We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtney Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtney below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Courtney with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I’ve always had a thirst for knowledge and as a kid it was highly focused on history. Asking questions about my ancestors is what got me understanding the importance of hard work and work ethic. My ancestors consist of almost everything from coal miners, nurses, and veterans; to bankers, teachers, and farmers.
Learning about them made me realize how hard it must have been in their time to be not only black in America, but for a lot of them, being an immigrant in America. Their strength and resilience through the times of slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement, taught me at a young age that no matter what you keep going. You keep putting in the work that your heart craves no matter how difficult and no matter how many nay-sayers there are.
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?
The most exciting part of my artistic journey right now, has to be the non profit organization I have been working with. Since the beginning of the year, I have had the opportunity to work with SOOFA Ranch, a non profit organization focused on equine assisted programs and therapy. As a photographer/videographer, it is an amazing thing to capture life as it happens; but an even more amazing thing to capture the growth and change in life as it happens.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things that have been most impactful in my journey have been, understanding, communication, and compassion for others. Understanding the struggles people have been through, are going through, and may go through in life has kept me level headed and willing to help and learn. Communication has taught me the value of reaching out to those who may have a harder time understanding what creative direction they may want to go in. Compassion has taught me that life is short and the memories we make and document will long outlive any of us.
All together I think these three things have not only made me a better photographer and videographer, but also a better human.
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?
A book that has played an important role in my development is surprisingly not a book on photography or personal growth, but a book written by a celebrity.
‘Greenlights’ by Matthew McConaughey is a book I read a while back and although I am an avid reader and have learned a lot from many books, this book I think about almost every time a new journey, gig, or opportunity arises. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from this book are:
1. Take Risks. No one ever succeeded in life by playing it safe.
2. Make your own Greenlights. Sometimes an opportunity arises and you have the option to say no, say yes instead. See what happens.
3. Don’t let anyone else define your version of success. Everyone is different and everyone’s version of success is different, but don’t let someone tell you what your version is, they haven’t walked a mile in your shoes.
4. Figuring out who you are by figuring out who you are not. Or as I like to tell people: it doesn’t go if it doesn’t flow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cocobeanproductions.net
- Instagram: @cocobeanproductions
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-williams-38779a89
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@The1Cocobean
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