Episode 44 transcript: How to turn your passion into your career with Mariah Milan

Podcast Introduction

[00:00:00] Mariah: Focusing on my own work, my own desire for what I want it to look like, and looking at things around me with purely fresh eyes and not necessarily jaded by someone else's work in that location has been really great for my own creativity.

[00:00:19] Aneta: We often hear people wishing us a long, happy, and healthy life. But what if the length isn't what matters most? What if instead, it's the breath, depth, and purpose of each day that matters most? Welcome to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. My name is Aneta Ardelian Kuzma, and join me weekly as I interview guests who made changes in their own lives to live more fully with intention, gratitude, and joy. Be prepared to be inspired by their stories of how they shifted their mindset. Took courageous action and designed the life that they always wanted to live.

[00:00:54] Aneta: Welcome back to the Live the Width For Your Life podcast. This week my guest is Mariah Milan, and she's an internationally published portrait and wedding photographer living in Maui, Hawaii. Mariah is a dreamer and a wanderer, finding herself immersed in lifting others through her work. Making an impact on her local island community and serving clients that value heirloom quality imagery.

[00:01:18] Aneta: Her work takes her throughout the Hawaiian Islands, the US mainland, and exotic destinations, all while balancing single mom life. And three teenagers. I loved our conversation. Mariah really talked about her journey from being a people pleaser, when she was younger, working in the hospitality industry, and also how she learned to overcome that and to start setting healthy boundaries in her personal and professional life.

[00:01:46] Aneta: She talks about how she found her passion for photography and how that turned into her career of the past two decades. She also talked about the importance of attracting your ideal client and also ideal photographers who work with her. And we also talked a little bit about today's environment, and why sometimes we need to see something with our eyes first before we snap a picture of it with a screen or a camera. I loved our conversation and I think you're really going to enjoy it. Take a listen.

Podcast Interview:

[00:02:22] Aneta: Hi, Mariah. Thank you so much for joining me.

[00:02:25] Mariah: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:02:28] Aneta: I'm looking forward to our conversation. And for those that don't know you or maybe your story, your journey, what can you share with us about your life's journey?

[00:02:40] Mariah: It's been quite a life journey I am one of those people that has always been a people pleaser, and I think that resonates so much among women where we're kind of people pleaser. And so I like to call myself a recovering people pleaser as I'm in my forties now and kind of learning boundaries. Maybe match boundaries at this point. My life's journey has been that arc of finding myself after being a people pleaser.

[00:03:18] Aneta: Wow. You know what? That definitely resonates with me. Both the people pleasing and also learning over time. The older I get to set healthy boundaries for myself. So, what did it look like before, I guess when you were in the people-pleasing phase and how did you slowly start to shed that identity or that behavior? And to not allow that to sort of drive, drive you going forward.

[00:03:45] Mariah: Well, it's really interesting just because I'm born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, and this is a very tourist-driven economy. And so going through school here, you're kind of conditioned to go into the tourism industry in the hotel industry. And I found myself recruited right out of high school to work at the Four Seasons Resort here in Maui.

[00:04:11] Mariah: They liked my voice, so I was in room reservations and it was a wonderful introduction to one, the business world and high-end business world, especially for a 17-year-old. It was a great introduction. I was there for a few years and then I was recruited to work at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua as a lobby concierge, and this is really where I was a human doormat.

[00:04:41] Mariah: In that position, you are at the forefront of every complaint, every issue, and so, being that it was focused on clientele, and of course that's just what the life working in a hotel is. But as a child always trying to please my parents, as many of us do, it kind of just fell right in line with that whole people-pleasing human doormat type of a situation to where after years of that, I kind of felt worthless, honestly.

[00:05:20] Mariah: There was nothing I could do to make myself feel super valued and it overflowed into the relationships that I had. It overflowed into my marriage where I was also a people pleaser to my husband at the time. And so that road that I was taking set me up for some hardship that was to come.

[00:05:46] Mariah: That I needed to overcome. And so that career path was both a blessing and a curse in that it blessed me with so much knowledge so that I could start my own business and how I wanted to run a business. And it also showed me the types of clients that I wanted to attract and not attract. And so it was both, it was a blessing and a curse for sure.

[00:06:11] Aneta: So you said you started working in the tourism business at 17, or you were recruited at a young age to be in these positions. How long did you stay working in the hotel business or just in hospitality in general?

[00:06:25] Mariah: Yeah. Until I was about 22. And it's so crazy to say that by the age of 22, I was burnt out. I was exhausted working all the time. Had no life. Everything revolved around my work and high-end clientele and what they needed and what management needed.

[00:06:44] Mariah: And it was actually one of my coworkers that I photographed when she was pregnant. We call that hapai. And we did it, and it was on film at the time. This was right when digital cameras were just starting, so they weren't great yet. And so it was on film and I took the film to get developed and the camera store manager asked if he could display them in the front window. And then that's how my photography career began.

[00:07:15] Aneta: It's one of those serendipitous moments, right, where it just all kind of worked out. Did you always have a passion for photography or is this something you were just dabbling with at that point?

[00:07:28] Mariah: I always had a passion for it. I've always had this saying that moments matter. I lost my grandfather at a young age and we were super close, and those photos just, I treasure them even now. And so I always loved photos and photography, but I didn't know that it could be a career path. No one ever told me these things.

[00:07:51] Aneta: It's amazing. And also think about it like you are in this beautiful backdrop of Maui. Beautiful, gorgeous. And I'm sure everywhere you look, amazing things to be able to photograph. So tell me then how this turned into your business and your career. Because you took these photos, the owner asked if he could display them, so what happened from there?

[00:08:16] Mariah: So then I made a website a really simple website this was like, 2002. So this is way back when websites were really simple. I handed out cards and things like that. I could not hand out cards to any guests at the Ritz Carlton, because you cannot do that.

[00:08:38] Mariah: But, very quickly my inquiries started to mess around with my full-time work schedule. To the point where I had to make a choice and I decided to take the leap into just saying what I could do and honestly looking back, that is a huge move for me. Like something I would not have expected of myself at that time in my life.

[00:09:04] Mariah: But I did and quit my full-time job and quit health insurance, everything just decided to jump in with both feet and see where it would take me. And at the time I didn't have children, so I was very flexible. And I just started taking on sessions and meeting people who would refer me to other people, and it just kind of snowballed from there and grew.

[00:09:32] Aneta: And how many years ago was this?

[00:09:33] Mariah: This is 20 years ago.

[00:09:35] Aneta: That is so amazing. And so now of course you have a huge following. You have a beautiful website. It's no longer a simple website. So tell us a little bit about how your business has evolved.

[00:09:48] Mariah: Yeah, so it quickly evolved and the beautiful thing about being self-employed, especially as a woman, is when you have children, you can then make your own plans and your own schedule around your children.

[00:10:02] Mariah: And that was one thing about working for myself that I was so grateful for because I do have three children and I didn't have to go in to work on someone else's schedule. So it adapted and grew around my family growing and I'm so, grateful for the way that it's grown, but at the same time, I'm only one person and there's a ceiling. There's only one sunrise per day and only one sunset per day.

[00:10:33] Aneta: That's beautiful.

[00:10:34] Mariah: As one human being that I couldn't. But I was also a bit of a control freak as we all are when we're putting out something, control freak over the editing and over how it's presented and what I want my clients to feel when they see their images. My clients are mostly women, and I want them to be immediately transported back into this moment with their significant other, with their child.

[00:11:01] Mariah: And I kind of hit a little bit of a burnout period where I was shooting about six or seven nights a week, gone for sunset every day, gone for sunrise every day. And I had to make a choice because I was hitting this ceiling. There was nothing else I could do physically or mentally to continue to grow.

[00:11:29] Mariah: So I decided I was going to change it from Mariah Milan Photography to Mariah Milan Photographers, and I was going to work with, other photographers that were passionate, shared the same type of vision as I do, but that didn't want to touch the business part of it.

[00:11:50] Mariah: They just wanted to show up for their art. And in that way, in me helping them with their art, it was like I could duplicate myself and we could serve more clients. And so that evolvement of the business has actually been so incredibly huge. A little scary at times, but amazing for my own mental health, for my clients' happiness, and my photographer's happiness.

[00:12:23] Mariah: And like I was telling you earlier before we started, I just got back from California and I did a two-day wedding in California. And a family photoshoot in California. And while I was there, my team of photographers here in Maui was photographing four beautiful families here. And so that wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't made that leap.

[00:12:48] Aneta: Well, and also for somebody, as you said, who at the beginning, of course, we're all a little controlling with our business. You want to make sure it all shows up well. It is a big leap to trust other folks that they would do a good job and also trust the clients the way you would trust them.

[00:13:07] Aneta: So you mentioned earlier wanting to attract the clients that you wanted to work with. How do you attract both the clients and also the photographers that you're working with, just to make sure that energetically and from an alignment perspective, you guys are kind of all in the same space?

[00:13:23] Mariah: Yes, absolutely. So a huge part of it is the copy that goes onto the website both the copy part, the words, and the imagery. Because I want somebody when they show up to the website and they maybe don't even know what type of photography they want, but when they see that work and they see that this is photos of connection and feelings and not just, like a fridge photo where everybody's standing there smiling at the camera.

[00:13:54] Mariah: And so because it's portrayed in a certain way, I'm extremely lucky that the clients that find me, it resonates with them and that's what they expect. And so it attracts that ideal type of client that I love working with. And I'm so blessed that in these last 21 years, many of them are actually still friends.

[00:14:16] Mariah: And I've gotten to see their children grow, and I've gotten to witness, from graduating high school to getting married to having their first child. So documenting all of that is amazing. And as far as the photographer's side, similarly, they're attracted to my style of photography, and I don't want it to be a guarded secret. I want to share with my photographers my vision so that it helps them in their personal art as well. So I'm very open to it. It's nothing secret.

[00:14:55] Aneta: That's wonderful. So you started this business and you mentioned earlier that you left a lot of security. So when you were young, you're still young and you left your job and all the benefits and health insurance and all that. What were some of the fears, if you had any, that you may have had but decided to leap anyway as you started your business?

[00:15:16] Mariah: Yeah, a lot of fears. It's that personal inner story that we have. We have that inner voice sometimes that is cheering us on, and that inner voice that also says, well, what makes you think you can do this? What makes you think that you're good enough to do this? And that little voice is something that has bothered me for a long time.

[00:15:37] Mariah: That I kind of talk to and I'm just like, I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me. But I know I can do this. And so I approach it with that little voice, that little negative voice that that's a little child trying to be protected and I'm an adult and I can handle this. And those fears, they obviously come and go, and I still have them sometimes. And sometimes it's not as busy as I would like it to be, but it's okay. Everything comes in and everything flows just like the tide and we just ride that wave. Just ride it.

[00:16:14] Aneta: I love that you talk to those voices. I do the same. And I also found that being loving to my voice helps as well. Like you, I just say thank you for trying to protect me. I understand. But we're okay. We're going to do this anyway. Thank you for looking out. I've tried the other way too, being upset with myself and that doesn't feel good either.

[00:16:37] Mariah: Exactly.

[00:16:38] Aneta: Yeah. So did you even as a kid. So when you said you grew up in Maui, which, first of all, let me just say, what is it like, because, I've only been to Hawaii once and I've only been to Kauai, which is gorgeous. But what is it like growing up on the island?

[00:16:54] Mariah: It's very small and it's obviously different now than it was in the nineties. But it's very small. I had moments where I and my little brother would go hide our backpacks in the bushes and go run off to the beach all day and pretend we went to school. It was very simple riding bikes everywhere. It was an amazing place to grow up, and I'm so thankful that I could raise my kids here.

[00:17:21] Mariah: It's not an easy task. It's one of the most expensive places in the country, but it’s so worth the cost of admission. In my eyes, it's a very simple life. It's a lot slower-paced. The humidity, I actually love the humidity. So whenever I fly home, like how I did last night and I breathed in that air and I'm just like, oh yes, it's home. My home.

[00:17:50] Aneta: Have you ever thought of leaving and just moving to any other state temporarily?

[00:17:58] Mariah: It depends. I think it depends on what I end up wanting to do. They're all getting big. My oldest just turned 17 and my youngest is 13. And so as their plans kind evolve and change and if they want to college and where they end up, it may be that'll follow for moments. But Maui is definitely the home base for me. I do love to explore and I love to travel all over. I love getting weddings all over the place, traveling for them. So it's nice to have a home base though.

[00:18:35] Aneta: For sure. Well, that's the gift, right? You get to travel to other places and still come home to this beautiful space, which is home. I always wondered if I've asked people in, when I travel, especially if it's more, that's very beautiful. I always say, do you appreciate it as much as you think we do when we see it for the first time as a tourist? And sounds like you do appreciate what you have on the island.

[00:19:00] Mariah: I do, I pinch myself all the time. There's still never a rainbow that doesn't take my breath away. Still very lucky that I get to live here. It's not an easy place to make it. And I definitely don't take it for granted. The people here in Hawaii are one of a kind that aloha that you get. It's genuine. It's so part of the everyday life.

[00:19:29] Mariah: And I forget sometimes when I'm on the mainland that it's not the same. And I've gone into the store and been like, Aloha and they're just looking at me like I'm a crazy person. But it is very much embedded and ingrained.

[00:19:45] Aneta: I think you should bring that every time you come to the mainland. More of us need to do that. So we talked a little bit about setting boundaries too. Have you gotten better at setting boundaries and how did you practice setting those boundaries?

[00:20:00] Mariah: Absolutely. So both personal boundaries and business boundaries. I did end up getting divorced during the pandemic which was quite an experience and allowed me to step out of kind of that feeling of living in a shadow, not being my true, authentic self that I was trying to be someone to please somebody else. So stepping out of that during the pandemic of all times where everything is just crazy in general.

[00:20:37] Mariah: It really helped me to start saying no to things that I didn't want to do and to be more firm with myself and not just go with the flow of what another person wanted of me. And as far as business-wise, again, it comes right back down to the ideal clients for me, and now I feel, oh, I have a good one for you. I feel that.

[00:21:07] Mariah: At the beginning of our career, we'll often take whatever we're given because we're trying to prove ourselves and we're trying to show, okay, I'm a professional, give me this work and I can prove myself.

[00:21:19] Mariah: And then you come to this point where you're like, the roles are flipped. I know what I'm really good at, and it's my clients almost that are interviewing for me to take on that position, and to capture the way that it has to see eye to eye and we have to click in it because if it doesn't click in a real authentic way, I can't capture them the way that they want to be captured and I know that.

[00:21:47] Mariah: So that boundary is huge for me now because I don't want to put myself into a position where someone is expecting something that is impossible to do, where I will fail every day.

[00:22:02] Aneta: Isn't that amazing? Are people shocked if you say however you say that you don't think it's going to work out? Like, if someone doesn't feel like they're going to be your ideal client and energetically maybe it's a mismatch, or someone says something like, how do you just let them know that this isn't going to work out, that you guys aren't going to have a working relationship?

[00:22:24] Mariah: Yeah, very kindly, of course. If I feel like it's not going to be a great match. I will let them know. I really think I love your vision. I don't think that it's something I will be able to do in just the way that you want it. However, this person or this person or this person, someone else that I know may be really great for what you're envisioning.

[00:22:51] Mariah: And that way I always want to be helpful. But I know what I'm good at and what my weaknesses are, and if somebody wants something that I just can't do, or I feel is unethical because we're in a place where there are a lot of very culturally significant sites and places where I don't feel comfortable shooting at because it is so culturally sensitive. And if somebody wants to a certain waterfall and I'm not comfortable with it, ill not go.

[00:23:23] Aneta: Wow, that's amazing. And was it terrifying, to say those things the first time?

[00:23:29] Mariah: Yes, very much.

[00:23:32] Aneta: I love the way you just modeled it and when I talk to folks, clients about boundary setting, sometimes the answer when I say, what's the hardest part, sometimes it is of course fear of not disappointing someone or not wanting to hurt someone's feelings, but also sometimes people say, I just don't know how to do it.

[00:23:49] Aneta: I've never seen someone model it effectively for me to be able to do it. So I love you shared that example, which is like, I acknowledge you, I hear you, I respect you, however, It doesn't seem like this is going to be a good fit, but let me help you.

[00:24:05] Aneta: And so I love the way it sort of starts in a really nice, gentle, respectful, professional way. And then you can feel good about it, right? I'm sure you like it when you do that and you do it well and someone receives it well. it really is a win-win for everyone, isn't it?

[00:24:21] Mariah: It really, really is. And I know that. It's very difficult to figure out in the beginning, and it might feel unnatural, but the more you're comfortable with who you're and what you have to offer, and matching the client or whoever it's up to, who would actually serve them better.

[00:24:39] Mariah: It's almost like a sandwich effect where you can tell them something great. Why it may not work and then offer something else to kind of help guide them along. And then it just works out better for everyone, just like you said.

[00:24:55] Aneta: So I'm going to ask you a question because I love seeing photographs. I love taking pictures of myself, especially nature. I'm not a really great photographer or anything, but one of the things.

[00:25:08] Aneta: So, I'm older than you are, but one of the definitely pre-cell phone cameras and pre-digital cameras. Right. We used to have disposable cameras, like when I, we used to go on vacation or in college, that's what we used, or maybe there was a semi-decent camera with the film and it was different.

[00:25:28] Aneta: Like you would take these photographs and there wasn't a lot of posing or primping. You took just a couple and you didn't know what it was going to look like until you had it developed, but you were excited. Like, I don't remember throwing pictures out, right? We kept all of them and we sort of were like, this is what we look like. This was the moment that we captured.

[00:25:48] Aneta: So now, I mean, people edit so many things and they take photos over. So it's almost like when you look back in time, it's not real. That's not actually what things really look like. So how do you feel about this age, what we're in, where you can edit so much and you can redo versus sort of the spontaneity of taking photographs that are maybe more, natural or in the moment?

[00:26:18] Mariah: Yeah, that's a really, really great question. And we are in this age of, it's almost consumerism as well, where all of these images that we post onto these little squares on Instagram or Facebook, they have become content and content needs to be refreshed every single day, and there needs to be new content to keep engagement.

[00:26:45] Mariah: And that's all well and fine. And I find that most people that want the images for that, they're not really my ideal client. My ideal clients are definitely the mothers and the wives to be that they know that these images are going to bring them back to a feeling when they're older.

[00:27:07] Mariah: And I tell a lot of my clients, you may not know exactly what you want just yet, and you may not look perfect in this very moment, but there's no moment like the right now that when your child looks at you, the way that your child is looking at you is a real authentic moment. They're seeing the most beautiful person in their lives.

[00:27:31] Mariah: And Mom may not feel beautiful all the time. I know, I sure don't. But when I have a photo where I may not feel my best, my daughter may have just snapped a photo of my son coming in to hug me. I may not feel that I look the best at that moment, but when that pops up on my Facebook memories from three years ago, I'm the way my son is looking at me with so much love and adoration. That is what I'm going for.

[00:28:01] Mariah: And that is not a piece of content that is a memory and a feeling. And so the interesting thing is I have on my booking form that if a person face-tunes everything, they may not be my ideal client.

[00:28:22] Aneta: Interesting.

[00:28:23] Mariah: And they can move forward in the booking if they would like, but I find that when people use face tune a lot for things it is more for a content base. They want to look perfect. They want everything to look like that beautiful fake Instagram world. And what I'm going for is deeper. It's much, much deeper than that. It's not content. It’s something that is going to be held and valued for years and years and years to come.

[00:28:53] Aneta: And it's interesting that you've been able to find little ways either with your booking form or the content that you are writing to try to again, sort of give people enough insight into say, Hmm, you might be my ideal client, or maybe you're not, and maybe you can go somewhere else.

[00:29:11] Aneta: So what are some tips for amateurs like me if I want to continue to capture really nice moments? If I'm on a trip or just on my morning walks, I take a lot of photographs like when I walk just cause I love just seeing how nature changes from day to day, any things that I could be doing just to make them photographs just a little bit better.

[00:29:32] Mariah: Yeah, so a couple of different things is one, move up close. Especially when we have our cell phones and we tend to kind of just get these snapshots with a lot, a lot going on. So if you're looking, taking photos of people that you love, move in close and notice where their eyes are looking and frame it closer than you may think that you want, that you may have done it normally.

[00:30:00] Mariah: That would be one tip. Another tip would be to come down to someone's level. If you're going to be photographing children pets, or anything like that, don't stand up and take it squat down to their level. Get down on their level and their eyesight level, and you're going to find that the photos completely change their feeling. And then for landscapes, I like to look for leading lines. And watch the horizon so they're not crooked.

[00:30:32] Aneta: Oh, interesting. Okay. How do you do that? What's a good tip?

[00:30:35] Mariah: Yeah, so when you have your phone and you're like looking at something and you notice the horizon, oftentimes when we're just snapping, it'll just be kind, crooked, a little off center, it'll, you know, that line diagonal and it just looks so much better when the horizon is straight.

[00:30:52] Aneta: I think this requires me to wear, to bring my reading glasses with me everywhere so I get a better, better look at things. Before I just hit snap, my girls will always say to me, I cannot believe you post the pictures you do without editing them. And I'm like, I don't know. They look fine.

[00:31:12] Mariah: That's hilarious. But for me, practice really does make everything so. Using your different lenses on your cell phone will give you a different perspective as well.

[00:31:24] Aneta: So 21 years in the business, and we talked a lot about just things that you've done and evolved as a person and also how you've scaled the business. So what's next? Any other sort of new things that you're thinking of just to continue to grow the business?

[00:31:42] Mariah: Yeah. Well, now that my kids are older, I have opened up the books for more travel. Travel was kind of limited before. And now I'm just like, alright, where are we going next? Where's the love? Alright, let's go. And so I have some fun things coming up. I'll be heading to Texas later this year, Portland later this year, and hopefully more places after that.

[00:32:10] Mariah: And just continuing with my amazing photography team, they are so wonderful. My assistant Arcy handles all of the emails coming in from clients, I really couldn't be where I am business-wise without these amazing people that both support what the dream is. Our amazing artists show up and treat our clients just as amazing as I do.

[00:32:42] Mariah: And I have clients that ask, well, who's going to be my photographer? We really wanted it to be you, Mariah, and I get that and I appreciate it. But the joy is also, if you go to my website and you're looking around, you can't tell who shot what. And that is the real pinnacle of like, I have good, amazing people working with me, not for me, with me.

[00:33:08] Mariah: And so we're just going to continue doing what we love. Because this is a destination environment. We don't often get return clients, we're always thankful when we do when people come back. But we are always getting new clients that have been yearning to come to Maui for so long and they're finally here and they're like, we're going to get a photo session.

[00:33:32] Mariah: And I'm like, yes, this is great. So just more of that. And then on a personal level, just enjoying my kids. They're amazing personalities. My really amazing boyfriend doesn't ever want to be posted anywhere but supports me in everything. And yeah, just more of all of that.

[00:33:58] Aneta: So how do people find you? What is the best way that clients can find you and see some of your great work?

[00:34:05] Mariah: Yes. Perfect. So the main website is mariahmilan.com and do have a mini session website for travelers that are on a strict budget but they want really pretty photos but shorter sessions that is mauiminisessions.com and then on Instagram @mariahmilan and Facebook, Hey Mariah Milan.

[00:34:30] Aneta: I love it. So perfect. And I just want to say congratulations on going for your dream and really identifying at such a young age that this was something that you were going to take a chance on and continue to grow and expand. But I also love that you talked about really appreciating, slowing down building something that works around, your family and your ideals and you know your goals.

[00:35:00] Aneta: So what would you say for someone who maybe is really interested in photography and wasn't sure if this could really turn into a business or a way that they can support themselves? Any advice or anything that you wish someone had told you when you were younger?

[00:35:18] Mariah: Yes, absolutely. I feel like it is such an amazing time to be a young creative entrepreneur and there really are no limits to what you can create as long as you have the drive and the vision to go for it.

[00:35:37] Mariah: There are some really amazing mentors that are out there, so if a listener is wanting to get into photography or videography or any other type of art form. I suggest finding a mentor that's willing to kind of take you under their wing, and take you on some shoots where you can get some experience.

[00:35:57] Mariah: There really are some amazing professionals out there that are very kind and very open to that. And just keep on practicing, keep pushing, and know that there will be a jumping-off point and you're going to have to figure out if you want to stay where you are or if you're wanting to take that bigger leap. And it does require a little faith to do so.

[00:36:25] Aneta: Yeah, absolutely. So how do you stay inspired as a creator, as a creative, and as an entrepreneur? What do you do to stay inspired and kind of keep things fresh and maybe with that beginner's mindset continuously,

[00:36:40] Mariah: Okay, this is going to sound really crazy, but I have actually found that unfollowing or muting most other photographers has been the best possible thing for my own creativity. Because we get into this little mind game when we see all these other people's work of I'm not good enough or my stuff doesn't look like that. Or why do they have so many likes? Things like that.

[00:37:12] Mariah: And I found that taking myself out of that situation and focusing on my own work, my own desire for what I want it to look like, and looking at things around me with purely fresh eyes and not necessarily jaded by someone else's work in that location has been really great for my own creativity. The other thing I wanted to just talk about really quick, and I feel like this is the greatest forum for it, is, I dunno if you've ever seen this movie with Ben Stiller, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty

[00:37:51] Aneta: Yes, a long time ago. It was a beautiful movie.

[00:37:54] Mariah: It's absolutely beautiful. It's so stunning. The cinematography, the story, all of it. And for anyone listening, I'm going to, a tiny spoiler. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time. And there's this moment where Ben Stiller's character, he's trying to find Sean Penn's character and he finally finds him.

[00:38:17] Mariah: Sean Penn is playing a photographer and he's out on this Quest for Life magazine to find a snow leopard for the magazine, and he's way out in the mountains. And Ben Stiller finally finds him in the snow leopard appears, and Sean Penn is sitting there with his camera not taking a photo. And Ben Stiller is confused and he's like, it's there.

[00:38:41] Mariah: You've been waiting for this moment. Like, take the photo. And Sean Penn says, I just need to see it with my eyes for a second. And that has become a pillar in my life. I call them snow leopard moments, where even though my images are everything to me, there are certain things and certain moments I need to have just to see with my eyes for a few moments before I can capture it.

[00:39:10] Mariah: And it's been a like I was saying, it's been such a pillar in my life since I've seen that movie and with my children and just with life in general, to take in these snow leopard moments for the beauty that they have and then document.

[00:39:25] Aneta: I love that you shared that. And it reminded me of we were at a concert years ago a couple of years ago, and it was like Florence in the machine and she's lovely.

[00:39:33] Aneta: And she was on stage and she's like barefoot, feeling the energy and she kind of stopped mid-song and she said, I want to ask you guys, please. She's like, everyone, put your phones down. And I just want you to be here with me. I want you to sing with me. I want you collectively as a whole, for all of us to experience this in this moment.

[00:39:58] Aneta: And then you saw everyone come with their phones down and it did feel different. I'm telling you, it was like this energetic shift that happened. She could feel it. We could feel it. And it was so powerful and I just thought that I'm like, wow, she, you know what? I love that she stopped and she was just like, no, no. Be here with me.

[00:40:16] Aneta: And you can imagine as an artist too, being the one that is being gazed upon in that moment, because she is a real person. It must feel really strange having people gazing at you through these devices, but not actually being there with you and experiencing the moment. So it was. You know, and it is different of course because she's a person, but still, it's almost like the same thing. You want to gaze upon it and just notice it and to feel it and not necessarily do it behind a phone screen or camera screen.

[00:40:47] Mariah: Yeah, exactly. I love that applies to everything really. I mean, we're so used to grabbing these devices and a beautiful plate of food comes and we're like, it's so nice just to sit with something and just have that moment. And I love that you're, that's exactly that. Yes.

[00:41:08] Aneta: Mariah, you're so delightful and it was so nice talking to you, and I love hearing your story and I really encourage we're going to include all the links in the show notes. I encourage everyone to follow you. I encourage everyone if they go to Maui to of course to look you up. Your stuff is just so stunning and I love how you shared sort of the intention behind your business and all the images that you take. So I do ask everyone a final question, which is tied to the title of the podcast.

[00:41:39] Aneta: And I think we've been talking about it throughout our discussion today, but what does it mean to you to live the width of your life?

[00:41:47] Mariah: Well, I just love that whole idea of the width of your life. We so often think of our lives as a linear thin string that we're going from point A to point B, and there are so many different widths that we're walking this path along our life and living that best width of it is just going to bed every night knowing that I did the best that I could. I have touched people's lives in a positive way and I'm raising amazing young humans.

[00:42:19] Aneta: I think that's wonderful. So thank you, thank you. Thank you for the beauty that you bring to this world. Wonderful creations you create and for spending time with us today. I hope you have an amazing day. Thank you.

[00:42:32] Mariah: Thank you so much for having me. You take great care. Thank you so much.

[00:42:35] Aneta: Thank you for listening to today's episode. If today's conversation inspired you to dream again, break out of your comfort zones, or reflect on what it means to you to live more fully, then please follow this podcast because every week you'll hear more stories from people just like you, who took imperfect action towards their goals, creating more joy, and are living the life that they always dreamt of living.

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