We caught up with the brilliant and insightful RICEY FLUSH a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
RICEY, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Ive been a photographer for a long time, and it’s easy to get burned out. Photoshoots become repetitive, everything seems to become scheduled work instead of creative free time. I used to really look forward to working with new models and collaborating on new projects. After years and years of the same thing, it became extremely mundane. I lost the spark that once excited me to be a photographer.
One day I woke up and decided to sell all of my existing camera gear and start over with a new camera. I shot with Sony cameras for almost 10 years. I became very fond of the company. I knew I needed a change. I sold all my gear to a friend from Instagram and used the money to buy a Fuji camera. I never tried the camera out, never played with one in a camera store. I just made an impulsive decision to start over, and it was the best decision I ever made.
The new Fuji camera made it fun to take photos again. It gave me an excuse to leave the house. It gave me a fresh start, a walk down an unknown path. This is what kept my creativity alive, starting over.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am Photographer from Houston, TX. I feel like my photography is unique because it’s an extension of my thoughts and feelings. I can post a photo and people can tell how I was feeling just based on the photo. Maybe the colors are vibrant and full of excitement because I was happy. Maybe the colors are cold and desaturated because I was upset that day.
My brand is as authentic as it gets. I don’t try to fake scenarios or photoshoot concepts. If you see a helicopter in a photo, the pilot was right next to me. If you see a bear in the background, it wasn’t photoshop. I love to keep the photos as real as I can. In the age of AI where you can click a button and add anything, I choose not to.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Patience, I have always been extremely patient in knowing things don’t always happen overnight. I always understood that good things take time. My advice to people is to never give up, just have patience and things can work out in your favor.
Thoughtfulness, I always consider other people when it comes to creating. I try extremely hard to not offend people. Or do anything that can be emotionally or physically damaging. I would recommend people just try to think about other people a bit more. It goes a long way.
Dedication, I’m 100% dedicated to my craft. Photography is not just a phase in my life, it is my life. If you love something, dedicate some time and develop what you love.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I usually don’t collaborate with people when it comes to art. There is no reason for this, I just honestly have not made an effort to work with other creatives. I want to change things up and work with new people. We used to have photography events where artist, models, hair and make up artists and other groups would come together. I miss these events because it’s always a really good way to network. Hopefully I can contribute my time to bring these type of events back.
I am always looking for new people to work with. I think it’s a great way to keep content fresh and interesting. I am looking to collaborate with anyone that can translate their story into a photograph.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.riceyflush.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/riceyflush
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/riceyfluish
