We recently connected with Jean-Claude Cubias and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jean-Claude, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

For most of 2023, I was unemployed. Lots of things were happening in my life at such a fast pace that led me to decide on no longer pursue art as a career or passion. Looking back, I had every right to make that decision until I completely disregarded how I felt and understood I didn’t want to give up so I picked up a camera again in hopes of things getting better and they did. However, as months went by, I began to lose all the money I had saved up over some years of working and I thought it was going downhill till I realized what was actually going on. Despite running into financial and emotional problems, I was shooting photos everyday, meeting with models and different people in my everyday to simply photograph them and life as how I see it. I got to work on so many film sets, commercial and editorial shoots, passion projects, etc. the whole year nonstop. Going through that tough time was definitely considering I’m now an official full-time photographer for a clothing brand!

Jean-Claude, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was 19 years old (22 now), I started photographing with a film camera my mentor had given me and slowly became obsessed with the craft. Because I spent a lot of time making my own work and showing great passion in it, my mentor decided to hire me on as a photo assistant for a clothing company in which he is the senior editorial photographer for. From there I started to freelance and gained knowledge of what a professional photo set looked like. I never went to school for photography so work was school for me essentially. I was able to learn about lighting and photographing by being on set! I’m still soaking it all in and will continue to.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me, it’s really about the fact I can create what I imagine. I get to photograph the way I see life. I get to run around, play, experiment, and explore whenever and however I want! My mind is constantly absorbing art in every way, every single day and it is so blissful.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

This is something I honestly struggle with. I sometimes feel alone because I notice not everyone has the mind that I do. It’s a daunting thought to think you’re the crazy one because you’re obsessed with something that doesn’t seem like it could be stable or a reliable career. However, I’ve learned to believe in myself and understand that it’s okay to be misunderstood.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jccubias.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jc.cubias/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jccubias/videos