We recently connected with Brad Rushing and have shared our conversation below.

Brad, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have spent my entire life “jumping out of planes.” Not literally. I am not fan of heights.

But I have never been risk averse when it comes to following my heart, my muse, my intuition.

Part of that is thanks to my very loving and supportive parents who saw potential in me before I even could understand the concept.

The other part is my stubborn determination to be self expressed. I resist anyone or anything imposing an identity or context on me.

Encountering a well-traveled road I am likely to divert.

This is true quite literally. Given a choice I will vary my route to a familiar destination. When I travel I want to discover the less popular, and possibly even more profound or ephemeral sites. I will order the more obscure selections on a menu. In fine art I am called to less likely combinations of media, like drawing with a white conté crayon on a black sheet of paper. In music I strive to create what is in my head, regardless of anyone’s rules and expectations. When naysayers proclaim “that’s not how it’s done” I careen off their tidy road gleefully chortling “Awesome!”

In cinematography it is the same. When considering how to frame and light a scene I ask myself with intention “What WOULDN’T I do?” I challenge myself to consider the lesser likely angles, or lighting options. I look from unusual perspectives. What about very high? Or very low? Or behind or through something in a deliberately contrary way?

I won’t BE contrary just to do it. After all we are communicating through conventions. When I break rules I want there to be a reason, because unconventional choice adds subtext to the message. But I do want to discover and consider those possibilities.

I am the same in life. I am not exactly prudent or reserved and sometimes pay a price. I don’t do crazy, destructive things. But I’ll book the trip, or hire the session player, or invest in the equipment, or instrument with no practical plan as to how those things pay for themselves.

I’ve never regretted any of those choices and in each instance have a memory, and or a creative work to show for the gamble and sacrifice. But I have sure paid for them more than once by placing myself in uncomfortable circumstances.

Were someone to admonish me to be more reserved and pragmatic, that doing so might afford peace and comfort, I’d reply: “No. That would create a very different and far more intolerable type of discomfort.”

In that situation I might be more materially comfortable. Secure even. But I would be living in a world at odds with my spirit and identity. I would have sold out my heart and my purpose for comfort. And that would be the very worst and most heartbreaking perdition.

Brad, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After studying fine art in high school and college, I migrated into filmmaking. I gravitated to cinematography, where my dual passions for art and science intersect in perfect fashion.

I have been privileged to work with amazing artists in film and music, some well known and others as-yet unsung talents. I have traveled across the world. I have created culturally significant works that have given people pleasure, and I hope inspiration as well.

When I was shooting high profile music videos for artists like Eminem, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears I took pleasure that the “shy school nerd” was trendsetting for my peers’ children. I privately hoped that some of those trends would annoy the bejesus out of the ones who had been less than kind to me. (As a rule I don’t believe in revenge. But I allowed myself this one exception!)

Most recently I have been the cinematographer on a succession of chart topping feature films for platforms like Netflix, Starz, Max, and Tubi. I have had five hit #1 and another hit #2 since 2020. Promotion is a necessary evil. Anything that seems like boasting feels so distasteful, and I don’t have that kind of ego. But I do crave more and bigger opportunities. So if I don’t shout it from the mountaintops the people with those opportunities may never consider me. I feel many creative people have this same challenging conflict.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Kindness and compassion. Always.

I seem to be an acutely sensitive individual. A friend who as known me since third grade recently said: “Bradley, things hurt you that most people never notice.”

I believe this must be true. I am so often moved deeply and my emotions feel at the surface. I hate hurting people, even inadvertently. As an imperfect human I understand some of that is inevitable. But it is a difficult thing.

I am a vegetarian because I will not intentionally harm animals.

I have deep empathy that can often be literally painful as I feel others’ suffering. And sometimes I have to retreat from the world because of the cacophony of emotion.

All of this makes me care so very much for others. I want them to be happy, fulfilled, empowered, confident.

I believe intuitively that most hate in the world is fueled by fear and insecurity.

I once had a fantastical notion wishing I could explode across the world as a supernova of love and compassion and understanding. I wish I could give that peace to everyone.

This passion is at the heart of all my work and all my choices. Though some may seem unlikely at first glance I always want there to be a core of love, compassion, hopefulness in the work I do.

I want people to come away from my work the better for it, perhaps happier, or more understanding, or introspective. I hope apart from pleasant diversions even in small ways hearts can become gentler and minds more open.

Yes, I am fully aware I am a looney idealist. May as well shoot for the stars!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Value artists. Understand that an artist creating a picture, or a song, or a movie, which may occur somewhat rapidly by your frame of reference, is in fact the culmination of years and decades of study and sacrifice.

When I give you something I created it took me from the time I started as learning to draw a child, to today, all those lessons learned, and prices paid to be able to create that for you.

It is a piece of my soul that I am giving you and in artist’s eyes is quite literally priceless.

There is a grossly common misconception that successful people are all incredibly wealthy. In fact I once saw a website stating that my assets were somewhere around $2 million!! I wanted to contact those people and ask for the banking information. I seem to have lost track of that account! Seriously I haven’t made $2 million over the course of my entire life.

Most creative folks are working class people, who reinvest much of what we make in our skills and tools. We are frequently freelance. So even though we might make a good salary on a particular project, if we only do one or two projects in a year that evens out to not so much at all.

If people really understood that even many famous people who they imagine are set for life, literally struggle to remain afloat they would be stunned.

We also don’t work a just little and then lounge around the rest day. We work so many more hours than a 9-5. Most of our work is NOT the glory stuff. It’s practicing, honing and evolving our skills. It’s expanding our contacts and networks – which for shy people, like many creatives are, requires a literally heroic level of exertion. Even if we seem idle, our imaginations are spinning away.

If one defines “work time” as that to which one directs their focus towards their vocation, then it’s true that most artists WORK every waking hour.

So please: Value artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://bradrushing.com/features.php
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradrushingdp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bradrushing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradrushing/
• Other: BandCamp: https://bradrushing.bandcamp.com/ , Just Call on Me

Image Credits
Sergio Pulido Derek Wiseman Joe Provenzano Shaun Piccinino Katya Loban