We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dustin Dale Barlow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dustin Dale below.
Hi Dustin Dale, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I could answer this in many ways, but I’d say that I have a deep need to communicate and express myself. This is what has helped me gain a form of resilience in my life. There are a lot of energies, thoughts, and ideas scrambling through my system at all times. I don’t think it would be fair to myself to keep everything inside. Expressing oneself brings a truth that others may be able to relate to as well. Sometimes when we share our truth others may oppose it or disqualify our experience, but that would only help us become more resilient. I’ve observed in my creative life as an artist and business owner that when you bring forward your full self—people listen. You’re bound to find like minded people with resilience like that.
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 am an artist of many trades, a multi-hyphenate as it’s said. I am an actor, singer and photographer. The foundation of all my work and why I do what I do is simply based in a love for humanity. There is nothing more beautiful than storytelling and sharing them with others. I believe in the power of theatre and using different mediums of art to connect us all to each other. Our experience as human beings is individual and yet incredibly universal.
I grew up in North Dallas, my mother would nudge me to share that it is Carrollton, TX, specifically. A little gay Texas boy who grew up in the church felt a drastic need to express himself, but I couldn’t navigate how as I was young. What I did instead was listen and observe everyone around me, always doing my best to connect to anyone I could. I was thrust into a beautiful fine arts program throughout grade school. I found joy in plays, musicals, and going to speech & debate tournaments on Saturdays throughout the state of Texas. Oklahoma City University is where I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. I found a deeper sense of self and authenticity with my craft.
College is where I honored my love for photography and started diving in. I actually began testing my eye with the iPhone, portrait mode and using the photos app to edit whatever caught my attention. I had lovely friends and a community around me I could test my style out on. Soon after I purchased my first DSLR and everything shifted! I happily began to teach myself how it all worked and began a deep love for portraiture.
My photography and my craft as an actor definitely work in tandem. They both have a sense of urgency moving beneath them… I think it’s important for us to witness humanity as it is without having to make anything out of it or change it. Through storytelling whether that be with a camera or on stage, I believe we are able to bring a mirror to ourselves. The simplicity of humanity is what is so beautiful to me.
After graduating and walking through a pandemic, I moved to New York City where I’ve been developing a clientele of people seeking my services as a photographer. I am auditioning for work that speaks to me and always sharpening my training. I feel a big call being the artist that I am. I cannot see myself choosing any other career or path for myself.
As a photographer, I provide services in studio, on location, weddings, engagement shoots, and my all time favorite—concepts. I love when someone comes to me with a vision and story they want to recreate together. It’s a great way to connect and get the creative juices flowing.
My journey as an actor is shifting in many ways. I absolutely love singing and embodying stories that question our experiences. I believe it’s imperative, especially now, to tell stories that expose the spirit to better itself. We are in a time where storytelling is more important than ever.
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?
Empathy, curiosity, and compassion. I’d work to cultivate these in however way they may show up for you. Opportunities to practice these three qualities come in many different ways. We think we’re always right, but we must give room for us to grow and expand. Time and time again growth has taken place in my life when I’ve practiced one or if not all of these qualities each day. When you have these in your system, at your core, I don’t think anything can stop you.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I immediately have a sip of water and maybe a small snack, no joke. When I was little and upset, my mother would tell me to drink some water before having a meltdown. More often than not, I literally needed to take a deep breath and have some water. I like to let out some sound, stretch, and move my body a bit to get the energy flowing. Developing a breath work and yoga practice has been incredibly helpful over the years. I am an incredibly neurodivergent and sensitive human, as many of us are. Anything that connects me to my center and to the earth in moments of overwhelm always helps.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ddb_photo
- Other: TikTok: @ddb_photo
Image Credits
All images taken by photographer Dustin Dale Barlow from DDB
