Pictory’s ‘Secrets of Inspiring Women’

Not long ago, Pictory, an online magazine documenting life stories through reader-submitted photos, invited women and men from around the world to share stories and images of ‘strong and spirited women figuring out how to succeed in their own skin.’

A little taster for you:

“I met her on the dance floor of the student union bar when we were both just 19. I knew then that I had just met someone spectacular. We stayed close friends for ten years before we went out on our first date. Marriage followed soon after. These days, I’m inspired by the way she balances her career and motherhood. She manages to take wonderful care of our 9-month-old while running a successful business and pushing her jewelry line in new directions. She has shown me that if there is a possibility of doing something, it should be done.”

“I took this picture seven years ago while leaving corporate America to pursue my dream of becoming a professional photographer. Since then, I’ve been able to capture images of the most influential women in modern America, like Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton. People who feel stuck in their professional lives often ask me if they should follow the same path. But I can’t answer that for them. Everyone learns differently and has to find their own way. Me? I’ve got my heart set on the White House. To be the presidential photographer, of course.”

“My best friend Lili held this sign for me when I ran the NYC Marathon, my first. I’d had a tough year, but Lili had lived through a nearly impossible one. She gave birth to premature twins after a month of bed rest and other complications. While the babies were in intensive care and she was recovering, she learned her husband had been unfaithful throughout her pregnancy, the birth, and recovery period. The marriage imploded, but the babies grew strong, Lili adjusted, and found a way forward.

“You’re going to be an astronaut” is a quote from Brendan (our other best friend) who first said this to me the day after a highly unlikely success with a documentary film shoot: “Well, kid. I think you did it! I think you’re going to be an astronaut!” Really, it’s about surviving in the face of adversity, and arriving at an exceptional success because you refused to give up. And while maybe that applies to a first time marathon runner or a film shoot, it’s more applicable when I think of what Lili did that year and continues to do today.”

(Visit Pictory to enjoy the rest of this feature as well as other fabulous collaborative photo-diaries.)

Who inspires you?

What advice or experience have you drawn on to get you through the tough times & obstacles in your life?