We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John Yates a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, John thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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?

I have been so fortunate to have earned a full-time living from my creative work for the past ten years. Having amazing clients who value the work I do has been a phenomenal experience. Working in the creative field is definitely an adjustment to having a corporate 9-5 type job. Not having a steady paycheck can be difficult at times. Budgeting for months where there will be a lot of work coming in and then having months where you wonder if any new work will come in is a challenge. In the beginning of working for myself I really didn’t know the cycle and how to plan for this.

Before I quit my full-time job to pursue my own business I had already been doing creative work on the side and was turning down work because it was a conflict with my schedule. So by quitting I was able to bring in more work and supplement that loss of income. It still took several years before I was consistently making the same amount or more than I had in my previous job. However the freedom and ability to travel and do what I love was definitely worth the trade off.

John, 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?

Photography has always been a passion in my life. I love documenting moments and telling stories. Before I started my own photography business I was doing it as a hobby. I loved photographing other bands and doing creative portraiture. I never thought that I would focus on weddings until a friend asked me to photograph their own wedding. I realized that weddings allow me to be creative and do so many different types of photography in one day. I get to document one of the most important moments in not only the couple’s life but also with the coming together of their families as well.

I am most proud when clients display my work. I feel accomplished when my clients say that not only was I easy to work with but the process was fun. Now I realize I not only capture these memories but I am also instrumental in helping to create them as well.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Early on in my career I thought I had to do everything myself. Now with automation and out-sourcing I am able to focus on spending time with my clients and doing the things that I am best at and really enjoy. Having tools to automate processes that I frequently do has been invaluable to me. I have also been able to create my own resources for my clients to help them through the process and enhance the experience for them.

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

Providing quality products and service is what drives me in my creative journey and in my business. I thrive on knowing that I am doing a great job for my clients and creating exactly what they want. I love receiving emails from my clients as soon as I have delivered their photographs telling me how happy they are with not only the finished result but with the entire experience of working with me. Having previous clients refer me to their friends and leave positive reviews is the ultimate goal and is what has helped me to develop such a successful business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.celladoraweddingphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celladoraphotography
• Facebook: Facebook.com/celladoraphotography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv8iCYgvMgd3f22IghJxe0w