We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alex Rhoades a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Working on my confidence and self esteem is a constant every day effort. I started looking in the mirror and saying “I love you & I forgive you”. This positive self talk has been a major driver of the way I present myself and my overall wellbeing. I’m also completely open to self help, therapy and mental health maintenance. I face my fears head on and prove to myself that I am capable of anything.
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 started my photography career in 2014 when I started working for an architecture firm named HOK. They hired me as their in house photographer and I got the opportunity to shoot their local projects and take all of their headshots. While I worked full time at their front desk and occasionally in marketing, I asked the HR department if I could go to night school and if they would be willing to cover half of my education and they agreed. After that first semester, I was bringing more and more to the table. Just after graduation, after 3 years of working there I got a call from Netflix asking me to come and shoot their lifestyle book with another very talented photographer from LA. After getting that call, my entire life changed.
My current offerings are my brand photography sessions, family sessions and set photography. I am an honest photographer focused on capturing the human connection through visual storytelling.
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 most impactful part of my journey was all the mistakes, failures and lessons. I have learned over the last 10 years that my best skillset is my adaptability, communication and the ability to connect with my subject so they love the person they see in their photos. Don’t be afraid to fail, learn the lessons and show yourself grace.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest obstacle is the fear of being seen and showing up for myself. I would do anything for my friends & chosen family. When it comes time for me to speak highly about myself or show my work, I just want to hide. I work on myself every single day. I write love letters to myself, gratitude journals, meditate and try and positive self talk. The truth is: self-care and healing are my life’s work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexcreativeco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexlikeaboy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrhoadescreative/
