How’d we get here?
I was sitting around today thinking about how I got here… Here being the creative person I am today… How’d I get to this photography thing in my life…
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery… If that’s true, then damn, I’ve flattered a lot of people on my journey though the creativesphere. On the path to creative zen, you find yourself struggling to find your voice. Some have it off the bat, and those are the lucky ones, but some don’t. That’s where I was in the beginning. Living in a shitty house in the middle of LeMars, Iowa. I knew I wanted to scream and shout and create something amazing. The problem was, I didn’t have a voice. I had nothing that I could call my own. I have not a clue on where to start. Luckily, I had some help.
It all started with a single push in the right direction from a person I had never personally met at this point, but this person (pry had no idea they were even doing it) gave me that helping hand that inspired me to find my own voice. Don’t get me wrong… I stole his voice, a lot. He was too damn good at what he was doing, and I (thought) I wanted that. I wanted to do what this guy did. He was a creative person that created some of the most amazing designs that really came to life to me. And this guy, who out of the goodness of his heart, lent a simple kid some web space and bought him his first domain name.
Keep in mind, I have never met this guy who was so kind to me… He was a good friend of a girl I was dating, and with his one single act of kindness, it gave me the… “This guy believes in me.. kinda, I should too!” push I needed. Over the years I learned to stop stealing, and to just be inspired. To appreciate the form and the structure. To understand not just that something is beautiful, but why it’s beautiful. What makes it what it is.
I digress. This push he gave me sent my mind into a whole new world of things. It put me into college, it brought me to the mac computer (A hardcore love if there ever was such a thing.) and eventually lead me on my own creative path to the camera.
It’s been a long ass path. A winding road that has many stops, but never reached it’s destination (until now). But every stop of the way, the dude was always there, doing the next big amazing thing. He really is an inspiration and a person I admire highly. I really feel if it wasn’t for a simple act of kindness shown to a simple kid in a simple town in Iowa. I would not be doing the things I love doing today… We all have our heros guys.. Mine is a fella by the name of Jay Runquist.
So, not to get all bromance on you, but I just wanted to express my graditude to Jay for helping me find my voice. One of the greatests gifts a person has ever given me (especially without realizing they had.)
Now this post isn’t about me being all gaga over Jay. It’s more of a make you sit back and think of your hero.. Not the person who is super amazing at what you do and you aspire to be like him. (I have no desire to work for Google.) But really think of that person who did that one little butterfly effect act of kindness that set you in motion on your path to find your voice. Sometimes you’ll surprise yourself on who it is.
