We were lucky to catch up with Brianna Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brianna, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I think a better and more renowned question would be what called you to invest your time into learning what you do? Everyone’s path is literally entirely different from the next so I firmly believe in being guided and so the camera wasn’t this thing that I was intensely interested in learning at first. I was writing artists biographies in Philadelphia while getting my BA in writing from West Chester University. A duo that I was writing on asked me during one of their shows to hold a camera for them and after that I never put it down. Learning isn’t a race and so I am still learning and will always be learning. These things are incredible tools that bring me closer to who I really am. I am currently learning how to make sure what I do does not create a solidified definition of who I am. Life occurs in and out of the tools we choose to focus on so the camera was an incredible asset in me doing that. I first learned by not being afraid to go outside alone and take photos. Another important beginners lesson is to find mentors you are comfortable being around where making mistakes are a part of the process. Again I don’t believe in speeding up my learning process because image making for me goes beyond client pleasing and money. Of course it is important to take classes and invest in your craft, but again that will mean something different for every individual. The most essential skill that worked for me is ambition and trust. The camera has brought many beautiful things into my life that made it clear I was doing the right thing with my time. If your craft is the most important thing in your existence than we are operating in different spaces as again I look at these thing as tools and not identity.
The greatest obstacle is learning what you will and will not stand with. Having the ability to use a camera is very powerful and with that people can loose sight of their own truths just to be a part of it. It can be very hard walking away from projects that don’t match with your own moral compass. Choosing your well being over work and status can be hard especially in the beginning because at that point the goal is to make it, but what does that mean? It’s very possible to make it without doing jobs and projects you don’t feel comfortable with. Learning yourself is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome, but very rewarding once you do. You don’t really know what you know until it’s time to know it.
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.
I am a visual creator with a focus on environmental photography, filmmaking and solo exploration. I got into this field somewhat by accident during my last year of college where I was working on a degree in writing. The types of services I provide for my clients are photographic assets stories and video production needs that range from documentary to commercial. I also recently launched a solo travel consultation. This practice is different as the focus is working with people who are wanting to experience a deeper connection with themselves using the art of travel to aid in that process.
My approach to my work is identical to how I operate in life. I have found it easier to approach my clients and the work in a calm and easy going way. I like for the people Im working with to be comfortable and ready to perform based on that approach. Every person is different so of course I approach projects based on needs and client characteristics. What sets me a part is my deep knowledge and love for the outdoors. I prefer to work with people outdoors so that we are incorporating assets from the environment into the final project. My over brand focuses on environmental psychology and so we maneuver based on what we are dealing with at the time.
My brand I Belong Nowhere was started in 2017. I will be hosting my first partner free workshop this year in Big Sur CA where we will explore some of the most protected land in the country using the tools of photography and solo travel exploration. For the past few years I have taught photography and film workshops with National Geographic high school expeditions in Japan, New York and Yellowstone National Park.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect for me is freedom. Though at times it can be difficult to implement harsh disciplines to reap certain results, I would not have it any other way. A lot of people have the idea that when they retire they will finally have the time to be free and enjoy the world. I don’t believe that one bit. Being in the creative field has allowed me to experience true freedom in the sense that I can choose what I want to do with my time. I can plan around what matters to me vs having a job that is the priority over my life. Its not the amount of money you make necessarily, its what you do with it. Knowing that money is not capped based on how much of my time I give away is gold. The other rewards are fulfilling destiny and getting to befriend others who are focused on the same things. There is a plethora of benefits, but again the greatest for me is freedom over my time and ability to operate in a way and at a pace that suites my career growth but also my personal growth. There is no limit on the amount of money I can make as an artist which was not the program I was taught growing up.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lessons I had to learn that stand out are lack and using the words I cant. When being brought up in family systems that operate in restrictive ways regarding mindset, its been one of the hardest lessons for me to overcome. Not focusing on lack and believing that I indeed have everything I need and have the abilities to operate in a space that is uncertain and cannot always be calculated. It requires trust and lots to it. Harboring a lack mindset made everything I did feel impossible. I was creating mental blocks that weren’t even there and so before I could make the first step I was already choosing to walk backwards. Also stepping away from believing I cant is a big one. As someone who has focused on personal growth, I cant rarely comes to mind any longer. Which helped me see that programing was the culprit. I travel the world alone and many folks question my decisions to do that yet they all live in America in some of the most dangerous cities. I have been free, protected and have enjoyed every one of my solo traveling experiences which were and are the catalyst in helping me see that I can trust myself, I am protected and I do have what it takes to expand beyond fabricated limits of thinking. I had to unlearn that I could not trust myself. Needing validation made it hard for me to trust my decisions. Now I do ask friends and family for assistance when necessary but I no longer rely on their opinions. Unlearning that lesson is still a working progress, but worth the work. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brilopez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brirlopez/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-lopez-b38b0799/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd-wWzj9g3Pyxmz7X_VXwGQ
- Other: Free 15 minute solo travel consolation: https://calendly.com/brilopezsolotravelconsult/free-15-min-solo-travel-consultation?month=2023-04
Image Credits
All images are credited to me Brianna Lopez