I spoke to Sterling Chandler, a teenage photographer & music creative about his experiences on social media, overcoming obstacles, staying focused & avoiding stress. From this how it has impacted his career in both positive and negative ways.
Here is what we spoke about!
Q: Obviously social media is a great tool but can also be a complicated place, what experiences have you had/how do you stay positive?
“I totally agree. I have had a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives from social media. It is a great platform to showcase your work and reach people who share the same interests as you, however it can be a very dark place. Over the last year I have been subjected to a lot of impersonation as well as nasty messages and attempted hacks. As you can imagine this is a lot for a 16 year old to deal with. I am very lucky to have a support system at home and have learned to take it on the chin, but for others this can be very damaging mentally but also to your business / social presence. Daily I receive messages from fans and friends alerting me of the latest fake account. The best way to deal with this is to take note, block and report. But most importantly talk about it to someone you trust. Hopefully social media companies can try to tackle this issue but it is hard. “
Q: How do you avoid or cope with stress?
“Personal time and balance is something that is key. It’s important to remember to take time for activities we do outside of work. It’s good to set out some days for rest; actual days off. On those days, you should stay off your phone and relax.”
Q: How do you deal with setbacks and overcome obstacles?
“Before you reach your aim, you will always hit setbacks however big or small. It is perfectly natural to make mistakes along the way, from mistakes you learn to grow. It is important to pick yourself up and move on.”
Q: Have you been working on any projects since being in isolation? How are you coping?
“Not too bad! Even though it’s been quite a drastic change I’m just getting into it. It’s hard as I can’t do any photoshoots, but it doesn’t stop me from doing digital work. I’ve offered to help creative freelancers, local businesses and charities with getting their brand online for free. At the moment given the circumstances, it is very hard for an independent physical business to make ends meet, by seeing the difficulty I felt it was necessary to try and help in any way that I can. I have recently started working with Tonic, A mental health charity and I’m helping them market their fundraisers, create social content/ campaign and spread the support they offer across the internet. As well as Love Record Stores, a global campaign to support independent retailers during this time!”