We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lucas Cullen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lucas, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It was September of 2020 when I released my mental health platform and podcast called ‘Struggle Creates Strength’. I focused on having vulnerable conversations with courageous people which ended up leading to almost 85 episodes in total. During this year of conversations I started pursuing individual coaching in order to help some of my listeners on a more personal level. Fast forward to October 2021 and I took the risk of leaving my 9-5 job which I had done for the previous 6 years to focus entirely on my mental health podcast and 1-on-1 coaching business.

Upon doing so I found myself urging to take an even bigger risk which was to set flight around the world and undiscovered parts of myself. I travelled from February 2022-July 2022 and found myself in places such as 6 countries in Europe, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia. During this time I took an even bigger risk which was to actually pursue a dream that I’ve had for a long time and put everything I had worked towards to rest.

I found myself being overly consumed by difficult conversations I was having with others and realized it was time for me to pursue something I have always loved; videography/photography. So, May of 2022 I made the change and ever since have been pursuing it full time. I have landed opportunities to work alongside big companies such as LSKD, Guru Energy, and Wirth Hats.

I took this risk because I believe that it’s far better to pursue something you’re passionate in rather than stay in something you’ve succeeded at. I loved the podcast and coaching, but I also realized that I no longer wanted to pursue it full time. I don’t believe that me leaving them was a risk and quite frankly I don’t think any of my choices were risks. I believe I acknowledged change that needed to be made and then I made it. I made it for me, my happiness, and the story I’m continuing to write in this life.

This journey has been a hard one, but each day I am reminded that the life I’m choosing is far more exciting than the one I once lived. The struggles make the successes more meaningful and the years go by a lot slower because I have stepped out of constant repetition. Overall I would take risks like this every day because the new experiences make feel alive each and every day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

While I was creating in the coaching and podcast industries, I was always working on my camera skills behind the scenes. I started finding a true love for picking up my camera and capturing key moments in my life and other’s lives. I used to take polaroid pictures for the old-style feel and then after a couple years I transitioned to film photography. I loved the concept of each photo costs something. Digital photography is amazing, but with polaroid and film there is more intention behind each photo. It made me stop still, become aware of where I was and what I was doing, and truly remember each photo vividly.

Falling in love with this aspect of photography then lead me down the path of finding that same love in video and creation in general. Before I knew it the desire to turn this hobby into a lifestyle consumed me and everything I had been working in. It made me ask myself extremely introspective questions on what I wanted to do and if the path I was on at the time was the one I wanted to continue down. For a few months I knew deep down that I wanted to pursue the creative field, but it was hard because I had become a face of mental health advocacy and built my reputation around it. Leaving that and starting from scratch was terrifying, but I also knew that it was what would make me happiest.

When I actually started in the field I took all of my business and life knowledge that I’d built through the years and it helped me fast track my process. I started reaching out to companies and people that I had built connections with in the past which in turn helped me start producing almost immediately. It was perfect for me because each connection I had was with people who believed In me as a mental health advocate, so our values aligned.

Now, I make it mission to make sure I always align with whoever I work alongside and in whichever direction I go. I started to understand that no matter what endeavour you find yourself in, the most important thing is to make sure it aligns with your soul in some form. My favourite thing is creating impactful pieces that project the person I am or at least the values I hold. And, that’s one of the most beautiful things about creating, you have the ability to do that in whichever creative way you choose.

I love working with companies/people who value health (physical and mental), creativity, uniqueness, and self empowerment/development.

What I am most proud of is my ability to be transparent and vulnerable through my work. I love showing people that I am not afraid to be different and I am also not afraid to show who I am, where I come from, and what I’ve been through. It’s something I have carried with me throughout my mental health journey and it’s something I will always use to help others until I die.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This year while I was travelling, I found myself in Barcelona Spain. I was in the middle of shooting a video there for Youtube and after a long day of shooting I got back to my hostel and started editing. Two hours later I went to get a snack from my metal cubby below my bed and my camera back was gone. Someone stole my camera bag which contained over $7000 worth of camera equipment, my travel wallet, passport and more in it. At that moment all signs pointed in the direction of going home, but I decided to continue on. I decided that I was going to continue to create with my phone until I could afford a camera again. I flew out to Bali, Indonesia a week later and due to only having a temporary passport I had to bribe and pay the officers at the airport in order to enter the country. Following that incident I had my phone stole four days later.

After all of these unfortunate events I was unable to film anything and the idea of getting a camera again was slipping further and further away. But after a couple of months and full clarity on what I wanted I was able to purchase a camera again and start creating. I bough my camera before I bought a phone because what mattered most to me was creating on a professional level.

To this day I still battle the repercussions of having all of my stuff stolen, but the events guided me to the answers I needed and for that I owe them a lot.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The main goal that drives my creative journey is simply just proving to myself that I can do what I am setting out to do. For a long time this field seemed rather impossible to be apart of, so being able to reach the capacity I am dreaming of is what feeds my fire. I never thought I could be a professional in the creative field and the more I strived for it the more I believed that statement. But, I recently realized that if I never stop pursuing this dream then I simply can never fail and I will always get closer to the dream I have for myself. It truly is just the desire to be who I aspire that drives me creatively each day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_lucascullen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC34qJP4m0eII5NDIDh_MNCQ/about