Running a photography business means showing up fully present for some of the most emotional days in your clients’ lives, even when your own mind is racing. In this episode of the Motherhood Anthology Podcast, Kim sits down with her own counselor, Christy Holding, MEd, LPC, for an honest conversation about anxiety as a creative entrepreneur, what it actually feels like in the body, and what helps.
Anxiety Lives in the Body, Not Just the Mind
One of the biggest shifts Christy offers in this episode is the reminder that anxiety is not only psychological, it is physical. She describes it as a full body experience, one that shows up in racing thoughts but also in tight shoulders, shallow breathing, and those old looping patterns your brain falls back into under stress. Anxiety is like a bully. It just comes after you, and the way through is learning to notice it before the spiral gets too far along.
For photographers, that pressure often comes from the nature of the work itself. As Kim points out, there is so much pressure to show up and do our best creative work every day, especially when you are capturing a family’s one shot at a memory. Christy’s advice is not to eliminate the pressure, but to build small practices that interrupt the spiral before it takes over. A short walk, deep breathing, or simply naming what you are feeling in the moment can shift your nervous system enough to keep going.
Kim’s Own Story and What Actually Helped
Kim shares candidly about the season her anxiety became impossible to ignore, after her father passed away from a heart attack and her husband had one of his own while she was building her business. She describes going from doctor to doctor convinced something was physically wrong, before finally getting a diagnosis that named what her body had been trying to tell her all along. It was a hard lesson that strength and anxiety are not opposites, and that pretending to be the person who never struggles only makes the struggle heavier.
What has helped since then is less about eliminating the hard days and more about how she meets them. Christy talks about the idea of ruthlessly avoiding hurry on the inside, even during a busy, full season, and Kim has found real relief in small changes to her routine, a morning walk instead of scrolling, journaling to get feelings out of her body instead of carrying them all day, and simply checking in with herself before the day runs away with her.
You Are Not the Only One
Perhaps the most reassuring part of this conversation is the reminder that you are not carrying this alone. Christy speaks to the value of community, of local connection, and of simply being known by people who can look you in the face and do life with you. There’s so much validation in knowing that I’m not the only one, and that validation is exactly what a supportive community offers.
This is part of why community matters so much for creative entrepreneurs. Running a photography business can feel isolating, especially during busy season when comparison and scarcity thinking creep in easily. Being surrounded by other photographers who understand the pressure of the work, the slow seasons, and the emotional weight of creating for clients can be its own form of steadiness. TMA was built with that same idea in mind, a place where photographers do not have to carry the hard parts of running a business by themselves.
Listen and Learn More
If you have ever felt like the pressure of running a creative business is heavier than it should be, this conversation between Kim and Christy is worth a listen. It is a gentle reminder that anxiety is not a character flaw, it is something you can learn to work with, one small practice at a time.
Learn more about Sanctuary Counseling & Wellness at sanctuarycw.com or on Instagram at @sanctuarycandw.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
