We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Gunther a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
When I first discovered there was such a thing as aura photography, I was instantly hooked. I got my first photo taken in 2015 and immediately made the decision that I wanted to take more. I started getting my aura photographed every month so that I could witness how my energy was shifting. At some point, I decided I’d make it a year long project as a way to tune in with myself while challenging myself creatively with a set timeline. I began documenting the process on instagram under the handle @twelvemonthaura. I honestly came up with the name on a whim. Taking an aura photo each month for a year? Twelve Month Aura seemed direct and to the point.
What started as a year long endeavor turned into 3 years of taking monthly aura photos. I began to learn more and more about the colors of our auras and how they correlate to our energy. I started giving readings for friends and then decided to evolve my instagram to include other’s photos. For two years I had the “Twelve Month Aura Project”. I posted participants’ aura photos (taken by other photographers such as Aura Aura and Rose Aura) on Instagram and wrote interpretations. I also had them fill out questionnaires and would put their answers in the post to illustrate the connections between what was going on in their lives and how it correlated to their auras. I suppose I was attempting to be an aura photo version of Humans of New York. In 2019, I took the plunge and purchased my own aura camera and began my photography business in October of 2021. I had built a small following with my handle @twelvemonthaura so it felt logical to just let that name continue as the name of my business. It’s exciting to see how much it has changed over time. I hope it continues to evolve!
Stephanie, 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?
Twelve Month Aura began as a personal journey to see how my energy changed over time. I committed to having my aura photographed once a month for a year to see what insights seeing my energy would give me. That first year quickly turned into 3 years of monthly documentation. During that process, I became fascinated with reading auras and began studying the chakras. I began reading other people’s aura photos as part of the “Twelve Month Aura Project” and in the summer of 2019 purchased my own aura camera. The Covid-19 pandemic put a delay on starting my business, but in October of 2021 I began offering photography and readings to the public.
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of the mystical and scientific. My background is in retail, and as a Gemini, meeting new people and communicating with them is something that fuels my soul. These small but deep interactions that aura photography provides feel absolutely fulfilling to me. Some people have compared my service to a mini therapy session. What fascinates me the most, and continues to intrigue me about the process, is that I can connect with total strangers and provide insight into their lives that feels resonant simply by identifying what the colors of their aura mean. One of the things I find myself repeating is that aura photography is validating. We can’t physically see the energy we are emitting, but all of us are way more intuitive than we give ourselves credit for. Talking someone through their aura photo and watching them light up with recognition is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my adult life. I never knew that following a creative passion with aura photography would lead me to a such an incredible place of service with others, but it absolutely has. Also, the photos themselves are absolutely gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing. I literally gasp and get excited by every single one!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the greatest lessons I had to learn about starting my own business was that there’s no way you can possibly have every single thing figured out from the start. Perfectionism will love to rear its ugly head and cause you to feel like you aren’t good enough to begin. What I had to learn was that you simply begin. You start somewhere. For example, when I first purchased my aura camera (and went into some major debt) I was so afraid that because I didn’t have experience with the camera, I might “do a bad job”. In my grand visions, I thought I had to have every single thing ironed out and start offering my service to huge companies right away when really what I needed to do was start very small and practice. Giving yourself the space to learn and evolve is huge! I began by taking photos of friends and when I finally felt ready to bring my service to the public, I started at my lovely friend Dana Cooper Moore’s shop, Ritualist. She has also been so instrumental in helping me as she had previously created 2 small businesses. Asking for help or advice from a friend or mentor who is further on the path is fundamental! I had to unlearn the urge to be perfect and let myself dip my toes in the water. If there’s any advice I can offer it’s that you have to allow yourself to take baby steps without being consumed by your end goal. Take a step, let yourself expand, and once that feels safe and comfortable you move onto the next step. I’m absolutely still taking baby steps and figuring things out!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Sometimes the hardest times we go through lead us to the places we’re meant to be. During the Covid-19 pandemic, like many people, I suffered a mental health breakdown that caused me to leave the job I was working at. My financial security vanished overnight and I found myself feeling completely lost. I knew that my anxiety about the future was doing nothing to serve me in the present, so I began to lean more into finding daily happiness in any way possible. Through that practice, I stumbled upon a job working for a sculptor which was a completely foreign field for me. I’ve been working for that artist ever since and absolutely love it. She respects the fact that I am also a creative and offers me complete flexibility to pursue my passions and my business. For you tarot fans, I then entered my “Tower” year. Meaning everything literally felt like it was swept away. My 9 year relationship with my partner ended and our 3 senior cats passed away within months of each other. I found myself feeling completely insecure and lost again with regards to my future. Staying in our apartment by myself meant doubling my rent, which was terrifying, but it also lit a fire in me to push my business further and take some of the steps I was avoiding in order to get my needs met. I guess what I’m getting at is that sometimes devastating things happen in our lives that feel like we’ll never recover from but they end up pushing us towards where we actually need to be. I still don’t have everything figured out by any means, but I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time. I create with my hands for a living, take aura photos and connect with hundreds of incredible people, and am a musician who gets to tour and record with my band.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.twelvemonthaura.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/twelvemonthaura
Image Credits
3rd image by Liz Truitt 5th image by Naomi Westwater 7th image by Sarah Lyn 8th image by 72 and Sunny