We recently connected with Jim Kerns and have shared our conversation below.

Jim, appreciate you joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

In 2004, I went to India to make a documentary. I was working as a web designer and ‘video guy’ for a large corporate R&D lab in the early 2000s. I had been reading about the growth of outsourcing and often very shallow depictions of the subject matter based on economics seen solely from an American standpoint. I decided to quit my job and make a documentary about Bangalore, India and how the social impact of outsourcing was changing that city. I had very little $ for the film as I was still trying to support my young family doing freelance work during the preproduction of the film. Since I could not afford to hire a crew, I packed a bag of camera and lighting gear, a lavalier mic, and another bag of clothes and headed to Bangalore. I had set up some interviews and did a ton of research before leaving, but as most projects go things started happening once I arrived. I met several artists, business leaders and one exceptional photographer (Mahesh Bhat) who became a liaison to many in the Bangalore community. I spent three weeks in Bangalore and some of the surrounding areas and returned. I did a fast edit. Total budget with travel $8K. The film, simple as it was, was very effective and timely in giving a broad overview of Bangalore…and it made a profit. It was purchased by business schools, public and university libraries, played in various film festivals and I was asked to make several speaking appearances in respect to both outsourcing and no-frills documentary filmmaking.  I went on to make another film (Destination Rossport) in northwest Ireland about a gas pipeline infringing on a community’s health and safety, which is currently playing on Amazon Prime.

Jim, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have worked for about twenty-five years as a designer, filmmaker and photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. I started my career as a front-end designer during the early go-go days of the first dot com boom. I worked for several startups, watching the excess from the front row. I eventually merged my design skills with my background in video (have a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism) and began doing video for tech companies and started a business called MovingMonkey Productions. In addition, to the client work my company produced two international global documentaries that have had wide exposure via film festivals, regional PBS screenings as well as streaming services. During this time, I renewed my interest in photography, shooting when I had some spare time. Fast forward fifteen years and I am still working in video with tech companies; but, from a personal pet project, have dove deep into my photography over the past few years. I travel the western part of the US driving around shooting and have been fortunate to exhibit at several galleries in the past few years. In addition, I have started selling my prints online (rawideaphotography.com ). and hope to start working the art festival circuit in the coming years – as well as hopefully opening a gallery in the not-too-distant future.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I don’t think it’s about a ‘rewarding aspect’. it’s a plight. You are what you are …maybe a daydreamer who recites your own poetry at 12 and has no idea what that is about. What you do know is that you suck at marketing the lemonade stand or “networking” with the cool kids and would rather take pictures of strange geometric shapes or make up songs while walking to school. Well, the society of commerce demands more and as you get older you realized you have to somehow figure out a way to make a living in this culture unless there is a trust fund or you want to live on the mountain growing your own food. Neither was my case. So, you figure out what you can do, try to hang on to some facet of your creative instinct while trying to make a living without sacrificing too much of your integrity. That being said, I do enjoy bringing my experience in various areas (audio, video, songwriting, photography) together in whatever work I do.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It’s about integrating all disciplines. I read history, business, philosophy, poetry, etc and try integrating all of it into whatever I do. Every photo I take hopefully brings all that knowledge and perspective into it. When I interview someone for a doc or podcast, I can hopefully bring a sensitivity to the conversation due to my experience. I think often “creatives’ are put into a little box and not seen as broad thinkers, especially in business settings. I hope to dispel that notion for myself and for others. Most ‘creatives’ I know are very broad thinkers and utilize that thinking in how they build and communicate their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rawideaphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawideaphotos/linked
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkerns1/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKWQMaOZ96lB4pvzG3-awCA
• Other: Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-raw-idea/id1254056274

Image Credits
Jim Kerns