Finding Creativity from God's Work of Art: Guntersville Alabama Photographer

I get numerous emails from photographers (many who are just starting out) with questions about my workflow and editing, the locations that I choose etc (which I really don't mind as long as there not local...promise I love other photographers and have tons of photographer friends...its always fun to talk to someone who gets it). I also get daily emails and facebook messages about who is "copying my work" locally, who is emailing trying to find out where my locations are and who is changing wording on their website to match mine, etc (believe me you have no idea how competitive this industry has gotten (or what a small place the internet acutally is)......I think we should actually create a soap opera about it.........it would be way more dramatic than General Hospital haha). So, instead of getting all bent out of shape about things, I want to give some advice that was given to me when I first started and was completely overwhelmed about where to turn for creativity. I know many times people feel that the only place to turn is other people.....but the best place to turn is within yourself. What inspireds you? What makes you happy? What is your creative style? For me, I love texture (the texture of old wood, peeling paint, and the hues of bright colors) just look at the interior of my house it is filled with these things. There is a quote that one of my dearest friends shared with me once........"Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Taken" For me, that saying is huge. We can borrow someone else's ideas, we can borrow someone else's style.....but in the end that is what it is......someone else's. So, I encourage you (no matter who you are) to get out there and figure out who you are, what you like and where you want to go. I know as women especially, we sometimes feel that the path is already laid out there for us. We never get a chance to figure out who we are......we're just someone's mom, someone's wife, someone's sister, or someone's employee. Well stop defining yourself by what you do and get to know who you are. With this realization comes other realizations as well. Get to know yourself and you will get to know your style, your likes, your dislikes and most importantly who you are as a person. God has a plan and has given a talent to each and every one of us. Use the gifts he has given YOU, they are unique to YOU. And for my favorite quote: "Our talents are our gift from God. What we do with those talents are our gift to Him." Now I will leave you with a picture. I found this little spot yesterday while riding around to look for some new locations. When I saw this little spot in the field, I was completely inspired; not by another photographer's work, but by God's. I promise you no other photographer can create something anymore beautiful than the work that God has created. So get out there and get inspired! With Much Love, Amber