Meet Alan Maniacek | photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alan Maniacek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alan, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
This is a tough question for me at the moment. Success, in my eyes, has always been tied to happiness. Money, likes, and followers are tangible and can often be mistaken for success, especially in this era of social media.

I’ve always measured my own success by how I feel or how I’m making others feel. As a musician, the rush I get on stage mixed with the smiles in the audience acts as a great metric for success.

With photography, the feelings are a bit more subtle, but they are there. Walking around a new city with a camera in my hand and some good tunes in my ear brings me to a meditative place, rather quickly.

Similarly, experiencing someone’s gratitude after delivering them photos of their important life event gives me a dopamine rush. It puts a smile on my face, undoubtedly.

Lately, I’ve experienced a lot of loss and I’ve been rather unhappy. This is where it gets tricky for me. Because I’m unhappy in some aspects of my life, the feelings of self-doubt trickle in and lead to a lack of productivity. Without question, this makes me feel unsuccessful.

In these times, I feel a need for the tangible. I wish I was making more money with my art. I wish I was getting more likes and followers.

So, I guess success would be finding monetary sustainability while providing a service that brings joy to others and yourself. Unfortunately, with capitalism being what it is, this is hard.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is a little sporadic, as is my brain. Uhh, life? I have lived a lot of my life letting with wind take me. As someone with ADD, this always suited me well.

Anyone who follows what I do will get a broad spectrum of life outtakes. I know that successful brands are often concise and streamlined. That’s not lost on me, but it’s not who I have been. I present my life on social media as true as I can. Candids of friends, live music, and travel mixed with portraits and my boudoir work.

All that being said, I am working on intentionality. Being a human with a “go with the flow” attitude is only good with a bit of balance. Lately, I have been feeling too comfortable and I feel like I need to take more chances. I don’t regret how I got here, I only recently have gained the confidence to put myself out there more on a professional level.

I have a plan to build a wedding photography business in the next couple of years. This’ll require a shift from everyday and a focus on brand continuity.

As a bit of advice for anyone, don’t rush it if you don’t have to. Confidence comes with experience. I understand not everyone has the opportunity to work a day job and hustle on the side, but if it’s an option, gain that experience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooohhh, Chicago. There’s so much to do and so much to see. During the week and during the day, it’d be a great idea to walk around downtown and by the lake. Stopping at whatever dive bar we cross paths with. Cheaper option is to have a flask or a backpack with some beers and/or wine. Bonus points for bike riding.

At night, the river walk truly shines with the Art on the Mart in the summer. Eventually, I’d love to show them our live music scene by taking them to The Hideout, Empty Bottle, or The California Clipper. Three very different vibes, equally Chicago though.

Thin crust, pub cut pizza from Pat’s on Lincoln would be the must-taste pizza spot and maybe even a Chicago dog from Home Depot, iykyk.

Shout out to Way Out for vibes and Handlebar for vegan friendly dishes and a killer beer garden.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Anyone who finds the time to stop and appreciate art, in any form.

Whether you go to art shows, click on the that link in a bio, go see live music, or simply just stop and appreciate the color of the sky, keep it up!

In a world designed to distract you, slowing down and paying attention to what is right in front of you cannot be underappreciated.

People who support the beauty of art are just as important as the ones who create it

Website: intheblackphotography.com

Instagram: intheblackphotography