by day, and other times it hits like a wave all at once. I’ve lived through both.

For me, burnout has become a signal to pause and reset my priorities. Running a creative business is deeply rewarding, but it’s also demanding. From market setups and teardowns to travel, photography sessions for both creative and commercial work, inventory, bookkeeping, and taxes, the constant hustle takes a toll. I remember a season recently when I was doing events almost every weekend, and instead of feeling energized by them, I found myself dreading the process. That was a wake-up call.

To overcome it, I intentionally stepped back. I took a couple of months away from constant events to focus on my health, my family, and simply resting. That time allowed me to breathe, get organized, and truly enjoy being present with the people I love. As a Christian, spending quiet, intentional time in God’s Word helped me realign not just my schedule, but my heart.

What I’ve learned is that rest—physically, mentally, and emotionally—isn’t wasted time. It’s what keeps me grounded, creative, and able to keep moving forward with purpose.

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?

My name is Stephanie Leaver, and I am a fine art photographer and proud owner of Stephanie Paige Photography LLC, based in sunny southwest Florida. My photography spans fine art macro and nature, landscapes, wildlife, portraits, and product photography. At the heart of my work is authenticity; I create without digital enhancements or AI. Photography, at its core, is painting with light, and I want to honor it that way. I believe our world was made perfectly and beautifully, so why change it? Artistically, I draw inspiration from Surrealism and BioArt, which influence the way I approach the natural world through my lens.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts from Western Michigan University’s Gwen Frostic School of Art, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022. Over the years, my work has been recognized both nationally and internationally through awards, publications, and exhibitions. Beyond my personal practice, I serve as Vice President of The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island, a nonprofit dedicated to furthering and showcasing the arts. I’m also a founding artist of Gulf Coast Artists and teach with the Sarasota Photography Group. Looking back, I can hardly believe I’ve been doing photography professionally for almost 10 years and it’s humbling and exciting to see how far I’ve grown both as an artist and as a person.

Currently, I showcase and sell my work at local art and craft markets as well as in galleries. My fine art products range from prints and framed works to canvas and metal pieces, greeting cards, postcards, mugs, bags, mousepads, calendars, and magnets. Expanding into new markets and communities has been a rewarding challenge, and I look forward to continuing to grow into other areas.

At the end of the day, though, I’m more than just an artist. I’m a wife to my high school sweetheart and a mother to the sweetest toddler, with another little one on the way. Balancing motherhood and a creative career can be hectic, but I’m deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I’ve received from friends, family, colleagues, and fellow creatives along the journey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are perseverance, authenticity, and community.

Perseverance has carried me through seasons of burnout, setbacks, and self-doubt. Running a creative business isn’t easy. There are long days, countless details, and plenty of moments where things don’t go as planned, but what has made the difference is choosing to keep showing up, even when it’s hard or tiring. Perseverance doesn’t mean ignoring exhaustion; it means pressing forward with purpose while also learning when to pause and reset.

Authenticity has also shaped both my photography and my brand. I’ve chosen to create purist photography without digital manipulation or AI because I believe in honoring the natural beauty of the world. During my collegiate years, I often received pushback for this approach, and even now, some fellow photographers don’t always understand why I hold to it. But staying true to that vision has helped me stand out, and more importantly, it has kept me grounded in why I fell in love with photography in the first place.

Finally, community has been essential. From mentors and fellow creatives to supportive family and friends, I wouldn’t be where I am today without their encouragement, accountability, and inspiration. Serving with artist organizations has also given me a deeper sense of belonging and purpose. It reminds me that my journey isn’t just about me, but about contributing to something larger.

For those early in their journey, my advice is this: Don’t be afraid to start small and imperfect, but keep showing up. Develop your own voice instead of chasing trends or worrying about what others might think, and surround yourself with people who will both support and challenge you. Growth takes time, but if you root yourself in perseverance, authenticity, and community, you’ll create a foundation that can carry you through both the challenges and the joys of the journey.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I know not everyone may relate to this book, but it has played a profound role in my life. The book is “Nothing is Wasted” by Davey Blackburn. It’s a memoir about his journey navigating loss and trauma, and how, as a Christian, he wrestled with grief and the challenges of maintaining faith in the midst of suffering.

I read it this past spring after going through a personal season of loss, and I was completely absorbed. I cried, reflected, and felt a deep sense of healing as I followed his story. What struck me most was the central message: nothing in life is wasted. The pain, the mistakes, the grief, all of it can be transformed into something meaningful. For Blackburn, his pain became a way to further the gospel and impact others, but even outside of a faith perspective, there’s an undeniable lesson about the ways we can grow through life’s hardships.

For me personally, the book taught me that every difficult experience has purpose. It reminded me that sharing my story or testimony, whether through photography, conversations, or other creative work, can help others, help me grow personally, and shape how I see the world. It also gave me a new lens for walking through pain with intention and hope, rather than fear or frustration. Even now, when life feels heavy, I return to the book’s message as a grounding reminder that the challenges we face are never wasted and that they can become the very things that shape us and allow us to impact others in ways we might never have imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephaniepaigephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniepaigephotos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leaver-b4378226b

Image Credits

Stephanie Paige Photography LLC