Remembering the Meaning of a ‘Jack of all Trades’
As someone who lives what can only be described as a creative lifestyle, I find that it’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of one mode of creation, of honing one process to repeat over and over. Whether it’s because that’s the work that sells or the work that’s getting the most likes or engagement at the time, or even just that you feel safer in known success than unknown experimentation, the reason yields the same results. Stagnation.
Some people would praise this as ‘finding a niche’ which works for some folks. I have the utmost admiration for the people who can fall in love with one mode of creation and master is completely. Personally, fitting in a niche sounds kind of claustrophobic to me. Stickers are my bread and butter. I love illustrating a sticker. They make me the most money by far. But that didn’t stop me from starting cups, or washi tape, or post its and memo pads (stationary coming soon!). But beyond that it’s my medium in general. I illustrate digitally nearly every day. But I still have the materials and practice, cross stitch, acrylic, watercolor, linocut printing, collage, and more. One of these such mediums is photography.
There was a time in my life that I would carry my Canon Rebel T5 with me like it was my inhaler. I still pull from that deep well of work when I want to create a mixed media piece for a gallery show. I can’t pin down exactly when that stopped but it was sometime in the whirlwind of my communication design program at Texas State University. Regardless my sibling asked me to dust it off to do a photoshoot for her 21st birthday. It’s not work that makes me money (those with younger siblings will know they pay you in love and coffee at best) but it is work that feeds my soul. It reminds me that I’m multifaceted. That I’m a Jack of the photography trade and I love it.
And I’m not too shabby at it either. Ella and I love how these turned out. Thank you Ella Katie Kate for letting me dress you and choose your makeup, and basically boss you around all afternoon.
