As many of you know over the past few years I’ve been running Jamie Schultz Designs, Jamie Schultz Photography, and started a new venture with This Lunch Rox.  One question I’m asked often is “How do you have time to do it all?”.   I see this question posed to a lot of other bloggers/creatives as well and more often than not I see replies that include the word “coffee”.  While I do enjoy coffee, unfortunately it doesn’t hold that magical power that allows me to “do it all”.  In fact, the reason for this post is to let you in on a little secret…I simply CAN’T do it all!

There seems to me to be a universal delusion about what life is like behind the scenes for many bloggers, photographers, writers, crafters, etc…  I’m sure this has something to do with onslaught of social media where we are bombarded with what seems like a cloud of awesomeness.  Whether it’s Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, you name it…there’s always people out there seemingly doing more and being more than many of us could ever hope to do and/or be.  Sadly, I think that when people compare their lives to what they see on-line they somehow think they are inadequate or falling behind.

When I first started my business eight years ago I’ll be the first to admit I fell into believing this.  (Keep in mind this was before Pinterest and Instagram were around…I can only imagine the kind of pressure I would have put on myself then!)  As my business grew and my kids grew I felt a constant pressure to do more, more, more.  I watched some friends in the industry achieving astonishing success, traveling, speaking, parenting…it appeared as though they had it all and they looked fabulous doing it to boot.  At the time this seemed like it would be a glamourous lifestyle and something to chase after.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that trying to do it all was nothing short of impossible and left me feeling miserable not to mention exhausted.  Just as I started to discover what all I would need to sacrifice in order to become that successful photographer so many people dream of being our pastor gave a sermon titled “What Are You Going to Do with Your Dash?”  He explained that when you die your tombstone will be marked with the year you were born and the year you die.  Those two years will be separated by a dash.  This dash represents your life and everything you chose to do with it.  Hearing that message made me realize that we only get one chance here…one life.  It forced me to STOP the insanity of trying to achieve more and do more.

I took time to reflect on what I wanted I wanted my dash to be about and came up with some themes.

- Be present and involved with my kids

- Help my children develop a passion for learning

- Live a healthy lifestyle

- Preserve and document family memories for myself and others

- Continue learning through books, classes, etc…

- Traveling with my family

- Develop authentic relationships

- Make time for creative projects

When you read that list maybe you’ll understand that This Lunch Rox allows me to have a creative project, or why I’m constantly talking about books on my personal Facebook page, or why I write so many blog posts about children’s literature, etc… Having said that, in order to give those things top priority I’ve had to make difficult decisions over the years.  It means that I’m unable to do things I wish I had the time to do:

- Finding more time to spend with friends

- Writing

- Spending more time volunteering at school

- Teaching

- Taking on more clients

- Developing a more rigorous exercise regimen

- Learning to take better iPhone pictures

So, I guess to answer the question “How do you it all?”  I would say that I don’t and I’m sort of proud of that.  It means that I’ve learned to say no.  I’ve learned that in order for me to focus on what I consider to be my top priorities I’ve had to acknowledge the fact that I simply can’t do it all and that’s ok!  Sometimes I wish I had time to do these crazy fun stylized model freebie shoots I see so many of my peers doing these days.  I wish I had time to host more dinner parties. I wish I had more time to do lunch and go on fun day trips with my friends.  The reality is that in this season of my life I simply have to prioritize.  Maybe someday I can make time for those things, but for now they are on the back burner.

If you’re finding yourself feeling overwhelmed or wishing you had more time to do the things you want to do I would encourage you to stop and write down a list of your top priorities.  Then as you map out your everyday to-do lists stop and ask yourself if you’re saying yes to things that will help you live your dash the way you intended.

When I stumbled across this passage in the book, A Reading Promise, it really struck a cord with me.  In this industry especially, I think it’s very easy to get caught  up in a competitive game that nobody will win.  As photographers we can spend an inordinate amount of time perfecting our craft and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Just remember that this is a journey, not a race.  We have one life and it’s up to you how you’ll spend it!

The new Senior Elements and Overlays collection is now available for the introductory price of $25 for a limited time! As a high school senior portrait photographer I understand all too well how often we need access to design elements to create cards, books, cd cases, image boxes, and/or studio marketing pieces. Keep this element and overlay sheet handy throughout your shooting season to help make design projects a breeze!

One of my favorite thing to gift clients are mini accordion books.  These little books are great for clients to throw in their purse, display on their desk, or give to grandparents.  They always get such a great response and I love that I almost always get word of mouth business when friends or family of my clients see the photos displayed in the books.  The new Simply Sweet Mini Book Collection features hand painted elements on a watercolor background serving as great backdrop for your client’s favorite images.

Simply Sweet Mini Book Collection includes:

- Five 3×3 book templates sized to print with MpixPro and WHCC

- Font list with links

- Instructions for use with Adobe Photoshop

- Proselect files available upon request

Clients can showcase and preserve their favorite images of their baby’s first year with the new As They Grow 10×10 book template.  This template set also includes coordinating elements you can use to create other coordinating items including image boxes, mini books, 4×8 accordion books, and/or cards.

The “As They Grow” Book includes:

- Twenty 10×10 layered .psd files

- One 10×10 layered element sheet you can use  to create additional coordinating products.

- Font list with links (PLEASE NOTE: The script font was created as word art and cannot be altered.  The text is layered so you can delete the script text and replace with any font of your choice.)

- Instructions for use with Photoshop.

- ProSelect version available upon request.

The images shown in this template provided by Jennifer Wilcox Photography.

I’m so excited about the new Artisan Grad Card Collection because the designs received a big stamp of approval from a group of high school seniors who recently visited the studio!  Something tells me the cards will be hot sellers with my upcoming senior class. The collection is available at 50% off for a limited time!

Every year I like to add  new birth announcements to my studio collection to keep my selection fresh for new and repeat clients.  Soft hues and hand-painted elements add a delicate touch to these precious birth announcement templates. The Simply Sweet Birth Announcements are great for clients looking for a unique, yet timeless card to announce the arrival of their new addition.

Includes:

- Eight 5×7 layered .psd files (will work with Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements)

- Font list with links to download (Some fonts may have been created as word art and cannot be altered.  You are able to delete those layers and replace with the decorative font of your choice if needed.)

- Step-by-step instructions on how to use the templates

Please note:  Due to the custom nature of the artwork some elements cannot be altered.

*Images shown in this set by Jennifer Wilcox Photography and Jamie Schultz Photography.

Introducing the new Simply Sweet Baby Book, a beautiful and timeless template for parents who wish to showcase and preserve their favorite images from their session with you. The book is available for the introductory price of $35 for a limited time! Blue and pink color options included.

Considering I work full-time as a photographer it will probably come as no surprise to my readers that I have quite a few photos of my own kids.  Although I must admit it’s not as many as you might think.  Sometimes I have to remind myself to pick up the camera and document my own family every now and again as it’s easy to let my gear rest in its case when I’m not working.  On top of that I tend to be very critical of my photos and when I’m shooting my kids it’s often random chaos in less than ideal shooting conditions.  Thankfully, I’m learning to take off my professional photographer hat when documenting my family and I just do the best I can with what I have.  In other words, I guess I’m beginning to embrace imperfection and appreciating the photos for what they are.  For several years I had a collection of photos stored in boxes in my basement.  As the boys grew, so did the pile of boxes!  I  knew I needed to find a solution so my photos didn’t sit stored in my basement or on my computer until my boys graduated from high school and I was forced to do something with them.   After spending quite some time thinking through how I wanted to preserve our family photos I decided to move forward with albums for each of the boys.

Some of you might wonder why I wouldn’t choose a digital album like the books I create for my clients.  Truth be told, I came very close to choosing this as an option. However, there is something so nostalgic for me when I look back at old family photos of my own.  I’ve loved having hardcopy prints over the years and I especially love when there is a handwritten note accompanied by the photo.  For me there is something significant about passing down photographs and handwritten notes from generation to generation and it’s a tradition I’d like to continue with my boys.

I often find myself having conversations with clients and friends when they ask how they can preserve their own everyday photos so I thought I’d take some time to share what I’ve found works for me. In the photo above you’ll see I use 12 in x 12 in We R Memory Maker Linen Albums for my boys.  These 3-ring style binders hold a variety of clear plastic photo sleeves designed to hold an assortment of photo sizes.  When I take personal photos I store them in a folder on my computer and every two months or so I go through and print the pictures I’d like to include in their memory books. Then it’s simply a matter of putting the photos in the sleeves and jotting down a few details on a journaling card.  You can buy journaling cards at most on-line and brick-and-mortar scrapbook stores or create and print your own.  I’ve also created a set of printables (shown below) that you can download for FREE HERE.

Now, having said that I will tell you that often times when we are out and about and I’m without my camera I have to rely on my iPhone and Instagram.  Over the past year I’ve built quite a collection of photos and I am planning to put those images into a softcover digital book printed through Artifact Uprising.  This really makes it so I have the best of both worlds knowing that my boys will have hardcopy printed photographs along with a digital album filled with fun family memories captured on the fly.

I’d love to hear about how you preserve your everyday family photos.  Feel free to leave a comment below!

It’s my birthday this week and anyone who knows me well knows that I have always LOVED my birthday!  So, in honor of my birthday I decided to have a big birthday bash here at Jamie Schultz Designs.  It’s true what they say that it’s better to give than to receive so expect a lot of fun freebies as part of the celebration.  I’ll be sharing some of my favorite things throughout the week including FREE downloads, exclusive offers, and a FREE gift with purchase!  Be sure to stay tuned to the Jamie Schultz Designs Facebook page so you don’t miss out!

Since I’m turning 38 this week I thought it would be fun to kick things off with a 38% off coupon code!  When you checkout simply enter code: happybirthday  Anyone who orders $40 or more (after discount has been applied) will receive a set of six of my favorite and top-selling storyboards as my gift to you.  PLEASE NOTE: The collage storyboards will be added to your account within 24-hours of your qualifying purchase!

Below is the FREE GIFT with any purchase of $40 or more (after discount has been applied).

The Center Stage Cd Case and Label template has been one of the most popular cd designs among my high school senior clients and it’s now available for purchase at Jamie Schultz Designs!  50% off for a limited time!