Zack Arias

Transform

Early in 2009, editorial and music photographer Zack Arias was asked to do a guest blog post on Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider blog. He was given free reign to blog about anything he wished. Zack took the opportunity, and decided to use it to do something different-- he created a video titled “Transform”.

Using black and white footage of some of the bleakness of winter to convey the internal struggle he experiences trying to redefine himself each winter, Arias got very real-- not just about photography, but about life. "Who am I? What is my goal?" he asks.

As he reflects on his father's hospitalization and nearing the end of his life, he puts things in perspective for the photographer, for the artist.

“Chances are you have your voice, you can say whatever you want to say right now. So what are you saying? What are you doing with the time you have right now? When you're pushing 80 and you're flat on your back with no way to speak a single word, what will be going through your mind?

Yes, there are things every artist will focus on-- skills, techniques, getting your name out there. But what message do you have to share with the world? He hints at something more meaningful in art than the typical.

He goes on to reassure those who underestimate themselves, those who struggle, reminding the viewer that all the greats once sucked, they all had their ups and downs, but that they stayed with it.

“They learned, they grew, they had dark days, they persevered. That is the way of the artist. Just be patient, keep on going. Transformation takes time, and from what I've seen in my life, it really is worth the wait.”

A short film that Zack had hoped would impact a few people went viral, reaching tens of thousands of people. And hundreds reached out to Zack to thank him for the encouragement he gave them to press on, to believe in themselves. By being real, Zack allowed others to do the same.

For Zack, it wasn't about him doing all the helping, inspiring and supporting. Instead, he used his influence to bring others together to inspire each other. If you follow his blog, you'll find that he continues to give those with messages to share a platform for sharing them-- employing both his skills as an artist (joined by his wife's talent as a musician) and his newly expanded influence and presence in social media.

It took a lot of guts to release his message to the world in the form of his video, “Transform”. He might have been satisfied if he knew his message struck a chord with a few people. Instead, he demonstrated that you never know just how big of a difference you might be able to make if you just put it out there. As he says in “Transform”, “at the end of the day, it isn't the camera that matters.” It isn't the tool or the trade that matters. It's what you say with it, it's who you become with it, it's how you impact others-- whether it be few or many.