Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonathan Tanase. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jonathan, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I wouldn’t say I have overcome imposter syndrome and would go as far as to say that even the most succesful people haven’t overcome imposter syndrome, However, I have learned to recognize the truth about what I do and why I do it. What fuels imposter syndrome is when we get in the habit of comparing ourselves, our skills, and our passions with others. Whether that is through social media or in person, it may be true that you might not be where you want to be, but if you keep practicing and persevere through the whirlwind of every day, eventually you will get where you want and most likely in a better spot than you ever thought you could be. Comparisons are different than inspiration and though they are different, I think we get them confused. Comparison is when we are looking through the lens of self-doubt and as if we could never amount to the things that another person is doing. Inspiration is where we take a look at what someone else has done pull excitement and have the gears turning in our minds to create something new! Curiosity drives creativity. Comparisons fuel jealousy. Jealousy amounts to stagnation. I had to learn to focus my mind and heart to remind myself of the “why” behind what I do. My purpose. I had to learn and discipline myself to go from comparing myself to others or even my old self and move toward being curious and inspired by other people’s work.
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 have been a photographer for 12 years and I have gone through my hills and valleys throughout my time capturing the world through my lens. I don’t typically bog myself down with the technical details of photography or my art but instead, just try to capture the scene as if you were there. I try to invoke a story from the viewer that either I have created for them or better yet, that they have imagined in their mind. My work is meant to inspire people. It isn’t meant to be the best work on the technical level… but art that evokes a feeling cues a great memory, and takes you to a world outside of reality. My wife and I work together in the wedding business but our passions are to reach people’s hearts and leave a positive impact on their lives. I have always loved epic, cinematic landscapes that might remind you of The Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars, or Dune, or whichever world it is. Storytelling in a minimal way is my art.
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?
Here are my three:
1. Discipline – pushing and creating and learning new things whether or not you are in the mood or not.
2. Create for yourself – often times we are here to try and impress others. Instead, create for yourself and make the art or product, or whatever it may be because you want to make it or even need to make it. This will make creating more enjoyable and with less pressure
3. You will fail – Failure is truly your best teacher. Learn and learn again. The best of the best didn’t get there by just knowing how to do it. The practiced and failed and failed hard. But they got back up again.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Currently, my biggest hurdle is ironically finding my creative spark and why behind what I do. But more specifically, I am working out what my goals and visions are now versus what they were in the past. As you grow older, your passions, dreams, your creative eyes, and values… it all changes and we forget that sometimes. For a long time, I struggled a lot with whether or not it was worth it for me to continue in photography. I thought because I wasn’t making money from it or at least making money from it the way I wanted to, that it meant that I was a failure and that I had peaked. My wife helped me a lot in reestablishing my love, drive, and purpose behind what I do. Remember to come back once in awhile and analyze what are your motives for what you do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanase.photography/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanTanase
