We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tatyana Hixon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tatyana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Success isn’t something that we define in the same way. We all see it differently. There is the happy family and career type of success. There is the accomplishment of something you dreamed of and then there is the status of being happy just where you are doing what you do. For me its a little of all of the above. I have a wonderful career as a CPA in a top accounting firm. I love my team and the tax on my intelligence it demands (pun intended). I am part time, and have time to nourish my family and my love for nature photography. It gives me my whimsical dream of photography and my tangible dream of a family. It was only possible because of 3 things: 1. Hard work. 2. Staying true to myself no matter what people said (you’re not a good photographer, you wont have a value if you are part time, etc). 3. Either having a supportive family/group of friends, or the absence of people who put you down. Yes, support is best, but lack of negativity is also something that can make it work.
Tatyana, 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 am a nature photographer who was taking a break from work to raise a family and was stuck home during COVID. I finally had the time and lack of distractions to pursue making my photography a real business.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For a corporate America person, being creative felt like something totally different. Yet in many ways it is not. It all takes work, real thorough focus and follow through. It took me a while to recognize that and to let me hear myself, hear what I think, respond to, and what my eyes want to see. Listening to others was what I was more used to. Listening to myself was like a thunderstorm on a clear day – powerful, loud and yet perfectly natural.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding moment is when you look at the shot you took and it takes on a life of its own. It doesn’t feel like it is yours anymore. It feels like it is something that manifested itself and you were the tool. Its a humble moment when you have been part of capturing beauty.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.firstfrostphotography.com
- Instagram: firstfrostfoto
- Facebook: First Frost Photography
Image Credits
First Frost Photography