Meet Jacque Tietjen

We were lucky to catch up with Jacque Tietjen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jacque, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

For me, my art is a huge creative and emotional outlet, but it’s not just about my art. For me, its about getting out and connecting with mother nature. Feeling the wind on my face, listening to the leaves of the trees, all of it brings me a sense of calm and helps me better connect with myself and my photography is simply trying to portray that feeling I have in the moment.

I have always been very in-tune with the mountains in particular, ever since I was young. My baby sister passed away when I was 10 years old and the high peaks of the Rockies helped me feel close to her. I spent much of my youth in those mountains at a summer camp in Estes Park, Colorado. I met my best friend and soul sister who was a lot like me and shared a similar connection to the mountains. Unfortunately passed away New Years Eve 2021. I initially felt completely lost without her, it was like losing a part of myself. But getting into the mountains always brings me peace and helps me feel close to her.

The mountains have also helped me conquer myself in many ways. Climbing and mountaineering has been a way for me to challenge myself mentally, to prove to myself I can overcome whatever challenges I may face. I get to see the beauty of this world from high places most people don’t see, and get to feel that sense of awe nature gives me while facing fears, doubts, and pushing the limits of my psyche. When recovering from an eating disorder, I challenged myself to return to the first 14,000′ peak I climbed in my youth as a way to reignite the flame inside and prove to myself, if I can do this, I can do anything I set my mind to. I then traveled to Nepal, trekked to Everest Base Camp, and later Kilimanjaro in Africa. In doubts of depression, simply getting out into the mountains always makes a world of difference. the worries in my mind slip away and I can just be.

The mountains have always been my safe space, somewhere I can truly ground myself and be present. Whether it’s been coping with grief, or overcoming mental illness. The mountains have been a constant in my life. I don’t know where I would be without them.

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 am a photographer and mountain athlete based out of Sandy, UT. I specialize in adventure photography including landscape art, mountain sports, and outdoor brands. My main focus with my photography is Landscape. I regularly attend Fine Art shows throughout the warmer months of the year and sell my art. Long-term photography goals are mainly to keep photographing beautiful places I connect deeply to, but I also would love to get more involved in with expedition style photography.

Currently, I am about halfway through my art show season but I have upcoming shows in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.
see my schedule here: https://highelevationadventure.com/fine-art-festivals/

I currently offer excursion photography packages to clients in Utah interested in documenting their adventures and am currently booking for the upcoming winter season as my most popular excursions are skiing and snowboarding.
https://highelevationadventure.com/adventure-photography/

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?

Narrowing it down to 3 is tricky as I think there have been A LOT of things I’ve learned over the years that have been impactful. But if I had to choose I would say introspection, self-love, and knowing your values would be the most important skills I have had to learn.

Introspection has been the biggest key in learning about myself, my habits both good and bad, my triggers, and my desires. I have spent years working on myself, bettering myself and I am constantly growing and facing new challenges in overcoming whatever mental barriers try to sabotage myself or stand in my way.

Self-Love being one of those barriers. I have struggled most of my life with feelings of not being good enough or worthy of my dreams. Learning to love myself, ALL of myself has been a key step in helping me feel like I am enough. I still have bad days, and I still sometimes struggle to believe it, but I have to keep working at it constantly.

The hardest thing for me to figure out was my values. There were a couple I knew pretty strongly for a long time, as they have been driving forces in my career choices, however, figuring out what I wanted my life to look like 5-years form now, or 10 was actually incredibly difficult for me. I very much live in the moment, and thinking about the future and what I value in life has always been a struggle. It took some time for me to truly find my path and get to a place where I could verbalize true values I desire in my life.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

It’s been about 2 1/2 years since my best friend passed away and my world was shattered. The first year I REALLY struggled with the grief but I knew connecting to the outdoors is where I belonged, it’s where I’ve always belonged. Just over a year ago is when I decided to take the leap of faith in quitting my day job as a high school teacher to persue my dreams. Photography was always what I truly wanted to do and not only that, but the freedom and flexibility to climb, get into the moutnains more where I belong became critically important to me. I was NEVER meant to sit behind a desk or be trapped in a building all day for work. I spent a number of years before I became a teacher working outside at ski resorts and recreation centers because that is where I felt the most joy. In the last 12 months I have been so much happier overall. I feel much more connected to the world around me and I am facing and conquering fears and doubts that have stopped me in my tracks for years. Biggest piece of advice I can offer anyone wanting to chase a dream is just do it. stop waiting, and just go for it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All photos by me: Jacque Tietjen

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