We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.
Jason, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Above all, my resilience comes from my faith. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” I try my best to live by this scripture. Since I was young, I’ve had to do twice the work for half the recognition. And for a while, that recognition was something I strived for no matter the cost. But I soon learned that seeking only the recognition of others will rob you of the joy that can come from acknowledging yourself and the work you’ve put in to get to where you are.
Now I’m not ignorant to the fact that sometimes things just don’t work out. But what I’ve learned is that my perspective determines my objective. If I continuously look at things through a negative lens, I’ll have a very hard time finding a positive outcome. But if I approach life with positivity, there is no amount of bad that can outweigh my good outcome.
My family, specifically my mom and grandparents, taught me very young that haste makes waste. It’s better to start slow and trust that your work ethic, and your commitment, will bring you to the place you want to be. There’s no need to rush when you know where you’re going, so just do what you can and enjoy the lessons you learn along the way.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m coming up on my second year as a photographer! It honestly feels surreal, the time has passed so quickly. Through my photography, I try to portray how I feel in ways that sometimes words can’t express. Music has always been my passion, and my immediate form of expression, but through photography I’ve found a new voice. Through my photography, I’m able to create a version of my reality that most times I can only see in my mind. But when I put these images on film, they come to life. And oftentimes when I look back at my work, though still very new in the world of photography, I can see what I imagined as a child. I’ve learned to use my lens not only to reflect what I see, but to see life with the innocence my younger self. When I began to look at life with fresh eyes, the world around me became a complex art piece. An art piece with so many interesting people, places, things, and stories. I love to hear the stories of those I come in contact with, and the stories of the places I’m in, because it makes the world just a little more enjoyable. Each person, to me, is a work of art inspired by life’s ups and downs. And the finished product is their unique, complex, and beautifully written story; one the deserves to be told in a way that best tells it.
I particularly love to make portraits and to document the world around me. I love to photograph people and in turn show them how I see them. Sometimes you’ll meet people who have no idea just how special they are. Those are the people I find the most joy in photographing. The moment they finally see themselves the way not only I see them, but likely how everyone sees them, is a moment of joy in it truest form. Admittedly, I wish sometimes I could photograph their reactions. But to me that realization is such an intimate moment, that I try to let them live in that moment for as long as they can.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Faith is number 1. You must have faith in Jesus Christ. That has gotten me farther than any amount of self-motivation. When you have true faith, you move as if you’ve already received what you’re asking for. You have to believe you can attain it, it’s only after you believe in yourself that you begin to see your work come to fruition.
Ask a lot of questions. Question every aspect of your life, and don’t let anyone tell you your questions are invalid. When you question those around you, especially those smarter and wiser than you, you acquire a knowledge that will help sustain you longer than you may realize in the moment. Surrounding yourself with people who are more knowledgable, and willing to answer your questions, will give you such a unique perspective on life.
And finally, no matter what it takes, believe in yourself. If you’re trying to become an artist, a musician, an architect, whatever it is you want to be, there’s a reason that the passion within you has pointed you in that direction. Believe that you ARE good enough, and eventually you will be. Believe there IS more to learn, and you’ll never stop learning.
These are the things I’ve learned throughout my journey.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my mom has done for me is guiding me from behind the scenes. My mom would let me know exactly what I needed to know in any given situation, and would let me decide what to do with that information. She was always in the background looking out for me, but never hovering and keeping me from making mistakes. Though it may not have felt this way before, my mom was always there when I made the mistakes. And she was always there just in case I couldn’t figure out how to recover. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but because of the resilience my mom instilled in me, I was able to correct those mistakes and learn from them.
This allows me, now, to do the same thing for the younger people I meet. I can tell them from experience what they need to know, and let then figure out how to incorporate that information into their own lives. This is something that as a leader I take great pride in. And its thanks to my mom that I learned this trait very early in my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjasonmalik_/profilecard/?igsh=ZTA1ZDBoemQ2ZTMx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-brown-a237b327a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: Photography Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/iamjbfilm_/profilecard/?igsh=cmRxaTBobjFvbXhr
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
