We were lucky to catch up with Crush Rush recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Crush, 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.
Imposter Syndrome is a very real thing, like anxiety and I don’t think that anyone ever “overcomes” it. You simply learn how to co-exist with it. You learn what your triggers look and feel like, you learn what your negative self-dialogue sounds like and then you do your absolute best to stop feeding the Imposter Syndrome Monster. Imposter Syndrome is a curse and a blessing, at its worse it tricks you into thinking that you are not worthy of the celebration. It makes you feel as if you aren’t really the person your work presents you as. At its best, it can be fuel for innovation. It can cause you to explore a little more than you might have if you would have been completely comfortable in your lane. I think the best way to “overcome” Imposter Syndrome is to understand that it will always be a shadow.
If there is bright sunlight, you will always cast a shadow.
When it comes to self-dialogue there’s a book that I can’t recommend enough. The title might be a little vulgar, but I think for creatives, sometimes it’s necessary that things are in their rawest un overly curated form. The book is titled “UnFu*k Yourself” by Gary John Bishop. I definitely recommend spinning the pages of that book at least once a year.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Crush Rush and I’m tasked with documenting life in real time. The not so fancy version of what I do would be called “Photography” but I like putting power back into the artform. Over time we’ve forgotten the reason and the importance of photography which was as a way to remember people and things, and as a way to show off people and things.
My favorite part of what I do is the work that I do that directly impacts and documents the stories of marginalized groups. Working with organizations or institutions that are truly doing the work to make this world a better place for ALL is what keeps my heart beating. As a person working and living with two invisible disabilities it’s always a great time working with organizations that improve the lives of others with physically / invisible / intellectual disabilities as well.
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?
Looking back on everything I definitely can attribute my success to three main things.
1. Practice: You’ve got to be willing to PUT IN THE WORK and perfect yourself even when the money isn’t coming in. The moment you get to the point where you don’t feel like you need to practice, you’re already falling behind. I can’t begin to count the number of times I spent walking around the same park, or the same nature trail on a journey to take the best picture I could in the name of practice.
Even now, as a seasoned photographer that has work all over the globe, I still leave my house to go walk the street or to hook up with my friends in the name of practice.
2. Write Down Your Goals: There’s something magical about transferring your thoughts in a physical form. Even if you post it as a random status on social media, you’re putting fuel in that thought rocket. When you give your thoughts and goals physical energy, you’re
already 5% closer to your goal because now you can hold yourself accountable.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Speak To People: With any business, whether it’s a creative business or not the power lies in the connections that you make. There’s no advertisement stronger than word of mouth.
We walk around in our own bubble with strangers around us ALL the time. Potential customers are EVERYWHERE. Whenever I go to a place, I always speak to people using their name on their nametag. If you keep frequenting that place and calling them by their name, the time will come that they will ask you what your name is. Once that day happens, BAM. eventually one day that you enter in that establishment you will be asked about what YOU do for a living since you know what they do.
New customers are everywhere.
People that can help you grow are everywhere.
People that may not have a need for your service, but would drop your name to their friends and family in a heartbeat are everywhere.
The only way to find them is speak to them and be the reason for that connection.
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 personally think that either approach or its effectiveness depends directly on the person. For the average person however, I think that there’s some serious strength in having a diverse mindset. The more you think outside of the box, the more strengths and weaknesses that you may discover.
Discovery is pivotal in elevating yourself to the next level.
I’d also like to speak on the strength of having close connections and partnerships with people who have contrasting styles and personalities. If you really want to be able to grow, you have to be able to get along with people who think completely different than you. It takes creativity to navigate relationships with people that you disagree with. That same creativity will allow for you expand in ways you never thought possible.
They say get out of the box, I say destroy the box completely. You don’t need a sandbox to play in if there’s sand everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shuttercrush.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/CrushRushSC
- Facebook: facebook.com/xCrushRushSCx
- Twitter: twitter.com/CrushRushSC
- Other: Etsy: www.crushcreates.com
Image Credits
Crush Rush
