Meet Jason Dean

We recently connected with Jason Dean and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is easy enough- as a thought exercise. In practice, it requires self-belief, singular focus, and a strong support network that supports and encourages you in your uniqueness.

Self-belief might seem obvious, but in a culture that is dependent on making us feel inadequate compared to the people around us, it can be challenging! As a photographer/artist, I share much of my work in spaces where artists are incentivized to copy trends and ride algorithms to high levels of engagement, regardless of whether the work is unique or interesting. Overcoming imposter syndrome means you have to believe that your unique point-of-view is worth sharing regardless of how many ‘likes’ or ‘follows’ you get- and that if you share an photo that has a lower number of interactions than you were hoping for, it doesn’t mean that your photo was a bad one!

Singular focus is almost a 1A with self-belief. It means that you are consciously and intentionally believing in the value of your unique vision. It means that even when it feels like you aren’t breaking through the noise, you stay determined and and focus on finding ways that allow you to break through. And that might mean looking for lanes with less traffic that refine, but don’t change, your vision. For me, one of the first subjects I started photographing was the waves of Lake Superior. In Marquette, there are dozens of photographers who also enjoy taking photographs of waves, so there is a LOT of competition in the social media space. Even though I believe my photographs were on, or close to. the same level of quality, they kept getting (pun intended) drowned out. So I started to take photographs of waves in ways that I wasn’t seeing from other people. This allowed me to keep following my passion while creating unique images without having to compromise my artistic integrity.

Lastly, you need to have a support network that is invested in your success. Friends and family are great obviously, but it’s also important to be connected with other people who share your interests so you can learn from them. In the social media sphere, you’re interacting with mostly strangers who might not really know you, so they can’t provide the quality feedback that can stimulate growth. They also aren’t truly invested in your success- if they don’t like you, they can easily move on to the next person sharing photos on the platform. If you are able to find a community of like-minded individuals, though, you can grow faster and find opportunities for mutual encouragement, which not only can help you grow as an artist but also help you to be a better human being.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

The last time I was in this space, I mentioned my goal was “to be a full time photographer” and that I was “ordering my steps to head in that direction”. While the steps are still being ordered, the direction is now here! I have decided to take the plunge and am leaving the non-profit sector to do photography/art full-time. There is much to do and I am admittedly nervous because I have never done anything this brazen before- but I know that I have the skills and the drive to succeed and I am excited to enter into this new venture! Over the coming weeks, I will be working with a local consultant to ensure that my official business launch is successful. I’m looking to mostly sell prints and framed photos from my website, thejasondean.com, but I will also be providing photography services (such as family portraits and headshots) for hire. I write twice-weekly newsletters that are published at https://thejasondean.beehiiv.com. Here is where I’ve been sharing most of my photographs as well as updates about my business and other musings. If you’ve enjoyed reading my words here then you should make sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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?

The first quality that has been crucial in my journey is focusing on being the best ‘me’ that I can be and not comparing myself to other people. When I compare myself to others, I focus on where I am lacking- ‘they have more experience’, ‘I don’t have the newest camera’, ‘I can’t travel to Iceland’, etc. If I focus on being the best version of myself though, I am grounded in things that I can control and I can work on improving in those things so that my measuring stick for success is simply whether or not I am better today than I was yesterday.

My second quality builds on the first, and that is being self-critical in a non-judgmental way. As a photographer, the easiest way to share my work is social media, and when I do this I tend to hear only positive affirmation. However, I have to keep in mind that the feedback I get from these platforms is not actually indicative of the quality of my work. Most people (including myself!) are engaging with photos on social media while casually scrolling on their phones. It’s ridiculously easy to tap the like button or drop simple comments like ‘Beautiful!’ or ‘Gorgeous!’, which feeds algorithms but doesn’t meaningfully tell me if I’m actually creating quality art. It falls to me, then, to build into my workflow multiple checkpoints where I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating my photos. This helps me have the confidence that the work I’m putting out into the world is really my best work.

Of course, it’s also important to not be so critical of your work that you start to hate it! Especially as a photographer, you have to keep in mind that a majority of the photos you take are just not going to be great. And that’s okay! Each time I take my camera out is a chance to learn and I have to be okay with knowing that sometimes, the lessons are going to look an awful lot like growing pains. Again- the goal is to be better today than I was yesterday.

The last quality might be the most important- be perpetually curious. As a photographer, it is easy to get into the trap of feeling like you have to take photos of well-known landmarks or far-away places in order to be noticed. And certainly that is true if you are looking to only have standing in certain settings, such as social media. But if you’re willing to look for the miraculous within the ordinary, you will see things that other people aren’t seeing and thus can create works of art that communicate your unique perspective in a way that only you can!

To develop these qualities, I’m sure there are many things you can do. For me, the most important thing I’ve done is to surround myself with people that are wiser, more experienced, and better at my craft than I am. I’ve been able to learn so much just by observing and asking questions. And the feeling of affirmation when someone who shares my passion and whose work I admire gives me praise is infinitely more meaningful than a random thumbs up on Facebook.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents set an incredible example for me as a child on how to be kind and caring towards other people. It might seem like something simple, but as I get older I feel like it’s becoming a rare commodity.

Growing up I always saw them interacting in friendly ways with…everybody. Whether it was small talk with the local gas station clerk or the parents of my teammates in youth sports, they were always talking to other people in all walks of life. They showed me that being friendly with everyone, no matter who the social status of that person, is an important part of being in a community.

My parents were also very warm and welcoming to my friends. In our neighborhood, our house was the house that me and my friends always hung out at. I have many fond memories of sharing laughs in the living room with my mom and siblings while we played games of Mad Libs and playing football in the backyard with my dad and my friends. And while I didn’t realize it at the time, it is clear in hindsight that they were showing me how to be a safe space for other people.

As our world becomes more and more polarized, this simple ability to be kind to others seems to be an increasingly rare attribute. I am glad that my parents instilled this in me, and I hope that I have been able to pass that on to my children as well!

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