Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Spalt.
Carly , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I have five brothers and one sister. Over the course of my life journey, I have learned some of life’s most valuable lessons from those closest to me. Being one of seven has shaped me into the strong, confident, and bright individual I am today. The adjectives resilient or steadfast come to mind when thinking about several of my family members, but especially my mother and father. Whether it is raising seven uniquely different kids, living 2,000 miles apart while my dad works, or just dealing with life’s day to day obstacles. They always face life with their heads held high. My parents have shown me how to handle life situations with confidence, how to figure out the right thing to do, and how to find the will to do it. Living in a large and chaotic family has taught me to be steadfast as well as assertive in my values and convictions, and to do what I believe is right, even if others mock or criticize me for it.
Self-reliance and self-sufficiency are qualities naturally acquired in a large family, which is one of the reasons I am both self-assured and resourceful. My parents have always been advocates of “figuring it out”; in other words, they always encourage us to use our minds and solve our problems. My dad consistently preaches the importance of a solid work ethic: this virtue has been faithfully imparted to me. Hard work applies to academics, sports, jobs, art and almost any other productive activity in a person’s life. But the key element involved is attitude: whatever you do, do it well, do it completely, and with your best effort.
People face disappointments, setbacks, and difficulties in their lives without exception and my family has seen its share: significant financial losses, the death of loved ones, failed expectations, and disruptive conflict. These challenges have taught me that you cannot avoid the pain that sometimes comes with living. Experiencing life’s ups and downs has helped me to developmental and emotional strength in the face of life’s trials. As a result, I am convinced that each holds his or her future firmly in his or her hands. Because of my unique perspective, I have had the benefit of observing older and younger siblings as they work through life’s hurdles and have gained the ability to see the bigger picture and focus on the small details at the same time.
My amazing family has had a big impact on me; I am aware of the essential responsibility to be the best version of myself. The person I am and how I have been lovingly nurtured cannot succinctly reverberate on paper, but is unmistakable in person in the way I carry myself and who I am. My parents and siblings are ordinary people who inspire me with their extraordinary lives. Without my family, I do not know where I would be today, and wonder if I would be the same person at all.
With all that being said, art was nowhere near my radar until I got to college. I came to TCU for my undergraduate degree. I graduated in 2017 with a bachelor of science in communication studies and a minor in photography. During my senior year of college, I had no idea what I was doing. It seemed like all my friends had jobs lined up or were going to grad school. That year presented a lot of struggle but ultimately helped me to get to where I am right now. I currently teach yoga and work at Rollin n Bowlin food truck and take photos any chance I get. My story is not a glamorous one by any means, but I’m pleased with everything it entails. Growing up in a big family had its benefits and it also had its challenges. I had to figure out how to find my likes and interest on my own. Growing up in a large family it was easy for everyone to do the same thing. My Parents were very supportive of free thinking and personal interests, but that was something I had to do on my own. They didn’t have time to cater to each child’s hobbies. It took me a long time to figure out my real interests, which are photography and yoga.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the most significant challenges that I faced as a child was dyslexia. It is something I still struggle with but it has also had a huge influence on my career path. When I was in the second grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia. School was always something that I had a hard time with. I worked very hard to get average grades and it was really frustrating, primarily when I was young. As I got older and understood what I was working with, I was able to teach myself tricks and tools to help cope with dyslexia. This was a valuable experience for me and I learned that I was perfectly capable of accomplishing just about anything but it definitely was not going to be in a traditional manner and it would take much more effort and time than the average person. I pride my self on my ability to accomplish tasks in a nontraditional way and my ability to think outside of the box. My inability to succeed in a school setting definitely had a play in my attraction to art and a creative lifestyle. Another pivotal point in my life journey was during my senior year of college. I was about to graduate with a degree in communication studies and a minor in photography and I had no idea what I was doing with my life. The stress around this was unreal. I felt pressure to get a standard job because that’s what the average person does when they graduate college. I knew that if I got a typical office job I would struggle in that environment and it scared me to death.
Sometime in February that year, I stepped into my first yoga class. This was a life-changing experience. I used yoga as a tool to help cope with stress and anxiety about all the upcoming changes and decisions I had to make. I went through a complete lifestyle change, and that was also scary but eyeopening at the same time. Yoga became my coping mechanism for just about everything. I learned valuable lessons on my mat that I was able to apply to my life. After a few months of dedication to the practice, I felt much more secure and able to determine what my strengths were even when they were far outside my comfort zone and normal routine. Being really receptive to any opportunity that comes my way has been very important in my journey so far.
Every individual is going to have their own personal struggles, but it is up to that individual to determine how they frame it. It is easy to let any obstacle stand in your way and stop you in your tracks, or you can utilize it as a tool or an experience to learn. Not even in an art sense but a more worldly view, my parents have had a large impact on how I perceive and approach challenges when it comes to choosing the right path for me. My father is an entrepreneur and thrives in a nontraditional work setting. Being surrounded by this way of thinking growing up gave me a huge leg up, and my mother was able to raise each one of us as individuals. She understood that not every child should be raised the same. Her patience and levelheadedness is something I hope to embody. Do not let someone tell you what you should do, all the answers you seek can be found within your self. Advice for other women starting on a journey of entrepreneurship would be, do not compare your self to others. Comparison is deadly, it destroys creativity. Anything you think or do have the potential of being something great.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
I started my journey with photography my sophomore year of college. I always knew that it was an art form that I was attracted to. It suddenly became a significant form of self-expression for me. This was the first time I began to explore with art as self-expression and exploration. I took a photography class every semester since sophomore year, but it was not really until the last semester of my senior year when I began to dive deep into art. That semester I took drawing and painting and a few other studio art classes. I continue to practice drawing and painting along with photography, but photography is what I am most experienced in and what people know me for.
Currently, most of my existing work is not necessarily a service or product but more of an art form and serves the purpose of self-expression. As I continue on this journey, I am continually trying to explore new types of photography. Right now I am currently apprenticing under a local commercial photographer to learn more about that industry. I hope to learn more about lifestyle photography and product photography during this apprenticeship. I also photograph people to help them create content for self-branding. The subject I enjoy shooting the most is my surroundings and the forms within it. There is always something interesting in the ordinary. I am continually looking for that in the world around me. Growing up on cape cod made it easy to step outside and take a photo of a pretty view but pretty is not always interesting or meaningful.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I think one of the biggest barriers to female leadership is the pressures of social norms. There is constant influence from all angles telling a female what to do and how to act to fit in as a female in society. Fitting in is precisely what I don’t want to do. If you fit in you sure don’t stand out. Comparing your self to others also goes along with social norms. I believe comparison kills creativity and creativity is what gives you a leg up.
In my family, gender did not matter. My sister and I were never confined to a certain space or activity because of our gender. My hammy downs were always boy clothes because all of my older siblings are boys. Until about eleven or twelve I played on boys sports teams because either my older or younger brother was on that team.
When I got older and became more self-aware, there were times I doubted my place as a girl in a boys world, if you will. When I brought this concern up to my dad, his response was always so great. It was always something along the lines of, “so what, if you can compete with the boys you can compete with anybody” or “Who cares what they think, the people’s opinions who truly matter will encourage you in any pursuit and who ones who bring you down don’t matter anyway.” Ever since I can remember, my parents always encouraged all of their children to do what we wanted, especially if it made us happy or if it was something we had the natural ability to excel toward. I consider myself lucky to have parents that encouraged this. My parents never told me who to be or what to do.
Contact Info:
- Email: cspalt22@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyspalt/
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