Impressing others.

"Creatives only need to care about impressing clients. When sharing work with supporters, the negativity flitters away..."  - Jasmine Star, photographer

One of the myths that people have about therapists is that they have it all together. Let me break that down for you... we don't. :) We still struggle. We still have feelings and thoughts that consume us. We still need coping skills to help us get through the day. One of the coping skills that I developed as a love of photography. Along my journey in photography, I discovered Jasmine Star who is an incredible photographer out of California. Jasmine writes a blog in order to share her clients' images and stories, and I love that after I finish reading a blog entry from her I feel connected... to her clients, and to her. I also love that Jasmine is real. Real in identifying her own struggles and hesitations in life.

Yesterday, Jasmine posted about not focusing on the negative comments of other people about our work as artists. Which got me thinking about being a therapist and trying to keep up with others in the profession... comparing my caseload to that of others... hearing criticism from people in the industry. At times, it can be a bit overwhelming.

When I get caught up in the stress of therapy life, I need to remember that the only thing that truly matters is how my clients feel. How they feel in my office, the compassion that I show, and the listening ear that I extend to them. All that matters is my ability to assist them in moving toward their goals. What matters is how THEY feel about my therapy. Not other people.

Even if you're not an artist (or a therapist, for that matter), I think this lesson applies to everyone. Truly, we need to only care about the people in our lives who support us. Who believe in what we do. When we shift our focus to those who lift us up, the negativity disappears.