Meet Brie Stockwell | Photographer & Success Coach for Creatives

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brie Stockwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I think of this as more along the lines of my creative career pursued me.

I’ve always needed to have my hands in creative play. In elementary school I took up the flute because I thought it would be fun. It called to me. Since then I’ve enjoyed quite a variety of creative pursuits including continuing on with my passion for music in college. Then, raising four awesome kids took over most of my life and left little room for creative deep dives. Now, I still play the flute but a new desire for photography has risen to the surface.

Now that my children are all off to adulthood, I’ve been able to immerse myself into the never-ending practice and study of photography. The catalyst for this work was the creation and achievement of a huge personal goal of hosting a solo exhibition as a new photographer (which I did in 2021).

Through that work I grew as a photographer while I utilized a mindset coach to help support me through the completion of that goal. At some point during that year I KNEW that I wanted to be a coach for creatives AND continue to pursue my photography work. I’m a natural teacher so deciding to be a mentor in both spaces feels right. Like finally the puzzle of everything I’ve done and experienced just fell into place.

I’ve always wanted to immerse myself MORE in creative spaces, my own and the work of others. And now I get to do it ALL the time! In my photography mentoring, I watch client’s creativity come to life as they photograph and experience interesting locations like the cypress swamps of East Texas. I visit art galleries whenever I can and love discussing art with the artists at exhibition openings. I witness exponential growth in the creative work of my coaching clients as they overcome limiting beliefs and creative blocks.

This all feels like a natural part of my evolution rather than something I purposely set out to do as a career. That’s pretty cool.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe that when I do ANY work for myself it exponentially benefits all my clients. From creating my own art in photography to working on mastering life balance, I get to pass that on to those I mentor to help the create the success they’re looking for.

For example, it’s a fun experience to take women out photographing in kayaks for the first time and help coach them through any self-doubt or resistance they experience while creating. My 1:1 coaching clients have the benefit of mentorship from a life-long creative that has had many of the same struggles they are experiencing. And, I have the unique benefit of being able to combine mindset work with my images to give them deeper meaning. I’m currently waiting for my first “zine” called “Releasing Expectations” to be shipped from the publisher. Being vulnerable by sharing personal experiences in photography and my struggles with disappointment shows others how they can overcome this too. Not only is it a means of expression but it’s a HUGE part of showing potential clients what’s possible.

Creating two businesses as a multi-passionate, solo-preneneur has been fairly challenging. I’m learning not to “sweat the small stuff” as I navigate decision making, marketing and more. I tell myself that failure is “success in progress” and that it’s all a big experiment. Taking time for personal relationships, creating art, exercise and for my own work with a coach is important to sustaining my businesses and sanity!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Austin, TX so there is always plenty to do! There is so much I haven’t discovered yet so I LOVE when people come visit.

My favorite months are May and October. We live close to Lake Travis so kayaking or efoiling on the water is a must-do. Then, exploring downtown Austin on a scooter is a great way to see the city quickly. This would be followed by a tour of the Texas Capitol builiding and grounds. Other amazing choices to fill the days are: hiking along the Barton Creek Greenbelt and taking a dip in one of the swimming holes, shopping and eating on South Congress Ave (or SoCo) followed by watching the bats emerge at dusk from the Congress Ave bridge, taste testing tacos and/or sampling brisket at Texas barbeque joints. There will always be live music or art to enjoy to that we’ll leave up to serendipity!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh, so MANY people have influenced me! I want to send a big shoutout to all my personal coaches that have helped me develop confidence and resiliency. In addition, my SUPER patient husband deserves his own recognition as well as all my friends and family that support all my creative pursuits (even when they think I’m crazy).

A special shout out to some Colorado photographers: Matt Payne for taking a chance on having a “newbie” on his podcast, F Stop Collaborate and Listen, and Sarah Marino for mentorship and paving the way in the creative photography style I love. Last, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without the encouragement of my Sydney-based podcast co-host, Len Metcalf.

I like to say that we “don’t create in a bubble” so I also want to recognize the many, many artists, photographers and creatives that have influenced me simply by sharing their unique work with the world.

Website: https://creativemindscoach.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativemindscoach/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brie-stockwell-982aa217/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brie_stockwell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativemindscoach

Other: https://www.wildwomanphotography.com/