We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Cohen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I think like many creatives…we all go through moments of self-doubt and thinking we aren’t good enough.
For me in my early 20s, I was always comparing myself to others in the photography world. And then there was a moment when I realized that what a friend in the ski photography industry does, or what a professional photographer ( I look up to) creates, is something to be motivated by when trying to create work of equal quality, but I am not them…I possess something they do not. For I have a style all my own, and realizing what I bring to the table is just as good as what some of my peers, colleagues, mentors, and even professionals I admire do.
With photography, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and realizing that the right clients and admirers of my work will be attracted to what I produce, regardless of whether or not, I think I’m good enough in comparison to others in the industry. We all see the world in our own unique way, and it was then that I realized my talent is good enough without trying to be something or produce something that isn’t really how I see the world.
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?
I’m originally from the East Coast and now reside in beautiful Salt Lake City Utah. I am a huge fan of the outdoors and getting lost in nature. A true passion and way of life for me is through mindfulness, healthy eating, and deep connections with my community as well as my friendships. I work full-time in the software field doing project management, but spend a lot of my time with a local artist collective, Wasteland Caravan and Wasteland Records. This group has truly brought a lot of inspiration and creativity into my life. Not only have they inspired me, but they continue to inspire creativity into the local Salt Lake music, and art scene. It is through this group that I have been lucky enough to continue my work with helping coordinate events, manage media, and, of course… photograph artists and musicians.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think that three qualities/skills that impacted my creative (as well as personal) journey were consistency, patience (trusting the ebbs and flows of inspiration), and probably the most important quality is being a self starter. As the old saying goes, “ your dreams don’t work, unless you do.” And this couldn’t be more true. It’s great to be a dreamer, but if you don’t have a direction or some sort of plan, you can kiss that dream goodbye, so staying motivated and continuing with forward momentum is one of the most important things to possess in order to get to where you want to be.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Not so much a book, but an author…Yung Pueblo. There are many aspects of love, life, and relationships that have had me reevaluate the way I digest the world around me as well as my own internal dialogue. As important as some books or authors can be to one’s professional development, I think that an author being able to impact the way you see your self and the world around you is more important for towards the way you approach your professional work for the two are not separate.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lrcphoto.com
- Instagram: @lrc.photo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenrcohenphoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcohen990
Image Credits
Photo in red dress: Cairisti Flatley Photo sitting, with boots on :Cairisti Flatley https://instagram.com/cflatleyphoto?igshid=Y2I2MzMwZWM3ZA==
