We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sharri Keller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sharri below.

Sharri, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I have been told to pick one career and give it my all, yet I feel my interests led me in various directions, all of which truly pull on my heart strings. It is part of my unique design to follow the trail of my interests and figure out a way to weave them into my life so I can live a fulfilling and sustainable life. I am not talking about flighty impulses, but a deep desire to really understand a given path. Requiring a commitment to really study a craft well and offer quality services.

It all started with photography as I knew in my 20’s that I did not want to work for anyone else, I really needed the autonomy and I wanted to be excited to wake up in the morning and do what I love. I knew I valued photography and it gave me that spark of excitement and I felt a deep sense of meaning with it as my sister died when I was 16 and every photo of her I cherish and I wished there were more. My business partner and I at the time rented a studio with established photographers who graciously took us under their wing and taught us a lot of which I am very grateful for their mentorship. I was bartending to earn income at the time and with each photo job, we saved the money and reinvested in better equipment and through trial and error we developed our sense of style and eventually established our own studio in St. Paul, MN. Long story there, but for efficiency’s sake my business partner and I ended up moving in different directions. This brought up many insecurities and questions which propelled me to have a closer look at my sense of purpose and how I want to show up in the world. I created a separate photography business, Terra Sura Photography. But something was missing, I knew I loved natural medicine and the plants thus I began to also explore Herbalism. My heart just lit up when I took my first class it it brought me to tears as if a remembering was happening, a very distinct feeling of knowing this is a path to integrate now. Thus I took a couple online classes and 2 in person apprenticeships/certifications with seasoned clinical herbalists of which I learned to ID plants for food or medicine, make salves, tinctures, glycerites, oxymels, pulse test, etc. Since then I have created a small home apothecary & practice and have collaborated with my community, guiding plant walks and medicine making workshops.

Studying the plants, led me to Astro-Herbalism which introduced me to Astrology and the profound wisdom of the celestial world. My heart again spoke to me loud and clear and I made a clear intention for my teacher to show up and I recognized him with that feeling in my heart and enrolled in his 3 year Evolutionary Astrology Comprehensive Certification Course which met in person and online.

If I am going to study a topic, I want it to be thorough and aligned with my values pushing me forward in growth and personal evolution of which I can then pass on to others being of service in a way that is authentic and progressing our awareness and ever blossoming evolution.

The study of plants and astrology opened doors of perception and connection within and around me. Provided me with answers as well as questions. That dance will go on for eternity as I open myself more and more to the great mystery and beauty of life.

Like a braid, weaving photogrpahy, herbalism/natural healing and astrology I offer these gifts in the best way I know how with where I am in my life.

As a mother of a 7 and 3 year old, work and home life have been a challenge to navigate. I have been blessed with family and friend support of which allowed me to continue to pursue my passions. It really takes a village.

Through slow and steady growth, focused study and persistence I follow the compass of my heart and as time ripens my offerings will shift shape. These vocations I am weaving together have an evolution of their own. In this phase of my motherhood, I am happy with a slower pace of growth and word of mouth connections. I have created a sustainable business for myself which provides what my family needs with a lil extra and for that I am very grateful to work doing what I love and align with, creating my own schedule, offering quality services and being with my family.

I wanted to share my story to inspire people to follow their passions and that slow and steady growth is okay. We are all creatively weaving our own paths and passions and it’s okay to have more than one as we attune to our inner knowing and guidance of what is next for us. Work diligently on tending that spark within and the universe unfolds as it does as we are magnetic beings.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I added a lot of this information in the first question response that you can pull from.

I am a wedding, family and business and branding photographer based out of St. Paul, MN. Valuing co-creating authentic experiences with my clients to reflect a genuine expression of life. I love using the world as my backdrop and being inspired by nature and the beauty and creativity of life in all its forms. I have a natural affinity to collaborating with clients who are aligned with nature, scared cycles of life, the development of our collective consciousness and ever blossoming evolution. As an herbalist and astrologer and person who engages with ceremony/ritual, I naturally magnetize really amazing beings and business’ to co-create with. It really fills me up to show and reflect and share what others have cultivated from their beautiful families, community groups, to storefronts.

What sets me apart is that I do not force or pressure clients/sales. I navigate very organically and at a pace that serves me and my family. With that sense of ease and grace, it creates genuine relationships and for that I am truly grateful to know and serve each and every one of my clients.

I am proud to have access to such valuable knowledge in a variety of fields and an authentic interest which keeps me learning more and more so I can give back in educated and valuable ways. Learning Evolutionary Astrology has changed my life completely, helped me to orient myself in this lifetime in profound ways. I am beyond honored to carry the torch forward and assist others in understanding their celestial blueprint which gives them more perspective in navigating their lives providing a sense of empowerment and awareness. Herbalism and connecting to the plants of this earth is so healing on many levels. Just being able to walk in the woods and recognize these plant beings is a joy unto itself. Each season has its gems and lights up my heart. We are what we eat, and working with these potent, vital plants which withstand the seasonal shifts, have intelligence to adapt to circumstances and are full of wisdom, power and nutrition and literally treasures. I love introducing people to them, making medicines, etc.

This world is filled with heart breaking challenges as well as immense beauty and we dance between those two extremes. My soul mission is to be in the challenge and see the beauty, to navigate as gracefully as possible reflecting and inspiring deeper truths, connections, awareness and authenticity.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot point in my career was when I was 28, in the heart of my Saturn Return which prompts us to step deeper into our own authority, to take responsibility and face fears and challenges. At that time my business partner and I were are the peak of our career together with a successful photography studio. We went to high school together and have worked together since that time thus we created crutches with each other. Me being more introverted and technologically savvy preferred the photographing, post-production and behind the scenes work and she excelled in connecting with people, blogging, being the voice of the company. The time came where she felt called to move in a different direction and open up restaurants with her husband and put her many brilliant skills to use in new ways and say goodbye to weddings and family photography. I on the other hand wasn’t ready to let go of photography in the same way, I really loved it and felt called to continue on the path but was feeling soooo insecure about doing it alone as I had been comfortably behind the scenes so much. After a lot of tears, self doubt and dark clouds to navigate… it all was pointing me to step may game up. To really listen to my heart and start walking in alignment with my truth. Thus it led me to pursue my interests in plants, herbalism, ceremony and eventually astrology. All of which aligns and lights me up. I am more fulfilled than I could’ve ever been had we continued on business as usual. Challenges, when navigated with heart lead to stepping stones on our path.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to bridge mind, body and soul through the modalities of photography, astrology and herbalism. Anchoring ourselves in this world, being seen and connecting the above and below so that we can all become more aware of ourselves in relation to space/time, live our authentic truth so we can all rise and co-create together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.terrasuraphotography.com, www.astoriarising.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrasuraphotography/?hl=en, https://www.instagram.com/astoriarising/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrasuraphotography

Image Credits
Terra Sura Photography