Oh hey, I’m Russell Barnes.
Nice to meet you! I’m a self-taught illustrator, and photographer. I’ve had a strong aptitude for creativity ever since I could form memories. Starting out in the traditional realm as most children do. With an insatiable thirst for growth, I have tirelessly dedicated my life to the craft. Pushing my skills to the breaking point with each new idea. But what happens if you have too many ideas?
A lack of direction.
While I had pride in each and every piece I did, I had no idea where I was heading as an artist. How was I ever to make a living as a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none? I had the technical skill without a sense of continuity. My gallery looked more like a collective than a private body of work. Only the bravest souls will commission a wild card artist. I almost gave up entirely, until I found a whole new world.
A tiny world.
I stumbled into new territory. Paper cutting, and photography was not even on my radar as an artist. A lighting bolt of creativity struck me out of the clear blue sky. The vast potential of bridging the gap between reality, and the imagination. A vehicle for illustrative exploration with a very distinct presentation. But low and behold, I didn’t have a proper camera to pull it off.
Until I did.
There was a problem though. I didn’t know how to use this thing. Thankfully there are pros on YouTube passing their photography wisdoms to bright-eyed rookies like me. I took a crash course in DSLR photography, and in just two short weeks, I went pro.
Or so I thought.
Going out with an unearned sense of confidence, I’ll be the first to admit that I took my fair share of bad photos. On the other hand, it was precisely these bad photos that honed my editing skills. I came too far to simply delete it. I had to make it work.
Let there be light.
Moral of the story — don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. I found my path in the most unexpected way. By embracing the uncertainty, and falling on my face. Just to get back up and find myself in a whole new world of possibilities. Thanks for hearing my story. If you want more, check out these publications I’ve been featured on!
