Unposed: The Real Reel "Do Season vs. Due Season"

VaShaun & Kimi Pickens
Aug 20
4 min read

Let me talk to the doers for a second. The grinders. The sowers. The dream chasers. The ones who keep showing up even when nobody sees them.

This one is for you! ((Psst... It is for me too!))

There’s a difference between Do Season and Due Season. And if you don’t understand the distinction, you’ll mistake your progress for punishment. Trust me, I have been there, done that and even made a t-shirt to prove it!

Do Season is the work.

It’s the unseen hours. The unseen times. The quiet “yes.” The small seeds sown in seemly hard soil. It’s showing up early, staying late, and still asking God, “Did I do enough?” "Is this really the plan?" It's the times when we are not questioning God, we just got some question for Him. It’s the flyers you post with zero likes. The events with no audience. The open sign on your business, but no clients in the parking lot. Matter of fact, they are all next door.

At Pictopia, I’ve lived this season and at times, we still are. I’ve swept the floors, cleaned the bathrooms, rearranged scenes and backdrops, prayed over empty chairs, and still smiled when folks asked, “How’s business?” Whewww!!!

Do Season will humble you. It’ll stretch you. And it’ll make you wonder if you heard God correctly. As the young folks say, "Bruhhhh?!?!?"

But hear me clearly.

What I am learning is that the "Do Season" isn’t punishment. It’s preparation. It’s God checking your posture before He delivers His promise and put us in the right position. Even visiting the chiropractor recently, I witness people having an issue, the treatment seemed to have cause more pain, but the end result is that the pressure was giving them good posture. One could say, it was the pain and the pressure that got them right. I don't know whether to say, "Amen" or "Ouch!"

Galatians 6:9 says it best,

“Let us not grow weary in well doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Notice the word "shall." That’s a promise. Not a maybe. Not a possibly. Not even a kind of, sorta.

But also catch the condition, “If we faint not.” You cannot skip the “do” and still expect the “due.” Mercy, I felt that in my ShaunNaNa! Say it louder for the people in the back!

Due Season is the harvest.

It’s when God makes good on everything you worked for. The doors open. The phone rings. The tears turn into testimonies. Your pockets feel heavier than thin. I'm ready. Are you?

At Pictopia, I’ve seen this too.The pivot wasn’t easy. We started as a selfie studio. Cute backdrops. Creative sets. Good vibes. (The sign still says. "Selfie Content Venue." Don't judge us. We still have plenty of ringlights. Lol!) Anywhooo...

But then God said, “I want more.” "It's bigger than this!" He redefined the word, "Selfie." If I were to Google the word selfie, it would describe it as, "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media."

God redefined selfie for us as, "A powerful act of self-expression, healing, and identity. Not just a photo you take, but a mirror moment where you confront who you are, celebrate how far you’ve come, and step into who God has called you to be."

He started sending people who didn’t just need pictures, they needed purpose. They came to smile for the camera, but left with tears of healing. And I realized… this is a sanctuary. Not just a studio. As I always say, "At Pictopia, we’ve redefined the selfie. It’s no longer about vanity. It’s about victory." So we shifted. And when I tell you, favor followed the pivot. No, we are not fully packed and booked out like we would like, but we have had events that make people feel seen, heard and cared about. That is priceless.

Here’s what I want you to take from this blogcast. Yes, I'm taking notes myself.

If you're in your Do Season, don’t resent it. Don’t curse the ground while you’re still planting. Keep going. Keep sowing. Keep growing. Keep trusting.

Because your Due Season has already been scheduled. It’s not lost. It’s not late. It’s not forgotten. It’s timed!

And God doesn’t miss appointments. It reminds me of a song that goes, "He may not come when you want Him, but He is ALWAYS on time." I get it. If you are like me, His "on time" would have been 2 years ago when we opened up on August 26, 2023. Yep it is almost 2 years. Money got tight, but we kept on the lights! Big Facts! That's that Way Maker, Miracle Worker behavior! Can I get an AMEN?

Listen, I honor your hustle. I speak strength to your weary days and night. And let me remind you that your Do Season is just the training ground for the glory God’s about to reveal.

The Real Reel isn't just what shows up in your highlight reels on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. It’s what happens in your heart when nobody’s watching and the picture you capture there.