Making Much of 2020 | A Year in Review | Shannen Arnett Photography
AN EMPTY CALENDAR
This year I felt a level of freedom that I never knew was possible as a growing entrepreneur. Okay, hear me out. Going into this year, I was hoping to shoot the most weddings I’ve ever shot in a year. Go on the craziest adventures with my couples. Then everyone’s favorite word… COVID. Suddenly, I was refunding weddings that weren’t happening. Cancelling or rescheduling like everyone else in the business. And before I knew it, I had an empty calendar. It felt weird but so freeing for a girl who was coming from an industry that required booking out weekends a year in advance. I had a peace that even if this year wasn’t a year that my business would grow, I would be available to say yes and no to things in the moment.
I’ve been incredibly introspective this year and can feel a transition within my own self, going from someone who was fueled by feeling important and seen to someone who desires more freedom and privacy. I think lockdown and being tucked away in my corner of the world caused a lot of that shift, but the number one thing I’ve been craving this year is freedom — freedom of time, of schedule, of money.
The beautiful thing about this margin is that I discovered new ways to feed my creativity (keep scrolling for the Barbie photos!) and new hobbies to serve as outlets. If Covid-19 ha ha hadn’t blacked out my calendar, I likely wouldn’t have had the bandwidth or time to devote to some of the things that became my “best” and most impactful “yes-es” of this year.
Ironically, going into next year, I am craving a bit more of a structure and a plan and so I’m trying to land in a happy middle of not boxing myself into things but also having a clear direction and focus.
THIS IS THE DREAM
I had this moment the other day when I was picking out photos for this post. I realized how many people I have still been able to serve in the middle of a pandemic. Like, what?! I get to sit in my favorite hoodie, share my knowledge with you, encourage you, capture your stories… and get paid for it? This year hasn’t been silky smooth for any of us. It’s been a year a growth and this growth has come with it’s growing pain. Shaping each of us into someone new. But if you’re reading this blog post YOU SURVIVED 2020! That is something to be celebrated! Congrats, friend!
Of course, out of everything I do, taking photos of the beautiful people this job has allowed me to meet is by far my favorite! Below are just a few of my top moments with my clients — there were so many! I wish I could share them all, I had to pick just a few. But don’t worry! If your photos aren’t here, more blog posts are the way in 2021.
THANK YOU!
I hope you enjoyed this deeper look into what you’ve been watching unfold online. Thanks for letting me recap the last 365 days and most importantly, thank you for letting me be a part of your lives and stories! Time to leave 2020 behind us, are ya ready?
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Shannen is absolutely amazing!! From our first email i knew she was the perfect person to capture my wedding day!! She is extremely on top of things even through a pandemic. She took charge since i had NO idea what i was doing or needed to do for the big day! Never once did I regret my decision to have Shannen celebrate our special day!! I chose her and id keep choosing her. You can see and feel her passion!!! If you pick Shannen to show your special moments in life you WILL NOT regret it!!