I’ve been thinking a lot lately about community and the impact it can have on our quality of life (especially in the creative field of photography, and especially during a time of such heavy isolation like we’re living through right now).

Over the past few months, I’ve realized just how much this community has helped me…

As Horizon Found has grown and changed, I too have grown and changed. Connecting with people in this community has literally kept me going during those really heavy moments—and today I just really, really want you to know how much you mean to me. Really…I could NOT do any of this without you! 

Every time I start thinking more deeply about what community means to me, I always come back to the same thing: understanding.

There is seriously nothing more supportive and motivating than having someone in your life who truly understands you and your ambitions. This is community. Even if it’s just one person. Having a person or group of people that you can truly connect with and rely on changes everything about your path forward toward achieving your goals…

And, honestly, this is why I started Horizon in the first place. Because when I was starting my photography business, I didn’t really have much of a community.

I know that I’ve talked before about how I came into photography with no experience and no one in my life who really understood what a photography career looked like…

But I don’t think I’ve talked much about how I let one person in particular, my ex, hold me back for far too long. In many ways, he was anti-community—he was manipulative, emotionally abusive, and controlling. He didn’t believe in me, he didn’t want me to pursue photography, and he did everything in his power to remind me every single day that I would fail if I dared to try. 

And unfortunately, I listened to him. For a really long time... 

And sometimes I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I’d had a supportive community of like-minded photographers around me sooner…

Not just to help me learn how to take better photos, but to help me believe in myself more.

When I finally found the courage to move on from that relationship and go to photography school, I started to realize the true, sincere power that comes from having a supportive community.

I not only met people who were just as passionate about photography as I was, I also met Dustin (trust me, I definitely was not expecting to meet my future husband in photography school, but the universe works its magic when we least expect it, right?!).

I always thought that I would never want to date a photographer—that it would be too weird or competitive. But in meeting him I realized just how powerful it could be to have someone close to you—be it a partner or a friend—who really understood what you were going through. Who understood your struggles, hardships, and goals. Who appreciated all the same things as you, and who could nerd out with you about lighting or lenses for hours on end. Someone who truly believed in you when you didn’t have the strength to believe in yourself.

This is what community looks like to me. And this is what inspired me to build the Horizon Found community for you—because everyone deserves to feel supported.

And if you’re reading this right now and you don’t have that support, I want you to know that this community is here to support you. I want to help you while you’re on this journey and I want to continue to make Horizon Found a safe place for everyone to be vulnerable without fear of judgement or being “wrong.” 

I know how intimidating it can feel to ask questions, put yourself out there, share your work or reach out to people you don’t know yet. So, I want to offer my support (judgement free, as always).

If you have any questions you’ve been too afraid to ask… please reach out! I’m here for you…. Just click this link and you can ask me a question anonymously (I’ll post the response in our Facebook Community Group). I’m here to listen and help however I can.

Ask Your Anonymous Questions Here

This community builds me up every day, and I want to be there to support you the same way. Because at the end of the day, “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats” – JFK

So, let’s continue to build, grow and achieve our dreams together.

PS. If you’re one of the many who are, for the first time, building your photography website, social media account, and the like—feel free to share your accounts in our Private Facebook Community Group!

Let’s connect, communicate, and support each other’s courage and growth.

Your biggest cheerleader,

Nicole​