We were lucky to catch up with Betsy Youree recently and have shared our conversation below.

Betsy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Being a creative means using your brain and heart simultaneously all the time in every situation. It’s a lot of energy being constantly used up. That said, I ALWAYS dream about having a regular job. I dream of being a barista or bagging groceries. I dream of being an art therapist or having a life full of volunteering. As a kid, my only dreams were to travel and meet people. After brainstorming a million different possible careers (90s kid forced to choose one way too young), I finally landed on the Tooth Fairy. All she does is fly around and secretly give kids money. That sounded like a dream to me. While I may not dream of being the Tooth Fairy these days, I am always dreaming of a mundane job OR a life free of the pressures that come with an artist career. Most of us enter this “artist career” with a full heart toward our art– only to be surprised by the load of “the business” and “paying the bills” that can bring some shock and exhaustion. Building a career AROUND my art has meant I am at service to my client. This is a good thing, BUT I will always hold and care for my art with the intention to keep it pure, driven by that original creative energy that carried it in the first place. It can be a roller coaster. So yes. This is my DREAM job… *and* I dream of regular jobs every single day. ♡

Betsy, 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 fell into photography young. My dad always carried a camera around his neck, and I remember playing with his old film camera, not having a clue what I was doing. One Christmas, I was gifted a small black rectangle brick of a 35mm camera. I spent all of my parents’ money on film, filling so many shoeboxes with tiny 3×5 photos of ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, mostly beanie babies with colored backdrops coordinating their poem on their “TY” tag. This hobby turned into me photographing all my friends throughout middle school and high school. After attending a photo school in Germany, I returned home with big dreams of being a photojournalist. I chatted with a few photojournalist friends and quickly realized most entry level photojournalist careers were being absolved by the introduction of digital cameras. Journalists were now being handed cameras– so I switched my college major to Journalism and shot for a small college magazine. I photographed my first wedding and the rest was history– I realized this is photojournalism at lightning speed, condensed into one night of celebration, tears, dancing, and bliss. I think my ability to anticipate emotion is what sets me apart from others. I’m looking for a story, for a moment that, when captured in an appropriate way, can make someone feel. I think and hope that those that hire me also value emotion and experiencing a wedding day with complete presence, uninhibited by the details and noise around them. When it comes to what I’m most proud of, I think there are so many road blocks and creative block and taxes and comparison and bumps along the road of a business run by a creative. I’m most proud to have made it 13 years so far– and to still search and hope for inspiration. < This is a feat. ;P

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

This may seem obvious, but most of us are doing this alone. Typically, when you hire a business or even buy a simple product online, you are hiring a TEAM of people. You’re hiring/paying for the creator of the product, the designers, the website creators, the person that packs and ships said product, the UPS driver, the customer service agents, etc. When hiring creatives (small biz), you are hiring US. One person doing all the jobs. We are our own bosses. We fight and work through being sick, mental illnesses, family emergencies, trips, social media algorithms, personal projects, kids, etc. Yes, we hire people for our own business, but not often. We are the drivers, the creatives, and the brains behind it all.

Have grace. Be kind. Conjure up some patience. Tip. Send a nice text. Give us a hug. Ask us “how are you”.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is simple: I get to communicate in imagery every day. Whether this is for my own expression or a gift to someone else, I get to see something in a certain way and create it. This fulfills and fuels so much of my being. ♡

Contact Info:

• Website: www.betsyy.com
• Instagram: @betsyyphoto
• Facebook: @betsyyphoto
• Twitter: @betsylackey

Image Credits
Gloria Goode