Meet Emily Miller-Fitzgibbons

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Miller-Fitzgibbons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily , 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 like the roommate who doesn’t pay rent to live in your mind. I honestly don’t know if it’s something to overcome, but rather something to manage on a day-by-day basis.

I try to use it to my advantage like fire under my feet to inspire myself to do something new. I try not to focus on it because it can cause creativity blocks and lead to burnout. As an introverted overthinker, I feel that giving into it can make people feel like they’re in over their head, and it allows doubt and second-guessing to set in.

Imposter syndrome is also sometimes a reflection of trying to “keep up” with so many changing elements in social media, trends, algorithms, etc. that seem to fight the natural progression of creativity. Artistic progress and growth can feel like a “race” sometimes. It almost feels like social media wants creative people to be more like machines rather than artists, which can lead to creative burnout before you even finish a project. We sometimes feel we aren’t progressing enough in the eyes of AI and feel compelled to equate “success” with how many likes, comments, and followers we have. Success is much more than a number, it’s a mindset.

There are multiple techniques I use to keep my creativity alive. I listen to music that inspires me, I watch movies (both good and comically bad ones), and I hang out with film friends that share the same interests or understand the same struggles. Basically, I try to make each day a little different than the last.

I also make sure I keep learning, so it never feels like I’ve capped off on the information my career requires me to know. I keep multiple projects or fields of work rotating through my week, so I don’t get tired of one thing. Keeping this clean rotation of projects, whether it’s commissioned paintings, working on film shoots, or my photography helps keep me from overthinking or getting tired of one particular thing.

Long answer short, creating social and work balance in my life is what keeps things fresh without falling into the “mental quicksand” of creative blocks as I move on to the next project.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started my art business back in 2017, but I have been invested in the visual arts for over 10 years now. As I briefly mentioned above, I keep a range of art services rotating to keep inspiration flowing – I don’t just do one form of art, I do three: paintings, photography, and cinematography.

I first became interested in drawing when I was in the fourth grade, and all I’d ever draw was horses. It wasn’t until years later that I pushed myself to try drawing and painting portraits. I paint portraits of both people and pets on various-sized canvases. I like to add a “cartoony” style to some realistic elements in my art. I never want my paintings to look like someone simply took a picture and had it printed on a canvas.

Drawing and painting actually inspired me to pursue photography and cinematography. Painting makes you observe and replicate how light affects a subject in real life, so I decided to expand my artistic horizons through a camera. I always enjoyed taking photos and videos. I especially enjoy doing nature photography (for canvas prints), pet photography, and family photography. I have to say, I love being able to freeze and enhance a moment of time with the four-legged members of families! That, and I get to pet cute fluffy doggos all day.

Photography allowed me to put how I view the world in a tangible form, while it also opened a new avenue for me being a cinematographer (DP). Whether it’s narrative work or promotional videos for local businesses, I love to make someone’s vision a reality. It’s invigorating when you see words on a page come to life in a camera.

Being able to paint, photograph, and do cinematography has filled each project with new and inspiring experiences for my work. Each facet of my business supports one another and offers a new perspective.

As for what’s new, I am looking to do more film productions and submit them to film festivals, so that’s going to be a fun new avenue!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My journey is still just starting, but there are a few things that have helped me so far.

1 – The phrase “work before play” – it enforces time management and organization.

My brothers and I were very lucky to have my mom instill this important value and balance in us during our childhood. She’d make sure we learned the importance of doing work in order to enjoy our free time.

It made my work ethic the way it is today. I always say your “future-self” will thank you by doing what needs to be done first. It makes the reward of relaxation much sweeter at the end, especially when I don’t have unfinished or unpleasant work hanging over my head.

2 – “Good, better, & best”

My grandpa always said that to me growing up.

In life, there’s good, better, and best. You don’t want to be “good,” since that means you wouldn’t be trying hard enough. You don’t want to be the “best” because that leaves you no room for growth. Strive to be “better”, as it will always serve as a reminder of where you came from and where you still have yet to go.

When you’re in a creative field of work, it’s especially important to keep that one foot firmly planted in reality so you maintain a sense of balance and rationality. The reality of life when it comes to running a business is that there are deadlines to meet within budgetary limits. So, you can be creative, but you make sure you’re realistically creative.

3 – Become comfortable with the uncomfortable

Every job you do is a job worth doing right. Yes, work smarter, not harder, but also keep in mind that some things might not be “easy”. Push yourself out of your comfort zone as a way to grow as a person, artist, business owner, etc.

There’s no way to know everything about everything, but there’s always something new to learn… so why not learn it?

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
We all know the jack of all trades quote, right?

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

I like to live by this quote as much as possible. I don’t think it’s productive to be a one-trick pony.If that ever happens, it means I’m not doing what I need to do as an artist to expand my horizon of understanding and strive to be, as I explained above, “better”. Again, that’s why I like doing many forms of art, as opposed to putting all my eggs in one basket and saying that’s good enough. I think it’s important to be resourceful, well-rounded, and responsible.

The photography and filmmaking careers encourage me to do that anyway. New cameras get released so frequently, and since Virtual Production has been taking a strong stance in the film industry, artists have to keep improving and expanding our qualities, skills, and knowledge to keep up with technology and AI. We can’t become stagnant or complacent, as it could cost us a job. It’s important to stay on top of technological advancements – or even ahead of it, actually.

AI may be great in many ways, and can no doubt be used to enhance art, but it cannot replace artists. The rawness and passion put into art that is made by hand is much more authentic than that of a “bot”.

Building off of that, as a DP, I try not to focus on just the camera work – I still strive to learn things about editing, sound recording, gaffing, rigging, etc. All of those are so important to be knowledgeable of so I can be a better DP. I can’t put blinders on and just focus on one thing and still expect to do my job well.

I’m not saying to overstep – it’s important to stay in your lane. However, you need to know on another level what’s involved in other jobs so you can do your job better. For instance, if you’re an aspiring AD, it’s important to utilize good organization skills and time management, ask questions, spend time learning about cameras, and get your hands on rigging lights so you have a mutual understanding of what is involved in other roles. Otherwise, things can get messy on a set. So, learn all you can, and do your research.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos of Emily – Parker Waken, Anna Thorlaksdottir, Holly Valenzuela Photo of Arri Camera – Trevor Riches Photo of Red Ranger Helium Camera – Parker Waken

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