Beginning again

Human skull in bed of colourful roses by Lauren Starr

It’s come to my attention that it’s been 7 years since I first announced on Facebook (to make it official) that I’d opened a photography business. Photographing babies, newborns and families. The occasional wedding.

I spent all of my time, and creative energy building my expertise and my business. The learning curve was immense, but I had a natural flair with the camera (and particularly with photoshop) that helped momentum.

It was a year in that I discovered the fine art photographer, Brooke Shaden. I was mesmerised. I remember literally sitting upright in bed: what is this witch craft?? I ached to create pictures like that and immediately bought her courses. Looking back, I think it was always my path to become an artist, but it took another 6 years to get to that road. Instead I made beautiful art portraits for my photography clients. I figured that was my calling. It felt meaningful to create artworks of breastfeeding, loss, happy memories. It took a great deal of time and energy, however, and I wasn’t clear about charging appropriately for my skills.

Looking back now, I can see the magic really happened when I stopped to create my own work. Self portraits with my children, touching into the deeper parts of the real me. It took until 2020 to realise that the time I poured into photography clients was the time I wasn’t pouring into my own art. I did a little animal series to raise money for the bushfires, and I saw myself (sort of) as an artist for the first time. The word sounded false though, like I didn’t deserve it (and was it even a real job?) and so I had to do a lot of work around that.

I announced I was closing my photography business to create art, and not long after was offered a studio space to rent (they say once you put yourself out there, the universe rises to meet you). I still took on photo clients for the next 6 months or so - still believing I couldn’t cover my rent with just art. Slowly, bit by bit I’ve followed my instinct to say no to work that doesn’t progress my art. And bit by bit I sell a little more art - enough now to cover rent and a small profit. I still have a part time ‘real job’ and maybe I always will. I’m now celebrating 12 months of being in my art studio/gallery and the title ‘artist’ rolls off my tongue more comfortably. This is also due to doing a tonne of inner work over the last 12 months as well.

So happy anniversary to me, the artist, and to all the artists out there.

Lauren xx