Introducing Susannah Conway

An interview with Susannah Conway, photographer, writer & e-course creator.

I first came across Susannah Conway via a giveaway on the Soule Mama blog. Amanda Soule was giving away a place on Susannah's next e-course and I instantly wanted to win..... The idea of unlocking not only how I viewed myself but the world around me, through photography, jumped out and seized me and so did Susannah's story.

I read Susannah's about page on her website and I wanted to cry. Not purely for the grief Susannah experienced, losing her partner from an sudden heart attack but more for her bravery and complete honesty of heart. She stepped up to one of the biggest challenges we can face, losing a loved one, and transformed it into something beautiful. She said 'yes' to making her life bigger rather than 'no' and retreating from the world.
I was totally inspired by Susannah..... so hence, when I was making my list of 12 inspirational people to interview in 2012, she was right there on it.

I didn't win the e-course but I was grateful it came to my attention and I was driven to enroll in Unravelling: ways of seeing myself, the eight week e-course, immediately.

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We all want to feel like we make a difference in the world and here you are 'doing it', 'being it.' You're living every day totally inspiring others through your photography, blogging, e-courses and books. Even on the days you probably feel less inspired we're marvelling at the beauty you capture and the way you tell your story. Did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine how great an impact you would have on other people when you first started blogging?

No, not even for a millisecond. And thank you so much for that lovely introduction — I honestly don’t feel like I’m doing or being anything out of the ordinary. I’m just trying my best to live decently and figure stuff out. To heal all my screwed up stuff so I don’t pass it on to another. Which is why I blog about the journey — in the hope that it will inspire others to do the same.

What is the most rewarding aspect of sharing yourself and your journey with others

Knowing I am doing something helpful is incredibly rewarding. When I started I was blogging just for me. I already had a handful of readers because I’d connected with a few bloggers and they sent a few peeps my way, but back then I had no conception of how powerful blogging could be. Writing about grief was healing and cathartic, but when I started getting emails from readers thanking me for my honesty, I began to understand how sharing my journey wasn’t just for me — it could also be helpful to someone else going through a similar experience. It felt like I went through everything I did for a reason, and that thought was actually really comforting.

Being such a personal journey of healing & exploration. How did you conquer your fears when laying it all out for the world to see? Any tips?

It wasn’t a conscious thing at all. I didn’t know I was laying anything out for the world to see — I was just writing some words on the internet. I didn’t have an audience like I do now -- if I had done I probably would’ve been too intimidated to share anything! I’ve always kept a diary, so writing my feelings out onto the page comes quite naturally to me. Blogging is only a small step on from that, really. I didn’t have any self doubt around blogging — that came later, when I started writing my book :)

If you had to choose only 5 words to live your life by.... what would they be?
Integrity… honesty… passion… humour… love.

Thank you Susannah for the incredible beauty you capture. For your honesty and integrity to live your life & inspire others in the process. The way you capture the world is nothing short of magical. Big hug xox

Follow Susannah's links below to read more about her incredible journey and see the beauty she creates.
Susannah Conway links:

• website
• e-courses
• books
• photography

* all photos for this interview are courtesy of Susannah Conway.