Photographing your moments in San Francisco, California

JOIN THE EMAIL LIST FOR WEDDING TIPS, INSPIRATION, MUSING AND MORE

join the list

HOME

meet

education

inquire

art

blog

portfolio

woman chair

The life of a creative can feel chaotic at times. In a world where spreading yourself thin and being “so busy” is often seen as a marker of success, it’s easy to pressure yourself into overdoing it.

In 2015, I was fighting a losing battle against “busy.” My portrait photography hobby had grown into a respectable side business, allowing me to leave my full-time job and take a position in a quiet office with a flexible part-time schedule. I even had Fridays off, which gave me the opportunity to volunteer at a local animal shelter. Each week, I would grab my camera and photograph the stray and adoptable cats for the shelter’s website and social media. It burgeoned my portraiture skills. I used to joke, “If I can take a sharp, flattering image of a feral kitten, I can handle anything a toddler throws at me!”

I had more time for my creative endeavors, but the busyness didn’t seem to ease. My responses to normal stressors became disproportionate. I was getting physically sick, and I began having panic attacks. When I finally sought help for anxiety and depression, I felt like I was extremely lucky. I had the support of my spouse, a network of good healthcare providers, a new medication regimen that brought nearly immediate positive results with little side effect, and most importantly, people to talk to.

Counseling, clergy, a support group, or just an objective and honest friend can be an invaluable tool to maintaining emotional wellness. Sometimes organizing your thoughts by journaling, prayer, or even blogging can be a great creative outlet. What’s more, sharing the truth about your own brain health is the best way to destigmatize it. I found that as I was healing, I wanted to put my camera to more use than ever before. I began taking bright, colorful still-life photos because the process both cheered and soothed me. I started sharing them on Instagram with punny captions or brief thoughts about why I was taking the pictures in the first place. With that, I turned my feed into a micro-blog about my emotional wellness journey. I wanted to be able to share with other creatives and photographers the things that I most needed to hear: You are not broken. You didn’t do anything wrong. We all need a little help sometimes.

Melissa Pugliese shares her photos and stories at www.instagram.com/melissisms

Comments +

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FREE Download for Couples

Grab a sample wedding day timeline - full of everything you'll need to plan your day!

get yours here!

Work with me

legacy photographs

from the wedding day on

inquire here

Almost there!

hey photographers - join the list

And get my top 5 tips for getting organized in your business

download

HOME

meet

portfolio

blog

education

art

HI, I'M caitlin

New Hampshire based wedding and family photographer

inquire