Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Paul C. Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Paul C., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

There are definitely a lot of ups and downs in working in this industry. Feelings of not being “good enough” if you don’t land a certain job or some one else getting chosen over you. It happens to everyone at some point. I think when I feel that doubt creep in, I try to remember where I came from to get here and to remember the perspective of what we get to do is such a blessing. So, yes, I would say that I’m happy but I never want to feel complacent and stagnant where I am.

I do sometimes think what it would be like if I had a regular job, but then I imagine myself trying to just make art on the side. I don’t think that would ever go away.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Paul C. Rivera and I am a photographer and art director that also directs from time to time. I’ve been working in the creative field for about 11 years now.

I remember as a young child while watching my dad work on his drafting table, drawing and designing buildings that I didn’t want a “regular” job. Both my parents were musicians as well, and all that greatly influenced me on what I thought I could do or be when I got older.

Long story short I knew that I wanted to be in the art industry in some fashion. My late teens through early twenties I was mainly a musician playing gigs and having a great time, but I felt that may not be the path for me. So, I started a small company with a couple of buddies creating content for clients. I didn’t necessarily feel drawn to taking still images, but I remember that our photographer couldn’t make a shoot for a client, and so I said that I could do it. And after that shoot I felt that photography could be the catalyst to push me forward in all things creative.

Being able to come up with and articulate concepts to clients and then being able to execute it has been one of my biggest strengths I believe. The work I mainly do now is either providing art direction or execution for clients/brands. I love working with great creative/art directors to bring their vision to life and put our own spin on it. I feel most proud when a project has been released and the vision and execution is better than what we initially dreamt of. It really is a team effort and at the end of the day, everyone on set is just as important as anyone else.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My main motivation is really to help people and be a positive influence. The industry is big and has space for everyone that has something to offer. There are so many unique voices out there and inspiration can be found all over the place. My primary driving force in creating for any project is for the images or video to convey emotion and be genuine. Yes, some projects don’t necessarily allow for that, but on set the goal is for a great collaborative environment.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

This is an interesting one! I have a love/hate relationship with social media, as I’m sure many of us do! As far as building on social media, I’ve honestly stayed away from hashtags and what not that drive engagement or put my work in front of others. I’ve really stuck to the whole “let your work do the talking” mentality and I do feel like that has helped me. I think good work finds good people, and being genuine and sticking with your own expression of your art is key. I also think nowadays a lot of great artists share each others work and that’s just so incredible for the community to support each other in that way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paulcrivera.com
• Instagram: @paulcrivera