We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Ivancic recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience was modeled by my family as well as came naturally within myself and grew with life experiences.
I’m sitting in my 5th grade reading group. There aren’t many of us in this reading group since it is for students who are at the lowest reading level in the class. I know other students think this group is for the “dumb” kids in the class. I feel shame wash all over me as the teacher begins asking questions about a chapter in the book we are reading. The questions are extremely simple, almost too simple as if the teacher thinks we are that stupid. I know the answers to all of the questions but I can’t seem to open my mouth; I’m too embarrassed and angry. So, I sit there quietly, waiting for this moment to be over.
I grew up with a learning delay that has affected my self-confidence throughout my life. School, specifically elementary through middle school, was extremely difficult for me. I became used to being one of the slowest kids in class to finish tasks and to understand assignments. I had an Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.), which meant I was pulled out of class throughout the week to have one-on-one lessons in math, reading and writing in order to “catch up” and be on the same level as the other students in my grade. My mom would tutor my sister and I during the summer so the knowledge we learned during the school year wouldn’t slip away. I knew it was important but I couldn’t help but think, “if I was smarter, then I could have the whole summer off like other kids in my class.” Some kids attended summer school to get ahead, I needed it to not fall more behind than I already was. All I wanted was to be “normal.”
I had to become a really good learner in order to move past my learning delay. There were homework nights that were stained with endless tears as I tried to comprehend the assignment. My parents support and my work ethic made it possible for me to test out of an I.E.P. in high school. Once in college, I realized how well prepared I was because of my learning delay. Standardized tests like the SAT’s didn’t matter anymore, what mattered was going to class, taking notes and studying the content. I could do that, and I did it well.
The shame I felt growing up, has slowly dwindled over the years but it can still haunt me in unexpected moments. I’m continuing to change my inner narrative. My learning delay does not define me but I do believe it has made me a stronger person. A more resilient person. I look back on my younger self and wish I could tell that little girl it will all be okay.
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’m a photographer with a fine art background. I specialize in still life/ brand photography. My artistic style is influenced by my upbringing in the Pacific Northwest, which is engulfed with beautiful lush green foliage everywhere you look. Nature, shapes and shadows are strong themes within my photography. I can spend hours photographing one object by manipulating the light and shadow to create different compositions. The creativity is endless! That is where I feel my artistic side come alive.
I photograph in my home studio as well as location shoots. This allows me to offer multiple options for brands. I love providing beautiful, high-quality images for businesses, especially small businesses. My goal is for the viewer to slow down and connect with the imagery. Our lives move so fast and a lot of the time we are disconnected from the moment. I want my photography to make viewers stop doom scrolling and to take in the entire composition; the color, light, shapes and shadows. I want to bring an art gallery to your phone, tablet, computer, laptop… for you, the viewer, to feel inspired by a regular object you may use every day.
My services are open to anyone looking for a photographer to elevate the imagery of how consumers view their products. I want to hear your story, to connect and create images that showcase your vision and brand. We all have a story to tell, a passion to explore. I look forward to hearing your story and photographing images for your brand!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that were most impactful to my journey are my fine art background, work ethic and self-confidence.
Having a degree in fine art with a specialization in photography helps me with my creative process. Creating compositions that are engaging to viewers is key for photographers. Playing with lines and shapes comes naturally within my photography. The way I see light has changed over the years. The way light hits buildings, shines through plants, and how it flows into my apartment constantly gives my artistic eye inspiration for a photoshoot. Light is a huge element of photography and seeing light in different ways is important. Obtaining knowledge on your specific passion is crucial to succeeding and pushing you forward. If you ever feel stuck, signing up for classes, even online classes, can make a huge difference in your journey!
I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my work ethic. Continuing to learn, practice and stay determined has really helped me throughout my journey as a photographer. It is very easy to give up, it’s hard to keep going when it gets tough but staying true to my work ethic has made it possible to keep going. Remembering that the process isn’t always smooth is important. I don’t think starting a business is easy for anyone. It’s a process that takes time and energy. The more positive energy you put into your journey is what matters. Keep going and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise if you have a passion you love.
Self-confidence is huge when endeavoring on a journey that may seem hard to achieve. I have struggled with self-confidence and imposter syndrome for most of my life. I didn’t realize it but when I look back on my 31 years of life, self-doubt is everywhere. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. It can start as fears and grow into anxiety that can stop one from pursuing a passion but it doesn’t have to! What has helped me is taking one day at a time, one step at a time. Analyzing all of the things you need to accomplish can be very overwhelming. I’ve noticed that, changing my perspective and breaking up my end goal into tasks has really helped my self-confidence and continues to help me in my photography journey.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I believe it is important to lean into our strengths while investing effort on improving areas that may not be as strong. For example, I’m a very visual and creative person which is why art comes more naturally to me; art is a strength of mine. Photography is a combination of art and numbers. As a photographer, you need to be visual and creative but you also need to understand all of the different settings and how the numbers work together. Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed numbers have different meanings and can drastically change the composition. To shoot manual, you need to fully understand how they can impact an image. Learning how these numbers work together allows a photographer to be fully creative and gives them a high degree of control. It’s frustrating when lack of understanding is what is stopping creativity. I’ve needed to practice and study in order to cement the technical part of photography as a strength within my skillset. Don’t let something you aren’t as strong at stop you from pursuing a dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelivancic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachivancic.photo/
