We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeff Dose a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jeff, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
The question is somewhat funny to me, if I’m being honest, because I can’t imagine not being a creative. I get so much enjoyment from the visual arts and music that I just feel grateful that I get paid to be creative. I’ll admit, it doesn’t come without its challenges however! I went to college for nursing and thought that was going to be my path. After a few years I was working days and nights in a really busy surgical ICU, working with some of the most difficult situations you can imagine. It was super intense (and it was every day). It was interesting, and there was fulfillment in it for sure, but it was intense and really took its toll on me. I knew that if I didn’t find some kind of outlet, I’d be looking at an exit from nursing. About that time I had also gotten married and my eyes opened way up to photography- and what wedding photography could be. I reached out to a couple local photographers who were kind enough to take me on and let me shoot with them. I fell in love! I loved the pressure of a wedding day, the artistry, and most of all, working with and creating with couples. After a couple years of second-shooting, I started taking on weddings of my own.
As I started shooting more weddings, I had to cut back at the hospital and, over the years, found a bit of a rhythm between hospital work and shooting weddings. Now married, with three busy young children and a dog, my creative cup is full- and I feel strongly that I’m a way better nurse as a result! That said, there are some unique challenges in working as a creative… Time. I just can’t dawdle like I could in years-past… If it’s work time- I’m working! I’m very aware that once 4:30pm comes around, my kids aren’t going to care about the work I didn’t get done! Then of course there’s the very real topic of finances. I have to stay aware of the work that’s coming in and how to adapt, if necessary, in an ever-changing work landscape. Add to the mix feelings of self-doubt and comparison that can creep in in such a competitive industry and some days can feel brutal. As a solopreneur, it can feel daunting some days! All that said, those days are the exception, and I personally love working as a creative. Yes, I’ve had to learn to adapt and pivot in pursuit of this creative path, but I do feel like I’m a better photographer, nurse, husband, father, and friend for it!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a wedding photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I’m married, with three incredible kids and a very stubborn dog named Jonas. I’m not someone that had a camera in my hand from age 5… In fact photography was nowhere even on my radar until after college! I was introduced to photography while I was experiencing deep burnout in my nursing job. I was working days and nights, losing my social life, and the work was brutally intense. About that time we had also got married and my mind exploded after seeing what wedding photography could be. I was so captivated by the pressure of capturing these once-in-a-lifetime moments, working with couples and photographing their connection, and then adding a creative eye to it all. I remember telling my wife, Tiffany, that I would absolutely love to 2nd shoot a wedding at least once in my life. So, I reached out to a couple local photographers and what came from that was, not only the opportunity to learn and shoot weddings, but also some of the best friendships I’ve ever had.
After 2nd-shooting for a couple years, I started taking on weddings of my own and began pulling back on the nursing work as my time was becoming increasingly consumed with photographing weddings. I’m still a nurse, but have learned to structure my schedule to accommodate my wedding work.
The truth is, I think my work with sick people has greatly influenced how I photograph weddings and people in general. With each couple, and each person, I see a lifetime of experiences, each with their own unique characteristics, traits, desires, and I want to bring that out and capture it for them. My hope is that when couples look at their photos, they see a glimmer of the best in themselves. I know that sounds a little meta, but I do! I want the to have photos that are uniquely theirs.
Awards and reviews are nice, but I’m most proud when I get an email from a couple saying that they stayed up way too late, crying, looking at their wedding photos. While I feel confident in the quality of my work, I know the real reason their crying is because the photos remind them of what they have. That’s what makes me the most proud.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I had been more organized within the different facets of my business earlier. Here are a few resources that have had a huge impact on me staying organized:
1. Calendly. This site is incredible. If you’re not aware of Calendly, it’s basically a booking site where clients can book appointments, photoshoots, phone calls, etc based on the availability you have pre-set. Making it even better, you can connect it with your calendar so that it will automatically show you as unavailable if you already have something scheduled. You can also connect with other features like Zoom, so clients can not only sign up for a Zoom appointment, but it will also automatically send them the Zoom link, reminder, etc. It’s truly a beautiful thing.
2. CRM. Looking back, I should have got a CRM (client relationship management) software long before I did. Like I think a lot of people, I thought that I didn’t have enough clients to justify needing it, but the truth is the best time to start one is when you only have a handful of work. Start learning the software and get familiar so that it’s all setup and ready when you do start getting more clients.
3. Peers. I’m grateful to have truly awesome friends and peers in the industry. As far as resources are concerned, I don’t know a better one than our peers. I’m constantly calling upon my peers for advice or even just talk through situations, whether it’s how to approach a challenging conversation, potential marketing ideas, or how to navigate a (ahem) pandemic.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
1. The War of Art – Steven Pressfield – Creative pursuits can be filled with so many roadblocks. This book is amazingly motivating and really helps to dismantle some of the barriers that come with creative endeavors.
2. Profit First – Mike Michalowicz – I love this book for it’s ability to simplify the process of organizing bank accounts and allocating money when working with business and personal accounts.
3. The One Thing – Gary Keller – There’s often times several balls in the air when running a business, but the truth is that some things take priority. This book helps distill those things down to what is most crucial and where you need to be focusing your time and energy.
Regarding creative work, I’ve always loved this quote by Ira Glass, and revisit it from time to time. I believe it called “The Gap”:
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
― Ira Glass
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jeffdose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffdose/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffdosephotography/
Image Credits
Jeff Dose
Jeff Dose Photography