The Why Series Pt.1 - You’re Not Lost - You’re Disconnected

What "finding your why" actually means (and why most photographers miss it)

There comes a point in every photographer's journey where you look around at your work, your calendar, your content—and wonder, What the hell am I even doing this for?

If you’re there right now, I want you to know: you’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re just disconnected from your why.

Not the surface-level why. Not the brand statement. The real one. The one that made you light up the first time you held a camera. The one that made you cry during an edit. The one that lives in your chest, not on your website.

Simon Sinek said it best: "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." But here’s the twist most of us miss:

You can't share your why if you haven't been living it.

So many photographers drift away from it without even realizing. You’re too busy chasing the next post, the next client, the next dopamine hit from likes or follows. You’re creating from pressure, not purpose.

The industry tells you to niche down and find your voice, but what if you never stopped to ask whose voice you were following in the first place?

Your why isn't a marketing strategy. It's your anchor. It’s the thread that connects your art, your energy, your boundaries, your joy. It is, as Mark Walters puts it, "your digital reputation built from your worldview, your story, and your truth."

And if you're anything like me, your why isn't just about your business. It's personal. It's the through-line of your whole damn life.

For me, that why is freedom.

Freedom to create. Freedom to feel. Freedom to live on my terms—and help others do the same.

It shows up in how I shoot. In how I talk to my couples. In how I refuse to bend to industry pressure. It’s also what drives me to mentor—because I want other creatives to feel free, too. Free from comparison, from perfection, from boxes that were never made for them in the first place.

So no, this isn’t about optimizing your brand message. This is about remembering what makes you feel fucking alive.

And to get there, you have to ask better questions.

Journal Prompts to Unearth Your Personal Why

1. What do freedom, truth, or purpose actually mean to me—not the definitions I’ve inherited?
2. When in my life have I felt most like myself—unfiltered, alive, and free?
3. What experiences shaped the way I see the world—and how do they show up in my art?
4. If I could create without fear of judgment or money pressure, what would I be doing?
5. Whose permission am I still waiting for—and what would change if I stopped waiting?

Journal Prompts to Reconnect With Your Creative Why

1. What was the moment I knew photography was more than a job?
2. What kind of clients make me feel lit up instead of drained?
3. What shoots have left me feeling the most peace or joy?
4. What part of my story deeply shapes the work I want to create?
5. What do I want people to feel when they experience my photos?

Now read those again. Slowly. And notice what hits in your chest.

Because that’s where your why lives.

In the next part, we’ll dive into how to feel your way back to your why when your brain just wants answers. Not through formulas. But through embodiment, memory, and space.

And if this stirred something in you and you want to explore it more deeply—in a real, human conversation—I offer 1:1 mentoring calls. No fluff. Just you, me, and your truth.

Click here to learn more / book a session

Hugs,
Bjørn

For the hearts still beating—keep creating, keep pushing, keep giving a damn.