We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dylan Van Mieghem. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dylan below.

Hi Dylan , thanks for 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.

Learning to do what I do now has been a Journey. When I first moved to Los Angeles I didn’t know exactly what it was that I wanted to do, but I knew that the only way I could figure that out is to put myself out there and try new things. I quickly started to explore different interests. The first thing I did was enroll in an improv class. This class helped me go outside my comfort zone and to explore new areas of creativity. I bought my first camera and started watching youtube tutorials. I quickly found that I enjoyed creating videos and coming up with ideas and bringing them to life. I stuck with creating videos even if they were just for fun. I would reach out to brands, restaurants and people to see if I could shoot a video for them. Even if it was for free, I was searching to gain experience. I believe that the most important thing to do when wanting to learn a skill is to be able to practice that skill everyday. One major obstacle that stood in my way was not knowing that many people when I moved to LA. This was a strange feeling to be in a new city and not know anyone, but shortly after moving to L.A. I was able to make friends with other creatives and work together with them on projects and creative tasks. I believe the greatest obstacles that stand in our way is ourselves. It’s okay to be afraid to do new things, but we cant let that fear stop us.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My Name is Dylan Van Mieghem. I’m a creative from Santa Barbara California. I work on a variety of projects from social media campaigns to personal passion projects. My main focus is on Videography and Photography. I also provide social media services for a variety of companies. My most recent company I have been helping out on social media is RIPNDIP. They are a streetwear company from Los Angeles. I do everything from shooting, editing and posting content on their page. Breaking into the creative production industry can be a daunting task, and there is no exact formula/solution, but I do believe there are ways that can set people apart and to accelerate their process. I believe it is extremely important to create the content that you wish to do. For instance, if there is a brand you would love to work with. Instead of telling them how you would love to work with them, show them. Create the content that you would make for them as if they had hired you. Not only does this show your interest this also shows your abilities that you will directly apply to their brand. If they don’t like the content that you make for them, use this as a learning experience. And take their feedback and use it to make your next project even better. I have found that creating connections is extremely important. I have also found that the most important connections can be made anywhere and at random times, so make sure to put yourself out their and try to look at everything you do as an opportunity to make something happen. If one is simply not looking for an opportunity, then it is easy to miss the ones that appear right in front of us. As of lately I have been focusing on working with brands to grow their engagement and to grow their audiences. I take pride in knowing that the work I do not only grows the brands I work with but that it has a positive impact on the people viewing the content. I believe one thing that sets myself apart from others is my creativity and ability to grow an idea from scratch to finish.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients has always been through current/previous clients. Often times when videos and photos have been shared online someone will either reach out to them or directly to me. This is great because if they are friends or know the brand that they saw my work in, it already creates a level of trust and familiarity.

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?

I believe that non-creatives often struggle to understand the lack of balance and lack of structure that comes with being a creative. Not everything is as planned out and as formulated as one may like, but there is also a beauty in that. There is no one size fits all plan to follow. There is a freedom that comes with being a creative because most creatives strive to do what they love. No week is ever the same as the previous. This of course has pros and cons, but living with such flexibility is something I love about the journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dylan_van_mieghem

Image Credits
Dylan Van Mieghem