We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Jarni recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
It’s a constant struggle but for me it’s a combination of being inspired by creators that I am following on socials and tracking new advancements in technology. And instead of letting myself get crippled with fear or insecurity I take some time and actually TRY IT OUT.
And of course the one huge tech trend that we cannot stop talking about is AI. I’ve been playing with generative fill in photoshop and even the enhance audio feature in the Premiere. @dianewithonen has been inspiring me heaps lately with her collages as well. AI has opened the door to a lot of posibilities but has also totally overwhelmed the senses. I like to keep track of all my ideas in my notes app and then set aside time to actually make them happen. It can be really difficult to “be creative” when you’re not feeling creative so I think setting dedicated time to play and let things unfold is really key. And then on the days when you get that creative energy coming up, just go with the flow and follow that feeling. Unless sadly you have some other deadlines that day haha.
Buying or hiring a new bit of equipment and just having a play to see how this could change my workflow helps too. I watch a lot of youtube (mostly thanks to my husband) which keeps me informed and is a great resource for education too! I taught myself to use midjourney just through a youtube video 😉 Now I’m really keen to take a portrait of myself and see how far I can mess around with the background!
My best advice: just do it. Set some time. Let go of the perfectionism and see where play takes you 😉
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’m a Melbourne (Australia) based photographer and video content creator with a reputation for snapping brands, babes and booze.
My business has has been a decade plus in the making.I get my kicks by making things more vibrant, more playful and more yummy. I want to be the cherry on top of your marketing strategy by creating my clients considered and cohesive visuals that help your business pop!
I aim to be a one-stop content shop for top-notch videos and imagery. This means you only have to communicate with one gal to get a whole suite of content. And from there me and my team will take care of the rest!
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?
Adaptability – being able to see how the market is changing. I started my business around the same time as instagram marketing became a big thing. So I started making content for publications and small businesses instead of looking for massive commercial gigs that were not as accessible to me at the time. Jack of all trades/ Video knowledge- being interested in more than one area early on gave me an additional edge compared to some of my photographer only competitors and it’s only working in my favour more now than ever
Growth mindset – constantly trying to improve on my skills, systems etc instead of stagnating
I think the last one is especially important because it encompasses the others. Being open to trying new things and change is essential as someone in the creative industry in 2024.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I’m not a big believer in having one specific target audience. For me it’s more about the vibe of the business, entrepreneur or brand I am working with. I seek to work with innovative small to medium business that have a bold brand identity. You can see in my work that I use a lot of colour (and I obviously LOVE that) but I especially adore working with people who have established a really strong brand – whether it is a wicked sense of humour or a really unusual set of graphics that will pair with photography and video really well, I am just excited to bounce off that brand guide and come up with visuals that are really YOU.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://michellejarni.com/
- Instagram: @michellejarni
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellejarni
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-jarni-96630615/
Image Credits
Michelle Jarni (myself)
