We were lucky to catch up with Andy Moss recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

One of my most influential jobs was working as a route setter at a rock climbing gym.

The work was physically, mentally, and creatively demanding. Every day we began with a blank wall, created our routes, climbed them, critiqued them, changed them, climbed them, analyzed them, adjusted, climbed, tweaked, climbed, repeated, over and over, until we reached a finished product.

Route setters generally have a reputation of being the strongest climbers in the gym. When I began setting, that was what I expected route setters to be, and that was what I thought I needed to be. As the newest setter, the only woman on the setting team, and someone with an anxiety disorder, I created a mountain of expectation, self doubt, and imposter syndrome.

After I started having panic attacks at work and ultimately dreaded climbing every time I approached the wall, I decided something needed to change. My love for the sport and the work hadn’t left, but my fear of failure and the pressure I felt muddled it.

With much help and support from coworkers and friends, I learned to redefine my success. I shifted my goals, my expectations, and, ultimately, my mindset.

Did I need to be the strongest climber in the gym to create engaging routes? No. I realized I could understand the techniques, movements, and concepts behind climbing and apply that to setting. Did I need to climb every single route? No. I learned if I’m not falling I’m not trying, and if I’m not trying I’m not learning.

Perfection kills progress. Expectation ruins enjoyment.

Anxiety became curiosity, dread became excitement, fear became fun, failures became lessons, and I became – in my own way – a successful route setter.

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?

Hello! My name is Andy, and I am a traveling photographer and artist.

My work typically focuses on nature, outdoor adventure, and lifestyle.

Spending time outdoors has transformed my life in such a positive way, and I love to capture the beauty of our natural world. Nature provides endless moments of serenity, inspiration, and adventure. One major goal of my art is to motivate others to get outside and build their personal connection with the Earth.

Photography is my main artistic pursuit, though I also love working with video, illustration, & paint. A current project of mine involves mixing these mediums and creating what I call illugraphs- a combination of illustrations and photographs. Exploring this style through individual pieces, collection sets, and video has been a delightful experiment, and I’m excited to continue with it!

Outside of my creative career, I’ve worked in the outdoor industry for eight years as an NPS ranger, trail builder, and instructor for rock climbing, skiing, and backpacking.

I’ve truly dedicated my life to the pursuit of art, adventure, and nature, and I appreciate all the support and encouragement I’ve received throughout the years. If you’re interested in supporting my work, I offer prints, portrait shoots, event photography, product photography, and more!

You can reach me through my website, email, or social media.

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

Be Brave. Love Life. Create Constantly

This mantra has guided me in both my life and my work in the last few years.

Bravery keeps me going through fear and doubt. I find the best experiences are when I say, “Yes,” despite my anxieties. Fear keeps me safe and sensible, which I appreciate. However, bravery teaches me more. I learn, I make mistakes, and I grow much faster than if I were to only dip my toes into every situation. Sometimes I need to dive right in and fully immerse myself to get the complete experience.

In my work I wish to celebrate life itself. Not simply a good life, but all the absurdities and complexities that come with being a human being. My biggest struggle in life has been my mental health. At my lowest point, the pain of apathy and lack of joy were overwhelmingly prevalent. I decided that, despite any struggles, I’d focus living life fully.

As the first passion I’ve ever had, art and creation has always been a constant for me. The medium changes, but I always find some form of creation in my life. It’s morphed between drawing, photography, setting, sewing, or whatever other medium inspires me next. I’ve worked hard to become a well rounded artist, and I still love to learn and practice!

In my creative process, I strive to be brave with the processes I take to capture photos (for example, hanging on a rope 400 ft in the air) and vulnerable with the messages I share in my work. My photography and art themselves are appreciations of life. Capturing the beauty of the world and finding self expression through creation – that’s how I love my life. Creation is an important part of my identity. I’ve committed myself to learning, producing, and sharing art. These three values – bravery, love, and commitment to create – drive me in not only my art work, but also my way of life.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2017, I decided to move 1,300 miles away from my life in Ohio to live in New Mexico. This would be my first time living in a different state and living all by myself.

At the time, I was 20 years old, super shy, quiet, and confused about life. Six months prior, I took a medical withdrawal from college. I didn’t have a job, didn’t have a college degree, and didn’t have an idea of what to do. What I DID have was student loan debt, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety. All of these things culminated into the lowest point in my life.

Unfortunately, I let all these things define me and my worth. I felt like a failure in every way possible.

However, I did have a bit of hope at the time. In college, I discovered my love of the outdoors and had some job experience and connections in the outdoor industry. My art allowed me to express myself amid all the confusion and struggle and gave me goals to work toward. I also had a reliable truck. I could go anywhere, I could do anything, and whatever it was, it would be better than what I was currently doing.

That’s what led me to accepting a random job in New Mexico. For the summer I’d teach Girl Scouts how to camp. canoe, and create art. After three days of non-stop driving and sleeping on roadside shoulders, I pulled into the little village where I’d live for the next four months. I expected the Sahara desert, but instead got beautiful ponderosa forests and stunning mountain valleys. I really fell in love with the area that summer. The job gave me daily goals to work toward, landscapes and wildlife to admire and appreciate, and a quiet atmosphere to really reconsider my life, my future, and myself.

Deciding to stay out west for an indeterminate amount of time, I began working seasonally. My criteria for work was something that would be a meaningful use of my time, aligned with my values, and didn’t necessarily need a degree. After my summer camp season, I volunteered as a crew member in a conservation corps. I was nervous I wouldn’t get through a season of manual labor in the woods, but I found so much support, strength, and connection through this job. I even extended my term to help out in Texas for hurricane relief efforts.
Afterwards I instructed skiing for the winter season, and then went back to conservation as a crew leader in Utah for the next year.

These experiences defined who I was and what I valued. Memories still stick with me to this day, as do some of the closest friends I’ve made! One of my fondest memories was in a little communal bunkhouse bathroom, oddly enough. It was around late October of 2017, and I had just finished up my season with the conservation corps in New Mexico. I had dug miles of trails in the wilderness, built rock structures on the Continental Divide Trail, and summited my tallest mountain peak so far. I felt strong and capable and alive.

Almost exactly one year ago, I dropped out of school. I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t bear to be myself.

Now, I looked in the mirror, and I couldn’t recognize myself. I stood taller, looked stronger, and looked happy.
I felt fully alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andy-moss.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.n.d.y.m.o.s.s/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@andy-moss
• Other: Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/andymoss Tumblr: https://andymoss.tumblr.com/

Image Credits
Photo of Andy by Matt Carr All others by Andy Moss