We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hillary Jones McCullough. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hillary below.

Hillary, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

After I graduated with my MFA I stayed in the same city for about a year. During that time I worked multiple odd jobs (part time restaurant work, house/petsitting, etc). A friend helped me get a full time corporate job (it wasn’t art-related, but it paid okay and came with benefits- something I’d ever had before).

While the money and financial security gave me a sense of stability, I could feel my passion and creativity start to dwindle. I felt like my spirit was being broken every time I clocked in.

After about 9 months at that job a friend of mine from Jacksonville FL, where I went to undergrad, reached out and offered me a job as a personal assistant. This didn’t feel immediately like a good move career-wise, especially because my end goal was to teach at the college level full time.

But I took a chance and accepted. Within a year of being back in Jax, I was approached by one of my former undergrad photo professors, who asked me if I wanted to adjunct at the university. I immediately accepted.

It took 3.5 years after that, through Covid lockdowns and all, before I got a job at a local film and printing lab. I was working there nearly full-time while also adjuncting. I learned so much about that sector of the art industry (giclee printing, art reproduction, wide format specialty printing, intense photoshop skills, etc) in the 10+ months I worked there. Unfortunately I was let go due to budget-cuts, though they brought me back in an on-call basis to help with difficult projects. I ended up going back to restaurant work to make ends meet (I am still working as an adjunct each semester during this time).

Randomly I see a job listing for a Full Time Professor of Photography at Jacksonville University and I immediately applied. And they offered me the job!

I firmly believe that the risk I took, leaving my comfy full-time corporate job to return to Jacksonville despite the uncertainty, was essential for my being where I am now. I am about to start my 3rd year teaching full time at JU.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I knew early on that I wanted to teach at the college level. I had some great mentors during my time at school who inspired me and helped me along the way.

I am a natural educator at my core; I’m thankful I found this part of myself as early as I did… some people go their whole lives without finding the “thing” they were meant to do.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It isn’t one instance in particular… I think for us to survive as artists and creatives is to embrace rejection as a normal and expected part of the process.

I never stopped applying and looking for opportunities, no matter how many rejection letters I received.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I think they’re a little silly and pretentious.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hillarymccullough.com
• Instagram: @hillarymccullough

Image Credits

Jesse Brantman