Community Over Competition | Tuesdays Together Greensburg

I have watched our industry grow over the years but as much as we have grown, I have watched us all struggle. I have watched us all do things on our own. Why? Because we have chosen to label every other photographer that is better than us, in our neighborhood, etc as competition. You will never get anywhere by comparing yourself. You need a community of people there to support you and encourage you. You need others around you so you can encourage them and support them, because lord only knows that sometimes what you are saying to others, you need to heard just as much as them.

Why do we view everyone as competition? Why not an ally? We all may be in the same field, but no one else is going to be you and you will never be them. We were all created to be unique and offer our clients our personalities and our own unique take on life through our art. When we stop comparing, being jealous and start looking at all that we are blessed with and the wonderful abilities we have, then we can really get somewhere.

So now in the photography industry we are starting to have a sense of community. Now the photography community is vibrant and welcoming. We are helping one another, encouraging one another and supporting one another. It’s no longer a race to see who is the best photographer its a journey to help everyone be the best photographer.

When I first started this blog post, I had every intension of finishing it, but I let it sit. About a month after I stared this post, Natalie Franke wrote one as well about Overcoming Comparison. I thought hers more eloquent and since she was more well known, why would mine matter. From her post, she started a movement. Here I was just little o’l me…. NO NO NO!! I had it all wrong. Here I am, just who I am, doing what I love to do and being who I was created to be!

The movement that Natalie started with her blog post, is called the Rising Tides Society. The Rising Tides hosts an event called Tuesday’s Together where creative entrepreneurs get together once a month on the second Tuesday of the month to encourage and support one another. These Tuesday’s Together meetings were created to bring not only photographers but all the other creative industries together. Thank’s to my amazing friend Chrissy, of Andrew and Chrissy Photography, she gave me the push I need to submit to be rising tides leader. It didn’t happen at first. I submitted and never heard back. Through my journey to Georgia for Pursuit 31 in October, I just so happened to connect with Natalie and one thing lead to another and I was graced with starting the Tuesdays Together Greensburg Group. It was one of those totally crazy God things where you have no idea how it all just fell into place. So now the words that were giving to me all those many months ago can be put to work leading our Greensburg Tuesdays Together. Now I can take all that I have learned and help others learn and grow as well. I have chosen Community Over Competition. Will you as well?

You can find our Tuesdays Together Meeting at the White Rabbit in Greensburg. We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00PM in the spirit of Community over Competition. This Tuesdays Together group is a place for Creative Entrepreneurs, Weekend Warriors, and Small Business CEOs to grow and thrive in the spirit of Community over Competition. Hope you can join us!

-Tiffany