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

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

It’s 2019 before COVID-19 lockdowns. I’m working a 9-5 job that does not bring me joy and my stress is at an all-time high. I would wake up each morning dreading the day to come. My chest was consistently hurting, the feeling of not being able to catch enough air was occurring throughout my day, and the eczema on my hands continued to get worse. I was not doing well and didn’t even realize it even though my body was screaming at me. Something in my life had to change.

In quarantine, I was fortunate to have the space in my life to slow down. This time allowed me to really think about my life; my past and what I wanted for my present and future. I finally saw photography as more than a hobby and realized my job could be more than making money to live my life; my job could bring me joy. I pictured myself photographing for brands and couldn’t ignore the excitement I felt. That’s how I knew I needed to listen to the voice inside me and pursue photography as my career.

Dreams don’t always feel logical and that’s why we see them as a dream, a wish, a hope that one day it will happen. I had to stop the “what if thoughts” and start doing the work one day at a time. Learning new skills and breaking up the work into steps is how I remain focused on my photography goals. I’m continuing to grow my photography business and still feel the journey ahead but that’s okay! Following your dreams is a journey and takes time. Now, I wake up feeling inspired, lighter, and excited for my future.

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?

Art has been a large part of my life since I was a child. I started drawing at a young age and continued to follow my creative passion in college when I studied photography. Art fills my soul and allows me to stay in the present moment. Capturing the perfect shot still sends goosebumps down my skin. I feel the rush of excitement every time it happens! That feeling is so important to pay attention to because it shows our true passions. Passion is worth pursuing even when it gets tough. Photography continues to be a creative, soothing, and melodic process for my mind.

Not only do I love photography, I want my images to help businesses grow, especially small businesses. This is why my focus is brand/ product photography. It’s hard to start a business, I’m here to help those businesses grow by using my photography skills to capture beautiful, thoughtful, mind provoking and relatable images that showcase everyday objects we see and use. Manipulating light sources to enhance composition and bring a sense of elegance to products is a main focus of my photography. I want viewers to slow down and pay attention to the little details. I want my photography to interact and connect with people, to make them feel inspired and at peace.

Pursing an art career is not an easy decision. There is no quick blueprint on how to make money off of your art and the development of AI in the visual world can make it feel worthless. The thought, “can I make money off of my photography” has rung through my mind but I didn’t let that stop me. It honestly just made me want to work harder. That little voice inside kept me on the right path towards my photography business. Having an open mind allows an artist to grow and continue creating new work. I know a lot of people think photography can’t be a career, I’m here to prove those people wrong. To show that a passion can become a career.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Once life went back to normal after COVID-19 lockdowns, I had a hard time finding space for myself and creative ideas. I was back to working a full time 9-5 job while trying to pursue my own photography business. It was easy to let my doubts in and I was starting to feel all of the unknowns. “Was my photography good enough?” “Is this investment in myself worth it?” I didn’t feel like I was good enough or like it was the right time but there is never a good time. You have to put yourself first and start making time for your dreams.

Recently, I enrolled in an online photography class, The Photographer’s Path (TPP), to help push my dreams forward and doubts aside. This class is such a special place for photographers who are looking for a community as well as tools to make their photography a business. Since enrolling in TPP, I have already felt a creative shift and I now make sure to carve out time for my art. This class made me realize how easy it is to make space and energy for something you love. It was time for me to let go of habits and people that no longer fit within my life. It is amazing what communities can bring to individuals. If you ever feel like giving up, find that community that will bring you into the right mindset and be that support system you need to succeed.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being an artist has many rewarding aspects but for me, the most rewarding aspect is watching how an idea transforms into a piece of art. Ideas can start small or big and they have so much potential. It is so rewarding to see an idea come to life, tell a story, and have an impact on viewers.

I love the feeling of creativity flowing through me when I start the beginning process and how that creativity is represented within each image. One idea can turn into a spider web of ideas. The process is never exactly the same. Sometimes it only takes 10 shots to capture the perfect image and other times it can take up to 30 shots. The key is to be reflective and willing to adapt in any situation. I’ve learned a lot about myself through my artistic process and I continue to keep learning within each project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rachelivancic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachivancic.photo/