EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode about failing forward, we talk to Frank Curry, an educator at Austin Community College and a photographer. We discuss learning to fail forward, embracing the photographer you are and not the one you think you should be, taking risks, and the challenges that photographers face today.
We begin with a question:
What does it mean to fail forward?
Frank shares his experience of failing forward as a photographer. He emphasizes the importance of becoming comfortable with failure and learning from it in order to succeed later in life.
He also shares an experience where he took a risk on himself and saw where it took him—and how that ultimately became one of his best experiences ever as a photographer.
About Frank
Frank is a photographer and educator in Austin, TX. Before transitioning to teaching full time, he ran a commercial photography studio for 25 years. He has always preferred the studio because it required him to imagine an image first and then, through the elements of light, form, and structure, discover it again. As a transplanted Texan, he likes strong coffee, BBQ, homemade bread and country music.
Episode Breakdown
- Frank discusses the importance of allowing yourself to fail as an artist and photographer.
- Why commercial photographers should have several backup plans for their shoots, but no backup plan for their careers.
- You operate differently when you don’t have a backup plan.
- How Frank knew that photography would be a big part of his life.
- What he would be doing if he weren’t a photographer.
- Frank tells a story about a time he took a big risk.
- What keeps Frank coming back to teach.
- How photographers can embrace the photographers they are
- Why taking a business course is important
- How students can learn to get more comfortable with leading a team.
- The challenges new photographers face today.
- How technology changed the way photographers make and look at art
- Who Frank would like to have speak at his class.
- Frank discusses his upcoming show and the inspiration behind it
Resources
[fusebox_transcript]
