Marina Black Media is Back for 2023

Photo by Greg Lehming.

With January ending, my 2023 calendar is filling up with photography sessions, business admin tasks, side projects, and stickers with positive affirmations. Over the holidays, I gave myself lots of time to relax, unplug, and spend time with loved ones, which helped me start the new year off on my best foot. Thinking back to this time last year, we still battled isolation from COVID-19 lockdowns, brewing uncertainty about the next 12 months that lie ahead.

In hindsight, 2022 was a great year for me and Marina Black Media – I elevated my brand into a registered business, developed my marketing portfolio, photographed a diverse range of subjects, and started travelling the world. There were some bumps along the way – getting sick in Europe, working for too little or no money, battling unhealthy mentalities, feeling heartbreak – yet, these challenges, among many others, helped me overcome adversity, understand my values, and problem-solve in new situations.

Since a new year is often a natural time to readjust our mindset, I’ve developed affirmations based on a reflection of last year to help me with direction and confidence when navigating new projects and challenges. As you read, reflect on your own year and how you’ve experienced the positives and negatives of these affirmations.

Be unapologetically you.

In any aspect or path of life, you have to stick to what makes you, you. It’s easy to compare ourselves to others, especially in the creative industries where very few practices are done “by the book.”

I’ve had people tell me how I should run Marina Black Media – what services I ‘need’ to offer as a media company, charge more money for less work, move into Toronto, stop blogging, and even how I should run my Instagram! While I’ll also appreciate advice and feedback from respected experts, it’s taken a lot of energy to not succumb to the opinions of others and stay true to myself.

Everyone is following their own path, and we tend to forget that everyone’s journey or progress looks different. Don’t worry about everyone else – focus on yourself!

Photo by Greg Lehming.

Trust your gut.

It’s too easy to second guess yourself – I often overthink my blogging, fretting over the number of readers and the quality of my writing. Yet, doubting ourselves is often caused by the fact that we care about what we’re doing, but we are uncertain about its outcome. Rethinking our options, decisions, or actions can be beneficial when we are trying something new or making life-altering decisions, but more often than not, we wind up overthinking and spiralling into chaos, making it all the more important to learn how to trust your gut.

Be a good listener for yourself and understand your wants, needs, values, inspirations, etc. While we won’t always make the ‘right’ decisions, making a choice that aligns with our instincts will usually lead to a beneficial outcome. I never know who will read my work or enjoy it, but I do know that no one will ever read my work if I don’t continue to publish. In the end, you have to do what you think is right even if others disagree because you know yourself better than anyone else.

Take the risk.

I’m always nervous before I travel, whether it be spending hundreds of dollars when booking the flight, running to the airport even though you are hours early and there is no line at security, or metaphorically pacing the steel tube that entraps you for hours before you arrive at your destination. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to travel, but my organization anxiety spirals into overpreparing or sometimes not even going.

However, if the past few years have taught us anything, it is to take the risk because the world could shut down in an instant. It’s uncomfortable when you’re teetering on a decision that could blow up in your face but learning to be comfortable with discomfort can open doors that may have been otherwise closed. Taking risks doesn’t have to be reckless; you can be logical and thoughtful by developing a plan for your next chapter.

Accept your progress, no matter how big or small.

Self-recognition and gratification, or lack thereof, can have a significant impact on mood, productivity, sense of self-worth, and general behaviour. We often wait to recognize and celebrate our progress and success until we’ve achieved a milestone; however, our accomplishments account for every step and task completed to reach the said feat.

After returning from Europe and registering Marina Black Media, I started to attend more in-person networking events to drum up new business. After the first few events, I was unsure whether I’d actually get any bookings, but I kept spending my time at community events to connect with other business owners and artists. Sure enough, the calls started coming in with a steady number of bookings.

While there will always be uncertainties and hurdles, reflect on how your day-to-day is helping you achieve your goals and give yourself credit for all you have accomplished.

Develop healthy relationships.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to dissipate some relationships over the past year; but this is to be expected when you put yourself out there to build connections. Thankfully this past year, I’ve also connected with wonderful, kind, and unique people who spread love and support for each other. This past month I’ve met many incredible creatives who prioritize themselves, their craft, and their creative communities, leaving me inspired to focus on developing healthy, positive relationships.

You are not closing doors by eliminating unhealthy and toxic relationships; in fact, you are doing the opposite. By removing yourself from stressful and negative relationships, you have more time for the people that matter – family, close friends, like-minded individuals, yourself, etc. It can be very difficult to break ties from a difficult relationship when you care about the person but remember to evaluate the short-term and long-term pros and cons to help you figure out what’s best for you and your self-love.

Many people have told me my 20s are a time to experiment, and yet, in our highly competitive society, it is hard not to get bogged down in the stress of overflowing work and the anxiety of not doing enough. Last year, I made it a resolution to register my business, and while I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come, I haven’t come this far to only come this far. I want to keep taking risks, test myself, and find success in my trials and tribulations.

I challenge you to keep working on yourself, stay in your lane, and follow your heart. Cheers to a new year!

Photo by Greg Lehming.