When Your Inner Critic Gets Loud

Hey there, friend.

Let me paint a picture for you. A few years ago, I was scrolling through Instagram, sipping lukewarm coffee, and feeling absolutely convinced that every photographer on the planet had somehow figured out the magical recipe for stunning, scroll-stopping photos—except me.

Every post I saw looked so effortlessly cool. Dreamy lighting. Flawless editing. Perfectly posed subjects wrapped in golden hour glow and wrapped up with clever captions and perfect hashtags. Meanwhile, I had just spent an hour trying to photograph a cup of coffee and somehow made it look like a crime scene.

Cue: inner critic.

“You’re not good enough.”
“Why don’t your photos look like that?”
“You should probably just delete your account.”

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever compared your work to someone else’s and felt like throwing your camera out the window (or at least into a drawer for the next six months), you’re not alone. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I doubted my creative abilities, I’d have... well, enough to finally buy that mirrorless camera body I’ve been eyeing for months.

But here’s what I’ve learned through a lot of trial, error, and accidental lens caps left on during a shoot: the creative path is not linear. Growth doesn’t happen overnight, and your journey will never look like someone else’s—and it shouldn’t.

We only ever see the highlight reel on social media. The perfect posts. The curated edits. What we don’t see are the blurry, overexposed, underwhelming shots that came before. The nights spent second-guessing every idea. The failed sessions. The moments of doubt.

What you’re building is real. It’s rooted in curiosity, in the desire to express something uniquely yours. And guess what? That matters way more than any trendy preset or perfect composition.

So the next time your inner critic starts acting up, try this:

• Pause the scroll.

• Take a deep breath.

• Remind yourself that no one else has your eye, your story, or your spark.

Even the photographers you admire the most? They’ve been where you are. And they kept going.

You're not behind. You're in progress.

And that’s exactly where you need to be.

Let’s Make It Real

Message me and tell me—what are you struggling with right now? Whether it’s imposter syndrome, comparing yourself to others, or just feeling stuck creatively, I want to hear about it. I’ll be right here, ready to listen and send you a few words of encouragement when you need it most.

You're doing better than you think. Keep going. I’m cheering for you always.

📸💛