Meet Cara Reece Gonzales

Cara Reece, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I find this extremely important and this answer is definitely not linear. I find my confidence from reminding myself that there is only ONE me; there is only one Cara Reece Gonzales. I found it early on when I realized a way to not compare yourself to celebrities and influencers was to not follow them on social media. When you repeatedly consume content that makes you feel like you aren’t enough, it starts to get engraved in your brain that you aren’t enough but thats not true. Everyone has their own journey of getting to be confident and I am so grateful to be where I am mentally. I think confidence radiates from people and I absolutely love it. No one else’s opinions truly matter but your own.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a photographer, content creator, social media manager and overall creative human. Most people ask what I do for work and it involves being a social media coordinator full time. The most exciting thing about what I do is that none of it feels like “work”. When you do things you love its not chore and I truly love the world I do. I naturally gravitated toward social media after college and how it works along with my love for photos, videos and anything content creating. I have a film degree and worked part time jobs and am currently learning marketing and data analysis. I have a love and appreciation for all things art and I can’t wait to have a my own show and create my first photography book one day.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back moving to different states and traveling growing up helped me become the social person I am and keep me well rounded. I was very lucky to have grown up with a family that likes to travel and try new things and it helped me be so open minded with almost anything that happens in life. I found I helpful to always be open minded with meeting new people in the same creative fields and wanting to learn new things with photography. I think for anyone starting their journey, it’s important to not be judgmental or close minded as a creative. You should never be judged for the equipment or tools you use to create something. I think its very important to try new things whether its a new film stock, lens, or angles; don’t be afraid to experiment. Try something new everyday!

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I believe the most impactful thing my parents did for me was letting me be creative and encouraging my creative side from painting, photos, videos and more. They were supportive of a degree in the arts because they knew I would enjoy it more than going toward a more traditional pathway. I am very grateful for everything and everyone who has inspired me.