We were lucky to catch up with Emma Rose Milligan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emma Rose, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?
Talking about failure is one of my favorite things, because failure is the only constant in any creative pursuit. It sounds cliche to say that I embrace it, but to me it’s always a net positive because it shows I’m taking action and risk in going after what I want. I look at failure or rejection as just a new direction from my initial plan, and nearly all of the time recognize there was some necessary lesson in it all.
A really good failure of mine was learning how to break into the editorial space, which took the better part of 4 years to do. As a photographer based in NYC, there’s a large community that can also lead to high competition, which can make the process feel even more hopeless. I sent countless emails and never received any replies, I paid for meetings with consultants who effectively told me my style wouldn’t fit in, I tried reaching out to people that I knew to no avail, and then I paid for portfolio reviews to meet editors one on one. After years of failing to meet my goal and repeating the same process, I had one meeting with a photo editor from Time Magazine who told me I could also try pitching my own ideas, which ended up being the biggest game changer for me. One month after that, I landed my first story pitch and piece to cover the Barbie Collector’s Convention for The Wall Street Journal, after again doing everything wrong – like pitching 50 editors the same story at the same time (a big no-no). I failed for years to get to my goal, and I failed during my initial story pitch too, but I overcame it to make it happen. My biggest takeaway is that failure is the best thing that can happen to you, because it allows for constant reinvention. To change anything, start anywhere.
Emma Rose, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Emma Rose Milligan, and I’m a commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer + content creator based in NYC. I fell in love with photography when I was a kid, and thus pursued it as both a career and as an artistic practice. I went for both my BFA and MFA degrees, and use my fine art background to inform my creative pursuits. I’ve created social content for brands like MOSCOT and HOKA, I’ve shot events for Yelp and Vestiaire Collective, I was a food photographer for apps like Uber Eats and Grubhub, and in the past year and half or so, I’ve pivoted into the editorial space as a visual storyteller, working on assignment for NYT, WSJ, WaPo, USA Today, Bloomberg, and many more. I am most proud of my wide range of skillsets, and colloquially refer to myself as a “run and gun” creator, meaning I’m ready to tackle any creative problem, and execute with category-of-one creative solutions. If you’re looking for some edgy and energetic visuals for your brand’s storytelling, your new product launch, or even just portraits that speak to who you are, I’d love to bring that energy to life.
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?
Being a creative, and going after whatever your definition of success is, is learning how to be ok with taking risks and getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. So much of modern culture right now is trend consumption from looking at what the “data” says, based on what the algorithm is pushing for what’s “working” vs. what isn’t. This is why so much of mass media consumption is frankly mid, or just flat out bad, right now. There’s too much “strategy” leading creative, which is why it feels like we’re living in a purgatory where everything looks the same. I think we need less “business” and safety, less “profit” over people, and we need more willingness to push back on the risk averse in hiring positions. The higher the risk, the higher the reward, and it feels like we’re letting the algorithm dictate what we want, vs new ideas leading the algorithm itself. My biggest successes on my journey as a creative have been taking action and trying something new, and it’s always worked out in my favor. I’m not afraid to put myself out there and try something new, because what am I doing with my life if I’m just catering to what “other people” think?
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Be ok with being a little scrappy when you’re first starting out! It’s a journey, and it’s ok to do it little by little. My initial capital was nonexistent! I started working part time at 14 years old, worked 30 hours/week during my BFA program, and then worked 40 hours/week while pursuing my MFA degree. I took on all sorts of gigs to start building my different photography skillsets. It was a piece by piece process, so anytime I got a new gig that needed a new piece of equipment, I’d buy it for that job specifically, reinvesting whatever money from that shoot was into my business. I would also buy used equipment to have a wider range of services, and then once building a more successful portfolio from that, would invest that income into updated equipment. I also am not afraid to barter services, so I’ve traded different types work in exchange for equipment, which expands new types of services I can offer as well. I can confidently say now that my studio has everything I could need, so I typically invest current capital into marketing efforts, creative collaborations, and putting into savings for when system upgrades are needed. If you are doing what you want to do, be ok with a little sacrifice, and know that your investment in your business will pay off for the long game. Your “equipment” doesn’t matter – it’s about who’s “behind” the lens.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emmarosemilligan.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/emmarosemilligan
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/emmarosemilligan/
Image Credits
Emma Rose Milligan