From Hustle to Creative Alignment with Chrystal

Photographer Chrystal Starr built her business on hustle, until she realized alignment was the real key to success. She opens up about redefining success, releasing old industry ideals, and creating from a place of purpose and flow.

Hi Chrystal, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Energy. It’s contagious, magnetic, and the heartbeat of creativity. It’s the spark that fuels growth, connection, and flow. When something isn’t energetically aligned, I can feel it in my body; it’s that gripping, forcing, “doing it because I should” energy. For me, that tension creates a block where everything feels heavier and harder. But, when my energy is aligned with what I’m doing, I feel ideas flow easily, my creativity flourishes, and things start naturally coming together.

Over time, I’ve learned that energy is everything, not just in creativity, but in business, relationships, and the vibe you bring into a room. The energy you bring to a project sets the tone for everyone involved. When I show up grounded, curious, and inspired, that energy transfers to my clients, my team, and ultimately, the final images we create. That’s why I prioritize alignment over hustle. Energy doesn’t lie, and you can’t force flow. When you’re in the right energetic state, things expand effortlessly. It feels magical!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Absolutely! I’m a product and portrait photographer who specializes in creating bold, strategic visuals for beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands. My work blends creativity and marketing strategy to help clients evolve into their next level of growth. I help brands identify content gaps and uncover opportunities to increase brand recognition, connect more deeply with their audience, and elevate their visual presence. Together, the imagery we create is intentional, designed to support their marketing goals and help their brand grow. Lately, I’ve been focused on helping brands simplify their content creation process with my “Content Capture” offer, a streamlined, on-site photoshoot experience that delivers a high-volume of fresh, ready-to-use imagery without the overhead of a full production.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I’m learning to let go of the part of me that believed I had to do everything on my own. I grew up with incredibly supportive parents, but they weren’t able to support me financially, so I became completely self-reliant after I graduated high school. That shaped my resilience and independence, but sometimes to my own detriment. It made me stubborn and ingrained the belief that I always had to handle everything by myself. Over time, I became afraid to ask for help. Now, I’m learning to recognize that I don’t have to do it all alone, and that asking for help doesn’t make me weak or unworthy. Receiving support actually expands what’s possible and helps me heal the part of me that once believed safety only existed in self-reliance.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that’s held me back the most in life wasn’t failure, it was actually a fear of success. Yes, you heard that right. I know it sounds counterintuitive, so let me explain: Looking back, I used to hit my “upper limit” a lot, which is the point where you subconsciously start to self-sabotage because things are going too well. It’s the capacity for how good you’ll allow yourself to feel before discomfort sets in and you pull yourself back down to your comfort zone. At one point, I literally convinced a part-time employer who was paying me a generous salary to downgrade me to an hourly rate (because deep down, I didn’t think I deserved it). Like, wow…how unbelievably silly! I had no idea I was hitting my upper limit at the time, but I can see now that it came from fear and disbelief in my own capabilities and self-worth. These days, I’m learning that expanding your capacity for success is just as important as striving for it.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
This one is a little controversial, but one of the biggest lies I think my industry tells itself is that we have to license our work to everyone, including small brands and individual clients. And look, I get it. I studied photography in college and fiercely held that belief for a long, long time. I worked diligently to educate others and stand up for what the industry told me was the “right” way to do business. But, I ended up wasting so much time and energy trying to explain and justify it—and I lost a lot of work in the process.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re contracted by a major brand, then yes, absolutely license your work. They’ll make millions off that content, and usage rights in that context matter, but most small businesses don’t understand what licensing even means, or they get scared off by the restrictions. As a small business owner myself, I could no longer afford to lose thousands of dollars fighting for something that, in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, often just doesn’t work anymore.

Letting go of that mentality has given me a sense of freedom that’s made me feel more creative, collaborative, and better aligned with how a lot of brands operate today. I’d rather build trust, long-term relationships, and consistent work than cling to an outdated ideal that only created tension, limitation, and lost income for me. At the end of the day, what’s considered “right” or what works for most businesses doesn’t work for everyone. I’ve learned to stop gripping to the things I’m “supposed” to do and start doing what feels right for me.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, of course, but that’s all part of the journey, and that experience completely reshaped my business. Last year was the most successful year of my career: I tripled my gross income, and booked projects so big that I needed to hire help for production. I felt totally empowered and unstoppable! But this year, everything unexpectedly changed.

When the economy shifted and projects drastically slowed down, I felt completely lost and was forced to reflect. I asked myself, “Do I even like this? Do I actually enjoy managing large productions on my own?” The truth was no, not really. Was it rewarding? Yes. Did I feel fully capable? Absolutely. Overall, though, I felt overwhelmed and anxious, constantly afraid something would go wrong.

That realization led me to create my new Content Capture offering. It’s an idea that the universe had been nudging at me to pursue for a long time, but one that I resisted because it went against everything I’d been taught. Now, I deliver all of the proofing images to my clients in one streamlined experience. It’s a bold move, because you’re told never to do this, but I was tired of feeling like I was holding images hostage. I had thousands of unreleased photos sitting on my hard drive simply because clients didn’t want to purchase additional edits. So I decided to increase the value I provide, and once again, I’m doing what feels right for me. This shift reignited my creativity and reminded me what success truly feels like: freedom, alignment, and genuine excitement for my work again.

Contact Info:

• Website: Currently transferring my domain chrystalstarrphoto.com to my new website: fuchsia-cuboid-dstt.squarespace.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrystalstarrphoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrystalstarrphoto/

Image Credits
Headshot taken by Yoonki Media, retouched by me.