A personal note from Abbie | stay home and stay healthy
Well. Here we are.
Quarantined. Socially distanced. Feeling isolated and lonely. Perhaps confused and bewildered. Scared. Worried. Concerned.
I know I am swaying by the hour between feeling calm and centered, to worried and distracted. Then if I go online, I either cry with sadness and fear at the seemingly crazy news reports from around the world or I laugh hysterically at all the funny memes. People are funny in crisis. And creative.
We are ALL feeling this. No one has magical answers. No one has developed some instant fix-it guide. We are all feeling around in the dark together. But separately. Oh, you know what I mean.
If you look really carefully, squinting your eyes, you’ll see that way down there is a distant pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel. We WILL find ourselves at the bright end of this. Someday. When the time is (socially acceptably) right.
In the meantime, breathe. Stay calm. Don’t panic. And by all means, for the love of all that is good in this world, DO NOT EAT ALL YOUR OREOS IN ONE SITTING.
As for business, Stories Framed Photography is still standing… on crutches with an eyepatch on and one arm in a sling, but still standing.
I’ll tell you, small businesses ARE suffering. We’ve been hearing the rally cries from our communities to support small businesses right now more than ever.
Order meals from local restaurants. Buy gift cards from local shops. Leave reviews for local businesses.
This is all great! I love seeing this. It gives me faith and hope.
As a small business in your community, I’m grateful for the support. Sadly, however, the only food I have to sell you are maybe some old crackers in a drawer in my office. Any takers? Ha.
You may have guessed and you’d be right - I simply cannot do my job right now. I’m stuck in a tough spot. My heart wants to help people but my mind knows better. In the meantime, I’m doing what I can. Wondering what that is? What could possibly be filling my time if I’m not out photographing all the people?
HOW I’M FILLING MY WORKDAY
Updating my website
Catching up on my endless to-do lists
Social media posts
Blogging
Planning surprises for my class of 2020 seniors :)
Leaving reviews for local places and businesses
Walks with my dog
Laundry
Reading
Pacing
It’s really hard for me to do anything client-related right now. First, because everything is on hold until sessions can be rescheduled. Second, because if I called you right now and said, “Hey! Let’s book your family session!” you can’t honestly tell me that you wouldn’t want to reach through your phone, Coronavirus be darned, and strangle me! I may want to save my business but I’m not stupid.
So let’s make a deal. Can I ask you to do some things to help me - for now?
HOW YOU CAN HELP STORIES FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHY
VOTE for Stories Framed Photography for the Journal Sentinel Top Choice Award. I was nominated again this year and I am THRILLED. You can vote DAILY.
Follow The Good Side Project.
Pre-schedule your class of 2021senior photos - even if we can’t set a date for the session.
Pre-schedule your long-overduefamily photos - even if we can’t set a date for the session.
Pre-schedule headshots for you and your office - ditto.
Stay home and stay healthy.
Send a virtual high five that everything is going to be okay.
Thanks for sticking around.
For now, you’ll see more posts, more blogs and most importantly, more of the class of 2020. I’m doing this because we need some happiness and joy and, really, distraction right now. Please like, share, comment and applaud these kids. They need it more than you can even know.
Sending virtual hugs from a socially acceptable distance,
Abbie
