Why be a Dreamgirl?
A Dreamgirl is:
A woman who has been hurt but is ready to fight back.
A woman who has found love and is ready to celebrate it.
A woman who has lost love and is ready to find it within herself, for herself.
A woman who is scared to look in the mirror but want to appreciate herself.
A mother.
A cop.
A lawyer.
A CEO.
A flight attendant.
A pilot.
A grandmother.
A student.
A teacher.
A self-made go-getter.
A woman who is only now beginging to understand who she is.
I know it’s hard to be your authentic self. Let me explain how I know this:
In the begining, all those years ago, when I started photography as a business and my focus shifted from art to the bank, the first piece to go out of the window was authenticity.
It was all about, if I said what xyz “successful” photographer is saying or did what xyz is doing or offered what xyz is doing, I will make it out there.
It was all about self-doubt and a lack of trust not just in myself but also in the audience I wanted to work with — that I have to adjust to what I *think* they want instead of me knowing that what I can offer from deep within is actually exactly what they *need.*
But last year, I decided to shut down all that noise. I introduced the confidence that I have always had with the academic side of things into my business and art. I stopped watching and listening to what others are all about and started focusing on what Alishba has to offer which is unique. And I quickly found out that it was my voice, relatability, passion, and deep understanding of what makes women powerful that is irreplacable and something no one can every copy or take away from me.
Someone recently brought this to my attention that xyz is trying to imitate me, down to my word choice and articulation. And I just laughed.
Why?
Because imitation is the best form of flattery
But also because I am a deeply secure person. Anyone who has met me will tell you the same thing. So it’s only natural that I feel secure in my work, too. I know what attracts women to trust me and work with me is a unique set and combination of living my authentic self, delivering what I expect to receive, and going above and beyond with staying married to my inner voice and ideas that I am naturally and intellectually drawn to.
A feminist. A skeptic. A science geek. An artist. A mother. A lover.
And this is why I attract the very best of women — these women are DREAMGIRLS. Because they have trusted me with bringing their dream to life and when they let go off that first wall of strong guard, throughout all the clicks of the camera, together we discover POWER and that’s why when we look at the images together, we laugh and we cry knowing that we have given ourselves a gift that can never be replaced.
To all my Dreamgirls, thank you
And to you, I can’t wait to see you in the studio xo