We recently connected with Tracy Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tracy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was a year into college with the pursuit in the medical field. I had worked for a doctor the last three years. I had always enjoyed learning about health and the body so it just seemed like the right path. I was only a year in and I started questioning things. I also had a passion for the arts but had never fully dove into it. So I decided to take one semester of nothing but art classes and I would decide which path to take after that semester. Well I was sold into the fine arts. It hasn’t been the easiest path but I believe it has been the best path for me and I haven’t looked back.

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 am a Jacksonville native and developed a love for photography and the arts early-on in life. I pursued that passion and graduated with a degree in Fine Art and Photography and have honed my craft for the last 15 years. I specialize in children, brand and fine art photography. A lot of my fine art work consists of the ocean, and really anything that brings me peace, and spikes my creative interests. Sometimes it’s the process that is peaceful and sometimes the end product provides a sense of peace. I lost a dear friend from a tragic accident almost 10 years ago. The journey in my faith and who I am as a person was forever changed because of it. Tragedy is sad and ugly, but can also be beautiful. I am thankful to have grown in my relationship with Jesus Christ, and that he has gifted me with the arts to use as a process of healing, growth and restoration.

There are really three parts to my business – Fine Art, Brands and Family/Children.

My fine art work is where I get to express a piece of my heart with others. I struggle with words really. And I have struggled to open up and share this part of my life with others. I love this work probably the most out of all that I do, but I’ve been private with it. In the last two years is when I recently started sharing more with the world. It’s been a slow journey. But I am enjoying this process with connecting with other thought my story and art.

I grew up baby-sitting then nannying for many families. I am great with kiddos, however, I don’t have any of my own. I am blessed to be an aunt to 11 nephews and one niece. I get to be the fun aunt!! When I knew I was pursuing the creative field with photography, I photographed a little of everything; kids were my favorite. I loved the raw expressions they delivered. They were carefree and real. Part of me struggles to relax and enjoy at times, so working with children, really brings me down and just allows me to be more playful.

My business has continued to evolve and have started photographing for children’s brands. The creativity and team work that goes into these sessions are so much fun! I also spent five years photographing for a jewelry designer in NYC. I can’t express how much I loved working with this designer and creating work for her.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Resources I wished I had known about earlier in my creative journey would be first – get a mentor and second build a community. Find people who love what they do and surround yourself with them. They may have a different medium or style but you can still learn from them. We were built for relationships. I am an introvert, so this is not super easy for me. But I have taken small steps over this past year to build my confidence and surrounding myself with people who I can support and who will support me.

I was intimidated just to go to the framer. But once I started going more frequently and opening up about my work, I learned more from each visit. I slowly started to gain more confidence and talking through strategy with displaying my work.

Join a club or group in your genre where you can encourage and help one another.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The mission that drives my creative journey is my personal story. The death of my friend and my own personal struggles are woven into my art. Whether it’s a feeling in the moment I’m creating or capturing a scene my heart longs for. Everything has a role. Whether it’s photographing for a brand and or creating a new series, it’s about the journey. I spent many years of life wishing it away. Sure we want to plan ahead and work toward future goals but also you gotta just live in the moment. When you get to do what you love for a living it’s a huge blessing. I don’t take it for granted one bit! I am so thankful for my story, where I am now and where I’m headed. I do my best to Iive each day to the fullest. We have our seasons. This is a season I have to put more hours in to help create future lifestyle goals. One of those is being able to spend more time with family and those closest to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lifewithtracy.com
• Instagram: @tracyjonesgallery @tracyjonesphoto

Image Credits
Mary Catherine Echols – Headshot