We were lucky to catch up with Lindsey Sarria recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Find something in life important enough that makes taking a leap of faith feel necessary. Have an honest conversation with yourself. This will allow you to gain clarity, possibly a purpose, and if you’re lucky, you can discover something worth failing over. This leaves room for growth. Whether it be in your personal life or professional aspirations. Anything done with passion and intention will feel like a success. For me personally, I spent many years learning about what I do not want for myself which in turn showed me what I would like to see for my future. Photography for me is a passion that I am excited about. I have rediscovered myself at thirty-three and really understand what it is that I want for my life. I have something I love doing, and the courage to go after it. That is what it takes to find success.

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?

My name is Lindsey Sarria. I am a self-taught photographer based out of New York City, and originally from Flint, Michigan. Photography came to me later in life. While it began as an interest, it quickly developed into a passion of mine. I felt as though I had unlocked a new world to explore. I had a new form of self-expression all while capturing the moments that unfolded before me. I was enjoying the process so much that I didn’t even realize I was learning a whole new skill set. But when it came time to put my work out there,  it was intimidating. At the same time, I knew if I wanted to pursue this further, I would have to trust myself and have the confidence that my photography could speak for itself. Before I knew it, I was accepting opportunities for work. Any moment to step out of my comfort zone, I accepted the challenge. When I am taking photos, I approach it with a relaxed playfulness but still being mindful to not compromise the intention. I enjoy putting emphasis on color. Enhancing the hues through color-grading allowed me to create a specific mood in my work. I noticed my photography start to evolve as I explored the editing process. I was drawn to muted tones, and inspired by a retro aesthetic. I am proud of how much I learned on my own but was ready to push myself more. I knew I would benefit from the mentorship and guidance that comes with formal education. I was awarded the Silas H. Rhodes Merit Scholarship and I am attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City as part of their Photography and Video program. My goal is to approach this next phase of my career with the same tenacity and curiosity that led me to where I am now.

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

From a young age, I struggled in school. I always felt as though I was swimming against the current, treading to stay above the water. I was told at the age of seventeen that I had a learning disability. This was not exactly an easy thing to learn as you approach your senior year of high school and begin to make college plans. Despite having to come to terms with this about myself, I attended a local state college and obtained my Associate’s degree. I spent the time after graduation working in various positions all the while supporting my husband as he returned to college. It was during this time that I learned the most about my strength. I continued to overcome challenges and prove to myself that I was capable of so much more. There was one thing that my past hurdles taught me, it was that I needed to get out of my own way.  I was no longer willing to be an obstacle in my own life. I had a purpose, a direction, and I was willing to push past the negative stigmas around having an invisible disability. I knew that it didn’t define me or my intellect. I just had to better understand how I process information and how I learn.  After having that realization, going back to college 12 years later didn’t seem so impossible. Experiencing that resilience was empowering. Repeatedly I proved to myself that I could surmount the challenges that I would be presented with.  All of these obstacles were building blocks to having the confidence to overcome whatever current I would be faced to swim against.

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

I enjoy sharing my work with people and inviting them to see through my perspective. It’s empowering to witness my growth and draw inspiration from it. Photography has become an outlet of expression for me, and the process is healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarriaphotography.com
• Instagram: sarria_photography
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-sarria-649407143
• Other: https://www.behance.net/sarriaphotography