We recently connected with Forrest Gallagher and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Forrest thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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’ve found it initially helpful to approach learning with an open mind and an understanding that it may be challenging and foreign at first, though with time, it will come to make sense and feel more integrated. Most of what I learned, I learned through experience, through trial and error. Being an experiential learner, it’s been a great way to better understand my craft and my own artistic eye within it. I’m still learning today, and feel very much like a beginner in many aspects. I wouldn’t change the way that I learned. Perhaps, I would have asked more questions without the fear of how I might look in doing so. Learning takes the time that it takes, and it’s good that it takes that time because then you can trust what you’ve learned and call upon it in more meaningful ways.
Knowing the basics of your craft is important. The technical side to things, while it may not be as fun as the actual art making, is crucial in helping you fully express your vision. Taking time to understand those things is helpful, so that when the moment arises or you’re working with others on a project, you can focus on how to best create your vision and be confident that your tools (for me, it’s my camera) won’t stand in the way of that. Throwing yourself into experiences and testing your ideas in real time can feel scary but it’s a great way to learn, to show you what you could improve upon, and to highlight your strengths. Learning without experience will only get you so far.

Forrest, 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 professional background is in marketing, photography, and creative management. I have the most experience with email marketing, lifestyle and product photography, commercial work, and being the creative director behind shoots and content creation. In my personal time, I like to garden, rock climb, sew, and am an avid sourdough baker. In the background, I’ve been pursuing studies in alternative medicine, specifically focusing on Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. Before starting my career in marketing, I worked on many film sets as a PA, Director, Camera Operator, and sometimes as the talent. I was recently the lead in an independent film that is now being submitted to film festivals nationally and internationally and has won a Special Jury Award at the Gladiator International Film Festival.
I’ve really enjoyed being able to combine my experiences and skills, and to see the many ways that learning something new can influence the things you already know. I love working with brands and individuals that have an environmentally focused business or have a personal experience they wish to share with others. I think we shine when we share in our vulnerabilities and share parts of who we are. It allows others to see themselves in us and to feel more confident in sharing who they are. I’m not always great at this, so I am inspired by the ones who are that I’ve worked with.
I love collaborating on projects with other artists, and would love to get my hands back into filming and into bringing a story to life. After working on an independent film, I feel more inspired and capable to make one myself.
I value hard work and a commitment to excellence, but I also like to work with others who recognize we are still human. When we allow for the human aspects and for the mistakes that may come with it, I think we learn more in the end and are better for it. So long as we use the knowledge we’ve gained from it and move forward.

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

The creative process is both an outward and inward journey. I hope to use that and my work to better know myself and to create a platform for others to do the same. There are certain stigmas we hold in our culture, things we would rather not speak of, things we don’t know how to approach. I hope, through sharing in art, we can breach these subjects more and build community in a time where I think we most need it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I am certain I’m still unlearning this. As a creative, it’s easy to compare. To compare your artwork, your message, your presentation, your timeline and pace. It’s difficult to fully avoid this, but the more you can quiet the background noise, stay embodied and in touch with yourself, and ultimately trust the process and timing, the more I think you will find yourself proud of the work you create. Your work will be more impactful and reach those it needs to when it needs to. There is a lot of hard work in creating, but there is also a lot of trust and letting go. To find that balance between the two can be tricky. But, the more you surrender, the more the journey itself becomes enjoyable.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @fonoire