|
Spotlight On: Karen Learmonth
I have always had a passion for travel, the arts and teaching. I love creating beauty and connecting with people through all the visual arts - from painting to photography to theatre. In fact, my tagline for my professional photography business is also my own. It's "creating timeless beauty." However, growing up I only heard the negative talk about how artists will "never make it." I truly believed the term "starving artist" meant everyone who enjoyed art would starve if they tried to live their lives with passion and joy. Certainly it could be a hobby - but never a serious career! So I took other jobs as my "Real" jobs and just did my photography on the side. In fact, the last job almost killed me - literally as well as figuratively! That particular job was not only damaging to the soul, but to my physical self as well. I think that was what finally led me to decide nothing was worth not living my dreams and passions.
And travelling - well that's just a hobby too - right?
Wrong. I decided last spring that I was tired of working for a company that was killing me just so I could have a week or two of travel every year or two. And of course, I was only staying there out of fear that I couldn't do it on my own. I decided I would truly start doing my art again - but this time I was going to take a chance on doing it full time! This was unbelievably scary, however I didn't stop there. I decided I also wanted to do some teaching and speaking on things I was passionate about, so I created "The Butterfly Project" in less than 3 months. (This was a makeover project helping women from "Dress For Success" get a boost of courage and the ability to see their own beauty from the inside out.) Everyone now tells me an event of that size, even with an event planner, would normally take at least a year!
Well, this project gave me the confidence boost I needed. I decided that if I could not only pull off an event of that size, but also do public speaking - the number one fear - then I could do anything. So I started talking to people about how I wanted to have travel as part of my job. I also decided I wanted to go to Italy in spring 2005, as I'd always dreamed of going there. I was inspired by photos of Venice and the Tuscan countryside. I didn't know how I'd possibly do it if I wasn't working at my old job, but I decided I was going to make it happen somehow. And once I made the decision that I was going to just go, everything started falling into place. It was incredible! I heard suddenly of two other women who had always wanted to go to Italy and then I was told by a friend that she wanted to be taught photography somewhere exciting. I finally realized I had a skill I could use that would help people! With all my years of photography and journaling, I could be that teacher! And so, my Italian dream was born!!!
I started researching where to go, and what to do, but it seemed phenomenally expensive. No matter how I did it, it seemed it would be over $5,000 or $6,000! Especially to stay in a Tuscan villa and tour Venice, Florence and Sienna. But through "the Butterfly Project," I not only gained confidence, but I also met some amazing women. Another incredible gift of synchronicity was that one of them turned out to be a travel agent! We just found out in conversation this September, that she had also, amazingly, lived in Italy for years and was interested in going back to lead a tour of all the best spots. So we hammered out what I wanted in a tour, and what she thought would be the best spots to see. She got us some great prices, tours, and my villa in Tuscany!!! And now my tour is not a dream, but a dream come true!
(Thanks by the way, to Tama's book "This Time I Dance" and to "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. These two books absolutely inspired me. And Tama's wonderful and genuine personality – and great workshops! – were the main impetus and the reason I had the courage to step beyond what I'd always been told was possible for a creative soul! :) If I hadn't read them and met Tama last year, this dream would not be where it is today!)
You can contact me at: imagostudio@telus.net.
Submit your own spotlight story by sending us an e-mail.
 Archive of Success Stories
|
|
|
|
