Let’s talk about something I’ve been sitting with lately, consumption mode. Or more specifically, consumption paralysis.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got 74 tabs open, half-finished ideas everywhere, and a to-do list that seems to regenerate overnight like some kind of mutant hydra. Life is full right now. Between our photography business, client content shoots, the online shop, raising our kids, and shifting into the world of digital education, it’s a lot.
And here’s the honest truth: for the past few months, I’ve found myself stuck in a loop of learning, researching, absorbing... and not doing.
So much information. So little movement.
The Trap of Learning Everything Before Doing Anything
When you're trying something new, when you're out of your depth or building something that feels way outside your comfort zone it's so easy to slip into this pattern of consuming everything. Podcasts. Courses. Tutorials. Substack posts.
And while learning is beautiful and important… it can also become a crutch.
You tell yourself you're preparing. But really, you're avoiding.
I've been there. I am there.
I took a little break from social media the past couple of weeks, not because I didn’t have things to share, but because I needed to realign. Halfway through the year felt like the right time to pause and ask: What are we really trying to build?
Starting Again (But Not From Scratch)
Since moving from Joburg to the coast, so much has changed, personally and professionally. In Joburg, we had a studio. We had momentum. We were physically present in our industry and in our creative community. It was easy to build energy around what we were doing.
But here? The ocean view is stunning, the pace is slower… but the ground feels unfamiliar still!
Dylan and I have always been the type to think things through and then leap and figure it out. We're not over thinkers or data annalysts, it’s worked for us! We believe things will work out, and they usually do. Because we make them work. We keep pushing, testing, pivoting until we find our rhythm again.
Now, as we shift from being service-based photographers to creators and educators into the world of digital courses, products, and content that scales, everything feels new again.
And I’ve had to remind myself what I already know:
The most growth happens in the doing. Not in the planning.
Cringe-Worthy Beginnings (The Best Kind)
When I think back to the early years of our photography business, I cringe at some of the work we put out. Our first website. Our first client shoots. The weird editing choices. The awkward posing.
But I also know this: those exact jobs got us to where we are now.
We learned by doing. We grew by showing up.
So I’m choosing to apply that same energy to this new season of business, to online education, to showing up online in a new way, to creating content and courses and sharing more of what lights me up.
It’s not polished yet. And that’s okay.
If You’ve Outgrown Your Old Dream — You’re Not Alone
For a long time, my dream was to shoot for clients all over the world. To be constantly in motion, serving, creating, delivering. And we did that. We built a reputation. We travelled. We photographed some truly incredible people and places.
But something’s shifted.
That dream doesn’t fit me anymore, not in the same way.
What I want now is time. Freedom. Quiet weekends. Space to build something meaningful that doesn’t cost me every Saturday.
If you’re in a season where you’re outgrowing an old dream, or pivoting into something that feels unknown, you’re not failing. You’re evolving.
That’s growth.
Doing It Messy
So here’s what we're doing: We're doing it messy.
Launching before we feel fully ready. Creating while we're still learning. Putting things out into the world even when they don’t feel perfect.
Because perfection is a trap too.
And momentum doesn’t come from more tabs open or more free downloads, it comes from movement.
If you’ve followed us for a while, you will start to notice a few shifts on our socials and they’re intentional.
We want to share more of what lights us up:
We’ve always built beauty into whatever we do. From our home spaces, our offices, our studio, our morning coffees, our camping trips, our holidays, our pasta making, our veggie garden, THESE are the things that keep us inspired. And we want to invite you into those spaces with us, maybe they will inspire you too!
To the Creatives Figuring It Out
If you’re trying something new…
If you feel like a beginner again…
If you're stuck in consumption mode…
Here’s your permission to do it messy.
You don’t need to be at the top of your game. You just need to start.
Let’s learn in the doing.
Let’s build while it’s still a bit blurry.
Let’s create space for new dreams even if we’re still figuring them out.
We're in it with you.
And we'll be sharing the journey as we go.
Tamlyn and Dylan
