Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Parke.
Janice, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I found myself at a crossroads. I was sitting on a bench in Millennium Park, watching hundreds of tourists gather around the Bean. I saw as so many of them were from different backgrounds, but this one thing was bringing them all together. The purpose of discovering this city inspired them to each explore this part of the world, and in that moment, I was newly hit with the reality that I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I was a college graduate, with a Master’s degree in Psychology, and yet I couldn’t decipher what might be next for me. Photography was something that I had become comfortable with over the years. Not just because of the world of Instagram or social media, but also because it was a tangible way for me to contain and make sense of the experiences in my life. I started out small and began taking photos of things that I loved. Later, this passion expanded into sharing more about the city that I developed a closeness to, and that opened up an opportunity to create a brand consisting of food, travel, and community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I first began creating contact, I had a problem with feeling like an imposter. Who was I to think that my sense of creativity was special? And how could I even set out to make my work unique from the other sources of inspiration that I had learned from? In the past, I never developed much of an imagination and I would often catch myself having a pessimistic outlook on life. Needless to say, this was not a conducive combination for feeling creating. The only option for starting out was sticking to what I knew. I remained in my comfort zone for quite some time as I worked toward being involved in familiar realms of photography. I have to admit that this pattern lasted until just a couple of years ago when I felt brave enough to entertain different aspects of photography and the world of blogging. I think another factor that may have subconsciously held me back was the comparison game. This can be especially harmful for women as we’re caught between genuinely wanting to connect with other creative women, but also doing all we can to keep from feeling inadequate by each other’s success. It’s sad really, because we are so hard on ourselves. We’re so quick to judge our own work far beyond how we would look at someone else’s work.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Janice Beverly story. Tell us more about the business.
Through my work, I aspire to have a balance of transparency and grace. I love having the chance to connect with other creatives. Whether it be through photography, writing or food, my goal is to serve others through the joy of community.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I’d love to say that if I could start all over again, I would shut out the thoughts of discouragement and just focus on promoting my best content. But honestly, I would be lying if I said that. Because of I still second, third, and sometimes fourth guess myself when I share parts of my life for my brand. I believe that as women, we want to be authentic when we post online, and we also want to enjoy the opportunity to create something worthy. The most important piece of advice that I could give would be to understand that that is okay. It’s okay to feel a little torn between sharing something that was curated and letting people know that you don’t always have it all together. As long as your content brings you joy and allows you to feel proud of the person you were when you shared it, then your career will flourish through the highs and lows of success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://janicebeverly.squarespace.com/
- Email: janicebeverlyparke@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebeverly
Image Credit:
Janice Beverly Parke
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