We recently connected with Gracelyn Lee and have shared our conversation below.

GraceLyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Growing up, my parents were very intentional in the way they raised my brothers and me. They made the choice to home school us so that they could help us invest in our futures the best way they knew how. As a creative, having time and space to simply create significantly affected where I would go in life. Of course, we did all the typical school subjects, but for me, being able to devote those extra hours each day to painting, reading, and especially photography brought me to where I am today.
Another thing that my parents did right was having high (but reasonable) expectations for me. They knew how much I was capable of, and they provided the support, encouragement, and at times, valuable critiques, to keep me on an upward path. Photography is a field that is competitive and full of criticism, so having their endless support really helped me to form the foundation that I would build off of when I eventually went to college and started my career.
As an expecting mom myself, recognizing these important values has helped me to prepare how I will raise my child. Afterall, aren’t we all just people who want to be loved? I believe one of the best ways to show love for your kids is by taking genuine interest in their own interests by encouraging, supporting, and building them up–something my parents did very well.

GraceLyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started out taking photos as a young teen. My parents gifted me my first DSLR camera for my fourteenth birthday because I had shown an interest in photography. My dad was a photographer, and his father (my grandpa) was also a photographer. I suppose the photography gene runs in my family!
Starting out with my first camera, my dad taught me the essentials of photography–the mechanisms of the camera, the composition of a good image, and the precise details that go into editing a photograph. After some time, I moved from taking pictures of nature and animals to taking pictures of my friends and family, all the while developing my skills and eye for photography. I quickly realized that my passion is in capturing the beauty of humans, their relationships, and how we are created to be. There is truly nothing as complex and lovely as people!
When I began college, I started pursuing photography more seriously. I took several classes on photography, and I loved them. I knew that it was not only a hobby for me, but a passion and a potential career. That is when I officially started Images by GraceLyn LLC.
As much as I love taking portraits and other types of photoshoots, I quickly realized that what I wanted to do most was capture weddings. The joy, emotion, and love that is evoked on wedding days is like no other. To pursue this goal, I started second shooting for a local wedding photographer. I did this for a couple of years, and when I felt confident in my skill, I started doing it on my own.
Now, several years into my career, my business has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. It is such a joy that doing something I love so much also helps support my growing family.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is the genuine joy that is evoked from my clients. From cry-laughing from a fun prompt during a photoshoot, to the sentimental delight they get looking through their finished galleries, my whole creative drive rests on other’s joy. On the other side of the camera, I get so much joy out of doing this job. It baffles me that I get to make people happy for a living and capture it in an image!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Something I think non-creatives may struggle to understand about being a creative is how exhausting it can be at times. As much joy as I get out of it, the flip side is that I can be my own worst critic when it comes to the post-production side of photography. I treat each image as an art piece, which means that I put intentional time and thought into every single photograph that I return to my clients. This is not a problem when I am in the right creative mindset–but it can be a very mentally draining thing if I am in a creative block.
The best way to handle this that I have found is taking care of myself before my business. Of course, there are times when I simply have to buckle down and finish that gallery when I don’t want to, but in the bigger picture, setting my own needs as my priority by not overbooking myself is the best way to prevent long-term creative blocks. Sometimes this looks like simply having a good breakfast and playing with my dogs before I settle down to work, but other times this looks like going away with my husband for a weekend and leaving my laptop at home so I don’t even have the option to edit photos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imagesbygracelyn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/images.by.gracelyn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imagesbygracelyn/