We were lucky to catch up with Jay Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jay, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
I enjoy philosophy, especially Stoicism which emphasizes discipline. We are meant to accomplish things not sit around and waste life. At times we all want to give up or not do anything but discipline is what keeps us going. As Jim Rohn used to say, what’s easy to do is also easy not to do. However, we are not meant to lie in bed under warm covers all day, as Marcus Aurelius said. Victory belongs to those who show up, so when I feel myself getting lazy I remember that I was given abilities and talents that were meant to be used.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I do not have any formal training in photography or videography. Most of my knowledge comes from online tutorials or experimentation and experience. Looking back, I would have found a mentor who could show me the ropes in person to get that real time feedback as I was problem solving. Based on my experience both personal and watching others, the most essential skill is understanding the fundamentals and not getting tied up in specific particulars of one situation. This becomes an obstacle because it is impossible to find tutorials about all the situations you will face and there is no replacement for applying the fundamentals to problem solve. Another obstacle is time, you have to get out there and experiment and push yourself into corners then figure out solutions. Time behind the camera always beats time watching tutorials.
Video is my new frontier, I am excited to start offering another option for solving my clients’ problems. The goal is to focus on small businesses that require high quality content but get overlooked by other media companies who are more interested in the big brands with deep pockets. I want to help the local, the family business, the young up-and-coming, the side hustler… anyone who wants to tell their story and grow their brand at a grassroots level.
Taking photos and videos is my craft but it’s not my focus. My focus is helping people and businesses – using media like photos and videos – capture important moments and build their dreams.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have helped me on this journey are discipline, curiosity and resourcefulness. You are guaranteed to have barriers and problems arise, so you need curiosity to want to find solutions, resourcefulness to seek out answers, and discipline to keep working at it until you solve it. For those just starting out, know that you will constantly get stuck and there is no way forward except through those problems. It will be frustrating but there is no other way to become skilled other than experience. Focus on the gain instead of the pain.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love to collaborate with people who have skills that I don’t have or are better than me. Collaborations are a chance to learn and grow. Since I feel that every business, every industry and every creator can benefit from photo and video content, I really have no limit as to who I can collaborate with. One of my goals is to do travel content so I am especially interested in working with people who have experience there. For those interested in working together, my Instagram or email are the easiest ways to get in touch.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jclcreativephotovideo/
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Anasti Marie Cesar Rodriguez Delavi Ahiatsi
