Nami of Nami Creative shares her insights on creativity, self worth and using photography as a medium of transformation
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Tell us a bit about your life journey? Where did it begin and how did you land in New Zealand?
I was born in Hamburg, Germany, my dad was German and mum is Japanese so I was lucky to grow up between these two cultures. I came to NZ when I was twenty for an OE and quite simply never left. Fourteen years on I settled in a small beach town, Raglan.
Before Nami Creative you used to run Serendipity Ave with Pascale. What did you learn from Serendipity that you’ve taken on to Nami Creative?
I learnt to never take no for an answer, to work hard and to be yourself and have fun along the way. The market will never be saturated by you being YOU because there is no one else like you out there.
You’re the creator of the Goddess Shoots®, the coveted shoots that bring out the goddess essence in each woman. What is something that you see change in women after the shoot they experience with you?
Oh so much, even during. I work 95% of the time with women that have never done a shoot like this before and often they are super nervous prior to meeting me. But during the shoot I can see them come to life and be more in tune and in love with exactly who they are. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. After the shoot I can feel their energy has fully shifted. It’s almost like the woman has peeled an old layer of herself to bloom more fully. I can never get enough of seeing this transformation.
What is the most important aspect in working with people?
Being kind to everyone, everyone has traumas and battles we know nothing about. Being kind is always a priority. Another thing for me is building connections, and never forget that people will always remember how you made them feel.
What is one skill you wish you had in business?
I can’t think of anything right now, I am very happy with where my business is and trust in the universe to get me on even more epic adventures with it all.
You are currently pregnant with your first child. What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months for Nami Creative and motherhood?
I am really excited to meet this little human and to immerse myself fully in this special experience. Nami Creative (https://www.namicreative.co.nz/) is an extension of me and I can see some beautiful motherhood projects coming to life where I will experiment with my camera and my postpartum body. Being raw and real and capturing this journey beautifully through my art is something I am excited to get into. I intuitively feel I will always work with the female form as my main inspiration so my core of Nami Creative will remain. I let it flow and see where else it will take me with this new journey ahead.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in photography?
My biggest challenge and I am still working on this is that I feel “I am not good enough”. It is something I have to consciously work on so it’s not hindering me from working in alignment with my higher self. Self doubt often creeps up when I am overworked so finding a good work/life balance is also very important in assisting my mental health. Being self employed itself comes with many challenges and we have to wear many hats. Learning to say no to things that you actually do not enjoy and outsourcing is another good thing to learn and took me a while to do. Also learn to trust your intuition, I in the past said yes to things that didn’t feel aligned and paid the price for it afterwards.
What kind of role have other women had in your career?
I have always been inspired by other women, my mother is to this day a very strong role model to me. I am fascinated by seeing how fellow women in business are smashing it using both their feminine energy and masculine energies to get to “the top”.
What are some of your daily rituals that keep you organised and inspired?
I love my work , I think this is important. I get excited and still nervous prior to every photoshoot, I think this is a good sign that what I do is important to me and I want to make sure I exceed my clients expectations. Nature keeps me inspired and light. I go for daily walks and am forever in awe of the season change. Living by the water is also extremely soothing to me and I get inspired by simply being. In order to stay organised, I am such a “list girl” I love ticking things off my list. I work well under “healthy” pressure and like to get things done, but tend to forget so lists really are my go to.
What was the “aha!” moment for starting Nami Creative Education and Mentoring? When did you realise there is an offering you can fill?
I got asked so often via Instagram or even by my clients about technical photography questions or people wanting to get into photography but not knowing where to start. I wish I had a mentor, especially in those first few years of photography (I did wedding photography 8 years prior to starting Nami Creative) and on how to run a business. I felt there was/is a genuine need for a sense of community in this field as often we are on our own and that can be lonely and also disheartening from time to time. My main goal with NC Education (https://www.namicreative.co.nz/education/) is to empower the female creative to thrive and to take their hobby to the next level, all whilst holding their hand along the way for any questions that may arise. I have created an incredible WhatsApp support group for everyone I mentored before and we have such supportive chats in here – it’s like a sisterhood and that’s really what I wanted to create with my education side of things.
Best advice you’d share with someone to unleash their creative power?
Don’t be afraid to fail, experiment, find your tribe. Everyone starts somewhere, even the best photographers or creatives. Also google and YouTube there is just so much out there now which makes learning a new skill a lot easier.
You speak a lot about manifesting things, empowering women, alignment with higher self, attracting the life you want to live. How did you arrive at these truths and what did your journey leading up to it look like?
I truly believe that self-worth is the law of attraction (I have this as a reminder on my phone and it pops up at 8 am every morning). If we think we deserve something this can be love, your dream career or dream life you are on a different frequency and more likely to attract things you want to you rather than shutting it off prior “I don’t deserve this, Why me” type of mentality.
On Jewellery:
What is one piece of jewellery you never take off?
My mum and dad’s wedding band. My dad passed away when I was 14 and my mum gave it to me a few years back. It is very special to me and I wear it on my wedding finger as a reminder that my dad is always close to me. My boyfriend also gifted me a very special Irish Claddagh ring which I wear everyday. Jewellery for me is about meaning, I love the sentimental aspect of it. Less is more.
What is your favourite piece from Figursky’s collection?
My favourite piece by far is the Shadow of the Sun Drop Earrings (https://figursky.com/products/shadow-of-the-sun-drop-earrings), they are so luxurious and a beautiful statement piece that elevates an outfit and takes it from everyday to elevated elegance.
If you had a bespoke piece made for you what would it be and why?
A dream bespoke (https://figursky.com/p/bespoke-services) piece for me would be a delicate bracelet that I can wear everyday. I’d like something simple so it goes with everything and it won’t be in the way with something to make it special, maybe a beautiful stone in it.
Do you have any pieces that hold sentimental value or a special story?
Yes, the two rings mentioned above. I also love how in summer I get tan marks from my rings. It always reminds me of sunshine.