Today’s guest post is from a close blend of mine, Caitlin from The Twenty Fifth Year. Caitlin is one of the best writers and photographers I know, so I’m honored to have her share this post on GML. Read on, and then be sure to check out more of her amazing work at 2526 Studios!

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I love photography. I love capturing a moment in time that would have otherwise escaped and sharing it with others. To me, there’s nothing as satisfying as watching the reaction of someone when they see a photo that strikes a chord with them. Whether it’s an emotion or a memory, I love the way an image can stir someone and that – among many reasons – is why I’ve turned it from a hobby to a lifestyle.

People often look at a shot I’ve taken and ask, “How did you do that?” Maybe they’re referring to an angle or an expression I’ve captured. It could be the lighting, the composition or just the surprise as to why I’d take a photo of something so ordinary like an umbrella or a street sign.

Every explanation is different. Sometimes I can just get in a position or angle my camera and show them. Sometimes it requires a bit more detail. What it all comes down to is this: trust your gut and believe in yourself.

Now, before you hand me the cliché of the century award, let me explain.

Maybe photography isn’t your thing. Maybe running is. Or baking. Or cooking. Or teaching. Whatever your bag, I can almost guarantee that when life presents you with an opportunity to get a little more or be a little better, you’re not only there, you’re there, first in line, camping out the night before telling anyone who will listen how crazy you are about it, what new thing you learned about it, all the while trying to convince them to love it, too.

How did you get to be that way?

You found this thing you liked, you tried it and discovered you were pretty good at it. You tried it out a little more, and you were great! So great, in fact, that right away you became the best there ever was at your new interest.

Or maybe, this thing you liked? Didn’t come naturally. It didn’t fall right into your lap, in no need of an instruction booklet, waiting to make your life instantly gratifying.

Now is the time to call upon those dear little friends of yours – the clichés.

Think about what you love. Take away the fear of being judged, of failing and the uncertainty of what the result will be. Take away the audience, your peers and the idea of facing adversity.

What are you left with?

Oh yeah, that thing you love.

And your mojo.

Start there. Strip it down and get back to basics. You and that thing you love? Are awesome together. The more you practice and pursue, the less you’ll even think about those things you took away. Sure the audience will come back. Peers will start to pop up. Some may even judge. But you followed your gut, you believed in yourself and you will then know having that power means more than any negative thought, word or deed that could be thrown your way.

Don’t believe me?

Let me tell you something. Almost a year ago, I left the state where I’d spent my entire life. I sold everything that wouldn’t fit in the back of my SUV and moved half way across the country. I took a severe pay cut and completely revamped my lifestyle. Being away from the people and places that had been a distraction to me let me break everything down to its simplest form. My intuition had told me to make this move and even though there were times I doubted my actions, nothing was pulling me as hard in another direction as it did to come here.

Five months after my arrival, I received my camera. I’d always had an interest in photography but when I picked up my DSLR for the first time, the only thing I knew how to do was turn it on and off. I started snapping and never quite stopped. Tens of thousands of photos, lots of research and a few small investments later, I launched my own business.

Now, I’m booking shoots. I’m crawling in dirt, getting in rivers, standing on my kitchen counter and doing whatever it takes to capture that moment that will evoke a person’s reaction.

I’m not thinking about other amazing photographers’ work when I’m shooting. I’m not thinking about what they’d say or how my friends and family will react. I’m not thinking about anything except what ‘s happening in that very moment. Truth be told, I follow a very keen sense of myself as I move through positions and angles. I trust that I know what I’m doing and know that if I’m not, it’s not the end of the world. Either way, there’s a lesson to learn and it in comes another little piece of confidence.

By listening and believing in myself, I’ve ended up right where I need to be. And guess what? The same story is one you can tell others, too. All you’ve gotta do is believe, trust, listen and get back to the most basic and stable approach you can take: it’s just you and that thing you love. Nothing else.

If it’s something as special to you as my camera is to me, you’re in for a real treat. Watch it become an extension of you. Watch your life prosper and grow. Never, ever ever, let anyone take it away.

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What hobby (or cause/belief/etc.) are you particularly passionate about?