On creative burnout, changing seasons, and remembering who we are outside of our work.
There's something about this time of year that makes us want to pull the blankets a little closer, light a candle, pour another cup of coffee, and just... be.
The days are getting shorter. The trees are shedding everything they've spent months growing. And after another whirlwind season of photographing families, chasing sunsets, answering emails, editing galleries, and keeping businesses afloat, we're feeling the pull to slow down ourselves.
And maybe, for once, we should listen.
Imagery by Ellen Neal
You Are Allowed to Have Seasons, Too
Somewhere along the way, we started believing that growth had to be constant. That being successful meant always moving forward, always creating, always doing something.
But nature has never worked that way.
The trees don't apologize for losing their leaves. The earth doesn't feel guilty for resting beneath the snow. Everything has its season, and somehow, everything finds its way back to life.
So why do we expect ourselves to bloom twelve months a year?
Especially as photographers, when so much of our work revolves around the seasons themselves. The busy months can be beautiful and exhausting all at once. And when they finally wind down, there's often this strange feeling that we should immediately be figuring out what's next.
Maybe we don't need to.
Maybe this is the season for something else.
Less Daylight, More Inner Light
We spend so much of our time looking outward.
Looking for the perfect light. The next location. The next client. The next creative idea. The next thing that might inspire us.
And don't get us wrong, we LOVE all of that. It's part of what makes being a photographer so damn wonderful.
But there's something to be said for turning that attention inward every once in a while.
Not to analyze our portfolios or figure out how to make more money, but to reconnect with the women behind the cameras.
What makes us happy lately? What are we curious about? What parts of ourselves have we neglected while pouring so much energy into our work, our families, and everyone around us?
Those questions deserve a little attention, too.
Not Everything Beautiful Needs to Be Productive
This might be one of the hardest lessons for creative entrepreneurs.
When you build a business around something you love, it's easy to start looking at everything through the lens of productivity.
A beautiful afternoon becomes an opportunity for content. A personal photography project becomes something you should probably blog about. A hobby becomes another potential income stream.
And before you know it, even the things you do for fun start feeling like work.
We love that photography allows us to make a living doing something creative. We've spent years building businesses around that very idea.
But we also believe there's something sacred about making things simply because we want to.
Photograph your kids making pancakes on a Saturday morning. Take your camera on a walk without any intention of sharing the photographs. Make something weird. Make something imperfect. Make something nobody else will ever see.
You don't have to justify every creative impulse with a dollar sign.
Sometimes the joy of making it is the whole damn point.
The Art of Doing Nothing Is Still an Art
Remember being bored?
Like, actually bored?
Before we had a phone in our hands every spare second. Before every quiet moment became an opportunity to catch up, scroll, plan, or check something off a list.
There's something wonderfully rebellious about doing absolutely nothing in a world that expects us to be doing everything.
Go for a walk without your camera. Sit outside and watch the leaves fall. Read a book that has absolutely nothing to do with photography or business.
Let your mind wander somewhere unexpected.
And if inspiration happens to find you along the way, wonderful.
If it doesn't? That's okay, too.
Rest doesn't have to earn its place in your life by making you more productive afterward.
Even the Trees Know When to Let Go
Maybe slowing down isn't just about doing less.
Maybe it's also about carrying less.
Less comparison. Less worrying about what everyone else is creating. Less pressure to keep up with trends that never really felt like us in the first place.
We've been around the photography industry long enough to watch styles come and go, businesses evolve, artists reinvent themselves, and people completely change direction.
And if there's one thing we've learned, it's that you're allowed to change your mind.
You're allowed to outgrow your old work. You're allowed to want different things. You're allowed to leave behind creative habits and expectations that no longer feel like you.
Not everything needs to come with you into the next season.
Make Something Just Because It Makes You Feel Alive
And when that creative itch eventually returns, follow it.
Not because you need new portfolio images. Not because Instagram needs feeding. Not because somebody is paying you.
Because there's something inside you that wants to make something.
Maybe that's a personal project you've been putting off. Maybe it's experimenting with a completely different style of photography. Maybe it's getting together with other creative women, learning something new, or finally giving yourself permission to be a beginner again.
Whatever it looks like, let yourself enjoy it.
We've always believed that some of the most meaningful growth happens when we step outside our routines and remember how much fun it is to explore.
And sometimes that means making art.
Sometimes it means finding your people.
And sometimes it means doing absolutely nothing at all.
A Little Closing Thought
As we head into the quieter months, we hope you'll give yourself permission to embrace whatever this season has in store.
Rest if you need rest. Create if you feel inspired. Learn something new if curiosity comes knocking.
And remember that the person behind the camera deserves just as much attention as the work she creates.
Nature doesn't bloom year-round. Neither should we.
With love,
Sarah & Melissa
Unraveled Academy
A Little About Unraveled
Unraveled Academy is a creative home for photographers who believe there's always more to learn, more to explore, and more magic to be found in the ordinary. Through photography courses, creative challenges, artist features, community, and in-person retreats, we bring photographers together to learn from one another, push their creative boundaries, and find inspiration along the way.
Come find your people. Explore everything Unraveled Academy has to offer.
