We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Hernandez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.
Jesse, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
As a visual artist and photographer, I wont lie when I say I’ve encountered my moments where I either don’t feel like creating work, or have entered creative blocks. Much like writers block, its very common for artists of any medium to experience these frustrating instances. The way I try to keep creativity alive is by making a habit in studying other photographers works, dissecting photos (in reference to making my own understanding conceptually with images or breaking down technical aspects of an image), and making goals for myself to photograph. A few photographers I find inspiration from are Latoya Ruby Frazier, Wolfgang Tillman, Moyra Davey, Susan Mieselas, and many more. It’s important for creatives to study and see how successful artists in their field are making their work. How are they approaching their subject matter? In a technical standpoint, how are they photographing? Is their approach working? If not, how can it be improved? These are questions I tend to ask myself when going through photo books or listening to artist talks. Because I wont lie, there are artists that are good and some that I’m just not a fan of. It’s all a matter of preference, and if there are artists that seem to align with what you are creating and envisioning, it’s really good to look at the works they have done. I just recently completed my BFA in Photography at Cal State University Long Beach, and I’ll be honest, I haven’t been creating work as much I did while being in school. But, I place a goal for myself every week to put attention into my photo art, and this means either take the time to photograph in the home or do some research on an artist. As of lately, I’ve been continuing my series of the home and the relationship with human interaction. It’s a form of investigation where I am entering the private spaces of my family, and through this, I’m trying to dissect why certain social trends have entered the domestic space.
Its really important as artists to continue making work. Time is social construct; there is literally time for everything. Whether you’re creating work for yourself or work for a cause, art is important for society to mold culture and help bring an impact to one’s perspective.
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 am a photographer that works in the artistic and commercial sides of the medium. I feel that I have always been a creative person growing up. I can recall various instances as a child where I would draw and create these imaginative spaces with unconventional materials. I am so grateful knowing that my parents allowed me to be curious. I won’t lie, I would get into trouble A LOT for grabbing and using things I wasn’t supposed to for my drawings or to stick on the walls. But regardless of the scoldings I got, I know for a fact that my curiosity stimulated my photo creativity today.
My photo practice revolves around the use of digital and film media, while also incorporating the manipulation and experimentation of photos. This can be the erasing the coding of an image digitally, cutting film up, incorporating sewing and fabric, and cyanotyping. Through this, my work delves with the converging sentiments of the home and also working on addressing prominent issues happening today in the garment industry. My inspiration comes from my immigrant parents and I hope to shed a light on social inequities occurring in the Latin community in Los Angeles.
Along with my artistic side, I also delve in the commercial side of photography. I make sure to balance both to be well rounded. I mean lets be real, art is not always going to be paying the bills. I photograph various occasions such as maternity sessions, weddings, studio portraits, and product photography. I also try to blend my art to my commercial practice to push visual boundaries and to stand out from other photographers.
A major goal that two of my friends and I are working towards/saving for is the creation of a communal photo space. Their names are Tanya Sanchez and Michael Larios, and we find importance in building community with creatives alike, and being able to own a space that fosters support for artists is our goal. We hope to have a space for studio works, a darkroom, a place to have access to large format printing, and a gallery space for artists to have the opportunity to showcase their works. So keep on a look out for that in the future!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One thing that I have learned and mentally accepted is that there is nothing wrong with failing and taking negative criticism. When beginning my art career, I remember really beating myself up when I wasn’t able to fulfill an idea or when what I produced was just not working. Everyone is a critic, and people just love to give their opinions. I recall a moment in critique for one of my photo classes where I came in thinking my work was so good (when looking back I was so delusional). I was actually excited to hear what people had to say about my work, but I was instantly ripped to shred with negatives comments on my work. It truly was the first time I experienced this, and it was embarrassing. This wasn’t a moment for people to put me down and belittle me though. This was a moment of growth. How are we supposed to grow if we don’t allow ourselves to fail? And I would be lying if I said this was the only time I’ve failed on my work. But the efforts that I put to continue improving and polishing my craft has made me a better photographer. To this day I still fail, but I now allow myself to and don’t take the failure to heart. I’m very fortunate to have honest friends that tell me the truth, which leads me to my next learned lesson; surrounding yourself with the right people.
I truly love the people I hold close to and the amount of support I receive from them. Theres a saying, and it goes “the people you hang around with reflect who you are”. So I ask, what type of people do you hang around with? Straight up, you need to surround yourself with people in which you can uplift each other, support one another, create long-term goals with, and even build an emotional connection with. Trust and believe you will never see me surrounding myself with people with no ambition, no drive, and who are lazy. I sound blunt saying this, but it’s a fact. And I say this through experience. It’s like dragging a heavy log; you try to motivate them but they still just don’t budge, and yet they still want keep you around. It’s important to have self awareness and be able to reflect in areas that you think aren’t beneficial for you. If you have to let go of people for your betterment, do it! At the end of the day, if they don’t provide value for you right now, they will be of no use to you in the future.
Finally, I think it’s very important to ask yourself if your goal or career is a passion. We live in a time now where there are so many routes of interest and success, and at times we aren’t real with ourselves. I studied music starting at the age of 8, and it was a forced practice. I remember unwillingly having to sacrifice my Saturdays going to music school. And it was so sad knowing that I couldn’t watch my Saturday morning shows anymore. I didn’t like it at first, but eventually I grew into it. For years I learned, and even entered high school playing music. I remember always getting compliments and even having my high school band director pushing me to pursue music in college. Honestly without thinking, I just went for it. My first year in LACC was pretty bad. I literally was scared every day to go to my classes, specifically my Jazz Band class being how challenging it was. As much as I practiced, I had no confidence in myself whatsoever and doubted everything. Im sure every person has their own experiences, but if you are passionate about something, all the practice and learning for that said goal should be enjoyable. Yes you will experience nerves, but you should truly enjoy what you’re doing. So I say again, it’s important to analyze where you are and the goals you have to see if it’s something you truly love.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents have done for me would have to be the support and acceptance of my career choice. I know a lot of Latin parents have high hopes for their kids, and expect them to pursue careers in the medical field, law, etc, but clearly I didn’t. Im grateful knowing that they are proud of me for pursuing something that I love, and thats all they ask of me. There are moments where I do feel my dad specifically sometimes doesn’t understand what I do, the work I create, or why I do it, but I see him trying. This my not seem like a big impact for others, but their support for my passion is very impactful for me. And I’m a hustler, so I doing my best for financial stability, and to ensure that I can provide for them when they chose to return to their countries to retire. I feel it’s my way of paying them back for everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessehphoto.myportfolio.com/cv
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessandezz/
Image Credits
Profile Image:
Photographed by Tanya Sanchez-Ramirez
Instagram: @tanya.in.focus
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
