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

Hi Jodi Lynn , thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

When I first began my Photography business I had no idea what a gift it would become to me and my family! Being able to help support my family of six through my craft has been such a tremendous season, full of grit, hard work and a mindset of never giving up and chasing my dreams. Photography was my Minor in college and was alway something I have been passionate about. Growing up I was always the teen with the camera making collages for friends and documenting our memories. At the very beginning of my professional journey, when I first began shooting, I was a Mother of three children under 6, and needed to get out of the house and have something that was just for me. I had just left my career as an Elementary School Teacher to focus on raising my three children, but knew I needed a creative outlet and something to inspire me. At the beginning, I was mostly capturing my own friends and their children and posting my work on Facebook, which was brand new and such an invaluable, free resource at that time. Soon friends and families in my community were asking me to capture their families and my work grew, my skills strengthened and a true business had begun. I do wish I had risen my prices quicker as photography requires a tremendous amount of time behind the scenes, about 80% behind a screen editing and marketing, I did miss time with my own family that I wish I had been compensated better for. My business began to just flourish and I have never taken that support for granted and still can’t believe I am a Motherhood + Family Photographer for a living. About five years in I was asked to Mentor and support a few local photographers which lead to my love for Mentoring and Teaching Photography, blending my background in Education with my love for the Art. Incorporating teaching into my business has supplemented my income and been such a true gift to serve others and watch their businesses grow and flourish. This lead me to doing in person Retreats which I treasure since I love being able to talk with other Creatives, personalize my time with them and inspire them through hosting incredible styled shoots and community driven events. I do wish I had started teaching even sooner as it has been powerful in my own journey. I am now finally in the process of creating online Motherhood Photography curriculum and digital products.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Family + Motherhood Storyteller Photographer based out of Sonoma County, California and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I was born and raised in Sonoma County and have been so fortunate to serve the community I was raised in as a Photographer for over a decade. I have always been a creative person and feel that my creativity is a way for me to express myself and share my artistic endeavors. Creating photographs has been so healing and nurturing for me and I have been extremely fortunate to turn my passion and purpose into my livelihood. My deepest hope is to share these families hearts and stories through my lens and allow them to be vulnerable and see their families pure connection in what we capture. To offer hope and timeless tangible keepsakes. Being able to serve other Photographers as a Mentor and Educator has been life giving and there is nothing better than seeing those lights go on for another Photographer, helping them discover their heart in what they create and design a business model that meets their true needs. Working in a creative field is a wild ride with ups and downs, peaks and valleys, but I am forever discovering more about myself, how I see the world and how I can help others see the beauty in their lives.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Support local Artists….hire them, buy their work, fill your home with local Art and try not to purchase Art from big box chain stores. Also, attend gallery openings in your community, eat out at local restaurants, buy from Ma and Pa shops, support local musicians and appreciate the beautiful creative spaces around you. Attend community theater, go to your children’s Art shows at school, meet local authors at the Library, listen to poetry readings…..fill your life with Art and watch how it brings people together, there is nothing more unifying. As a Mother, I witnessed how increasingly important it was to expose my children to a variety of Art forms, to feed their creative souls and to have them try new things. Everyone is an Artist and there are so many ways to exercise your Creativity and express yourself. I truly think Art can change the world and each community for the better.

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

I was about six years into my career as a Photographer and a couple years into teaching and Mentoring as a Photographer when the Pandemic hit, In my community, the parks and beaches were closed which gave me a big break from shooting, so I pivoted to adding some online Photography curriculum, behind the scenes videos (when I was allowed to shoot again) and had to change dates on some already scheduled and sold out retreats and many sessions. This was a very stressful time for me worried about finances and if my career would be back to the wonderful pace it was, but I learned to see the beauty in it, to rest and find other ways to inspire my creativity. I focused on long walks in nature, painting, gardening, cooking with my children, reading, and ultimately dreaming up new sessions ideas for when I could shoot again. It was quite inspiring to see how the Photography community pivoted and made a very tough situation into something beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jodi-lynnphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jodilynnphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jodilynnphotog
• Other: Jodi has taught and mentored numerous Artists throughout the nation through Workshops, Retreats and One to One Mentoring and has taught with Woven, Clickin Moms, Unraveled Academy and Evolve Workshops. She has been published internationally and named one of Lookslikefilm’s Artists of the Year the past four years.

Image Credits
Image of me and my children by Kate Laraine Photography All other images taken by Jodi Lynn Buckles of Jodi Lynn Photography