Interviews With Dreamers

11/23/09

Finding Your Gateway Dream

David Mizejewski knows some really cool things about animals and it makes for a really fun interview.  David remembers an early interaction he had with animals when he was just 4 years old and found his first bird’s nest.  He can still vividly recall the sense of wonder at finding the nest.  He thought it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.  He also recalls the intensity of his anger and frustration when a neighborhood kid messed with the nest and ultimately killed one of the baby birds.  It’s not hard to see the budding conservationist in that story.

When he went to college, David continued to follow through on his love for animals as he studied Human and Natural Ecology at Emory.   One of his original plans had been Environmental Law.  I have no doubt that he would’ve been very good at it, but even though he cared deeply about the policy issues, the adversarial nature of the endeavor wasn’t for him.  This career was close, but not quite right.  So now what?

David decided to apply for jobs in Conservation out in the “real world”.  Luckily he had a great degree, from a good university and plenty of experience.  Only problem – he didn’t get any of the jobs for which he originally applied.  He didn’t even get an internship with the National Wildlife Federation.  The funny thing is that all of this “rejection” is the GOOD NEWS  - because what happened next helped him to find his own unique way to help the animals he is passionate about.

The job David did get was working as a naturalist at a kid’s summer camp.  Turns out - his enthusiasm was contagious.  Kids left camp – loving animals!  See - that’s what’s so much fun about interviewing David or watching one of his Today Show Appearances.  He loves these animals and after awhile you do too.

  

He took his enthusiasm for connecting people and animals and continued to work in the field - always staying in touch with the National Wildlife Federation.  Three years later - they called him.  That’s right - the same organization that didn’t originally hire him for an internship – was now calling him for a job!  They wanted him to run their Backyard Habitat Program, which David did until 2007.  Like everything else, he took the experiences he was having at the time and used them to build something bigger.  He wrote a Book on Backyard Habitats and ultimately got his own television show on the Animal Planet.

In addition to the way that his career represents a perfect merger of natural ability and interest - one of the things that intrigued me was David’s ability to help people, who might not otherwise care about conservation, connect to animals.  He made me laugh when he told me that in order to do this, he usually brings out the “Charismatic Megafauna” first.   By this – he is referring to all the cute and cuddly animals.  Truth be told, he is a big fan of amphibians, but the first thing that most people care about are the “front men” of the animal kingdom.  These animals serve as a kind of “gateway drug” to escalating interest in animals.

I think David’s approach to getting people connected to animals has something to teach us all about connecting to our dreams.  Sometimes your childhood dream functions like a gateway – getting you out of a rut, by showing you what it can feel like to care about your dreams.  Ultimately these early dreams allow you to connect to that unique set of gifts – that if we combine them with our work – creates amazing possibilities.  That is certainly what David has done.  He has taken that very infectious enthusiasm and uses it to make a difference for animals and ultimately inspires all of us to follow our dreams.

Thanks David!

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11/2/09

How Do You Become a Famous Rock Photographer?

Well it certainly isn’t linear.  My interview with Joseph Cultice has given me a lot to think about – both in terms of fame and in terms of sticking to your own creative vision.  Joseph has taken many recognizable photos – his iconic Marilyn Manson cover, Ozzy Osbourne in the rain, and more recently, the Jonas Brothers.  So he has seen many different sides of fame.  One of the things that struck me was the separation he sees between the machine for producing fame and the real person somewhere deep down inside of all of that – the person he photographs.

 
 

When Joseph started he was like many kids, daydreaming beneath posters of rock stars.  What makes him unique – is he ultimately ended up taking those photos – not just looking at them.  When he started out he planned to be in a band – not take pictures of them, but then his friends The Meat Puppets needed a photo for their album cover.  He was a Fine Arts major and had been taking photos of the Punk Scene he was a part of musically.  The Meat Puppets’ album cover was his first paid job – and the photo they used was actually a Polaroid he sort of took accidentally.

 

As his band gained local prominence he could see his life and people’s perceptions of him start to switch.  Suddenly it wasn’t OK to have a bad day or just be tired in the morning.  People had expectations every time they encountered him.  He said these kinds of experiences helped him to understand he wanted to be a photographer, not a rock star.   The experience of being behind the camera and creating an image – one that uniquely reflects the person he is shooting – this was going to be his career.

  

Once the realization was in place, he started logging his 10,000 hours.  He did whatever it took to learn photography and had many exciting experiences at the New Times in Phoenix.  Sometimes this involved carrying equipment, assisting on another photographer’s shoot, or in the days of film – learning how to do his own development.  At one point he sold the car his grandfather bought him for college – so he could move to New York.  Now that is a leap of faith and one his parents fully supported.

 

When I asked him how he made it – there was again this combination of finding

people who know how to do what you dream of doing – and then being responsible enough to show up and do what you say.  It’s funny how consistent that is across disciplines.  Keeping your word – appears to be essential to attaining your dreams.  This combination of taking risks and being open to learning helped Joseph to find out what a “photographer really does”.  As it turns out it involved more travel, more logistics and more time – than he probably understood in the beginning.  But then the photography experience also opened up to reveal parts of people he didn’t know – the way it allows him to see inside their world and behind their makeup.

 

What I admire about Joseph is his ability to see through the things that might distract others and create a truly unique image that reflect each artist as an individual.  He doesn’t just put every subject into his own particular style.  He allows a part of them to drive the creative process. 

 

So what happens when you quit chasing fame and start following your creative vision?  I think Joseph’s career can show us some of that – especially as he moves beyond the front man to pursue personal projects – and stays true to his own voice.  What is exciting – is for each person he photographs – he will continue to find what is unique in them and express that in a beautiful image.

You can See Joseph Cultice's work in St. Louis this April, 2010 at S. Carmody Photography

2707 Sutton Boulevard

Maplewood, MO 63143

314.401.8089

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10/12/09

Unafraid and Little Bit Unreasonable

I really enjoy working with Barri Evins because she is teaching me about the power of being unreasonable - first hand.  Barri is a Hollywood film producer and teacher I met through Cinestory.   She has had a long career in the industry – which she partially attributes to being unreasonable.  How else could you persist in an industry that is famous for exclusivity and rejection?  As she said,  “Any reasonable person would pack up and go home.  But where is the fun in that?”

 

So how has she done it?  I think the key is to understand that ultimately she is fearless.  She will ask for anything and work for anything if it is something that matters to her.  Here’s an example:  Barri once decided that the children in the Head Start programs she was working with should have the same warm Santa experience that other children have when they receive their gifts for the Holidays.  There would be no more plastic chairs and boring backdrops. 

 

So this nice Jewish girl decided to design sets for all of the Head Start Programs her literacy charity was working with that year.  First she built a small six inch model and then it was simply a matter of taking the steps – one after the other – until every school had their own fairy tale land complete with working lights, fake snow – you name it.  Ultimately it was a matter of asking a lot of people to work together to support a common vision.

 

That’s how she does it.  Barri starts with a vision of where she is going – and then it’s just a matter of taking the steps and asking for what she needs – often beginning with the first thing she does know how to do on her own.  Frankly, this is exactly what I needed to learn right now as I work to build this site.  I have to be unafraid – whether I am approaching people to be interviewed or simply asking you to take your time to read my posts.

 

What a powerful combination – Unreasonable and Unafraid!  Just think what we can accomplish with those two simple traits.  So – Thank you to Barri for being a role model and for believing in me and my Unreasonable Dream of building this site!!!

Here’s to being Unafraid!!

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10/4/09

Leap of Faith

Have you heard about your Default Future?  It’s the plan you are moving toward without knowing it. Default futures aren’t the life of your dreams.  It’s what you’ll settle for – not bad, but certainly not what you deserve.  The irony is that despite all this, they are deeply held and can actually be painful to loose.  Fear of this loss is what keeps many people stuck.  My friend Paul Perroni decided to let go of his default plan and take a leap of faith – a big leap of faith.

 

He packed his car with two months rent and left for Chicago to be an actor.  Instead of listening to everyone who said – “that probably isn’t going to happen or make sure you have a back up plan” – he took a risk.  Interestingly enough, Paul believes jumping without a parachute is probably what helped him make it.  There was no other plan.  He was going to act.  Now – to be fair - he is cute, smart and charming.  So he had assets, but he also had the instincts to keep putting himself in the right place – and keep working for a goal.

 

Now he lives in New York and works as an actor.  You have seen him in the Wendy’s 3conomicscommercials – and plenty more.  What I learned from interviewing him – was that life is full of reasons you won’t make it – and if you believe them – you’re right - you won’t.  A fear that almost stopped him, was that he wasn’t a theater major in college.  Like me he had walked away from theater when all the “common sense advice” about his future took over for awhile.  But what makes him unique – is that he didn’t stay there.

 

One of my favorite quotes is “Do you know how old you’ll be when you really start living your dreams? The same age you’ll be if you never start”(TAW).  One of Paul’s favorite quotes is  “If you want to act, just act.  If you have a back up plan – that’s what you’ll do.” (DM)  There will always be a reason not to do the things you want and everyone has them – even people who do live their dreams – the difference is not in the fear but in the doing.  What ultimately defines you are the physical steps you take to go out and risk on a dream.

 

Go ahead – take a leap of faith – believe in yourself.  It may not involve taking a drive to Chicago this weekend, but no matter what you do  -the only limits that matter - are the ones you put on yourself.

 

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9/25/09

A Balanced Creative Life

In thinking about this site, I remembered a classmate of mine from High School, Dietz Osborne.  He is an actor in the Nashville community.  When we talked he was performing in the play Filthy Rich at Nashville’s first professional theater, Chaffin’s Barn.   Even at the time of crazy insecurity, that is High School, I knew that he was really talented.  What has been fun to find out is that he’s living what I would call a Balanced Creative Life.

 

Get this – he’s happy.  I am sure he has his moments, but he’s a happy working actor.  Now he would never tell you this, but he has been working since the day he graduated from college. That’s right never missed a year.  When I asked him how – he told me that he figured out pretty early he needed to show up on time, work hard and be good to work with.

 

It doesn’t mean he never lost a role that he wanted, but he continues to work and grow as an artist – and he’s a nice guy.  What particularly struck me about our interview was that he takes life skills and applies them to a notoriously difficult business and wins- or should I say works!  He has great friends and family and a good life.  So don’t let fears of becoming a tortured artist, keep you from taking a creative risk.

Sometimes the Nice Guys win!

(Dietz is in the Tux!)

Let's be inspired together by people who have reached their dreams.  Let me know who I should interview.  Who has inspired you?

Comments

[Kathie Osborne]

What nice things to say about my son. You are right; he is talented and a very nice guy and a wonderful son. Thank you for including him.

Kathie Osborne