Ariel Panowicz, Photographer and Creative Director, has been on the Omaha scene for over 10 years creating and cultivating her art. Ariel recently led the petition for self-employed and contracted workers to receive unemployment benefits during COVID-19. We (virtually) met with Ariel to discuss Omaha’s vibrant arts community and the help creatives can receive during the pandemic.
Ariel Panowicz. Photo by Natasha Wilson.
How did you get your start in the creative industry?
I always had a camera in my hand growing up. I dabbled at college for about a semester and moved back to Omaha feeling lost, trying to figure myself out as most 18 to 19-year-olds are. I was getting ready to move down to Kansas City to be a waitress and my dad pulled me aside and said, “You know, you could be a photographer for a living.” Something that’s challenging for a lot of people is that you don’t think you can make a living being a creative. It never even crossed my mind. His pointing that out to me helped open my eyes. I had always wanted to go to Colorado, so I went to college at the Art Institute in Denver. I had a little stint in L.A. and moved back to Omaha not intending to stay. That was 10 years ago. I love having my business and being a creative in Omaha.
“Being a photographer, you get to meet so many incredible humans and there is this special relationship and bond that gets created when you photograph someone. That’s definitely my favorite part, just all of the opportunities and the humans that I’ve gotten to meet through my photography business.”
Photo by Ariel Panowicz.
What makes Omaha’s creative community unique?
I love the creative community here. Everyone supports one another and people really do want to see others succeed. Omaha is the kind of place that, if you love the community here, they’ll love you back. They’re open to talking with you, grabbing coffee, answering questions, and helping you succeed as a creative. People are supportive of each other in the creative community here.
How can Omaha get involved in the creative community?
In this day and age, it’s so easy to connect with people that you don’t know. Just reach out to people. It’s all about relationship building and Omaha’s special in the fact that people are down to get together and hang out. There’s so much power in building relationships with people. There are so many cool events in the creative community going on all the time. You just never know what opportunities will be opened up to you by reaching out and talking to people. If you admire someone, just message them on Instagram and ask them to grab a coffee, for real.
What changes would you like to see in Omaha?
I would like to see the market lifted. There’s so much talent here compared to other markets. The market rate for photography in Omaha is low and needs to be raised. That has to be done collectively to be able to raise the industry standard here. Now is a horrible time to be wanting that or to do it, but eventually, it would be cool to see the higher-level photographers collectively raise their pricing so that we can help uplift the market here.
What is your greatest struggle?
The uncertainty that comes with having your own business and being self-employed. Now is a great example of why that’s so relevant and real. When you start your own business, you know there’s a risk, of course. You’re so passionate about it. You put your entire heart and soul into it and, for me, it just felt like there was never any other choice. I loved it so much that it didn’t feel like I wanted to do anything else. Over the years, there’s so much uncertainty. Your love and passion outweigh the uncertainty and that’s why you start the business, but I think that’s the biggest struggle and challenge. You only really have yourself and your client base to look out for you. It just goes to show how important your client relationships are. They are the reason you’re able to do what you do.
Photo by Ariel Panowicz.
You spearheaded the petition for pandemic unemployment assistance for self-employed and contracted individuals in Nebraska. Why was this petition important?
The petition was important to bring to light how many small business owners, specifically self-employed freelancers, there are in Nebraska. It feels like we often are the ones who fall through the cracks when it comes to relief aid. I was noticing right off the bat, and this was a month ago at this point, the fact that self-employed individuals would not be eligible for this aid. I started the petition because I wanted to bring to light for our state, legislature, and the community how many people are self-employed here and have successful businesses. Self-employed contractors contribute so much to the economic landscape in Nebraska and they’re tax-paying individuals. In a disastrous situation like this, they deserve to be included in the aid somehow. I had many conversations with the labor committee and with a handful of state senators. I was trying to get information to consolidate and make it very straightforward for people to know what was coming, how they could apply, and what it meant. There’s so much information right now, just in general. I know as creatives it’s not our strong suit necessarily. I am not an organized individual and, for me, it was important to at least try and be a contact for people to ask questions to, funnel some of the information, and make it straightforward for people to understand and get the aid.
Photo by Ariel Panowicz.
Do you have advice for navigating the application process?
Just patience, which is the hardest possible thing to have right now. If you need help filling out any of the forms or have any questions, reach out to people that you know have done it. Just ask questions. It can be very overwhelming and confusing, and trying to get in contact with the unemployment office is just going to make you more stressed out. Lean on your community instead of feeling like you have to do it all on your own.
What would you say to creatives who may not be feeling inspired?
I am a creative through and through. I put my whole body and soul into my work and creating and building my business. It’s how I thrive and what I love to do more than anything. I have not been feeling creative over the last few weeks. It’s okay if you don’t feel creative. I think there’s a lot of pressure on creatives to always be trying something new. You have downtime, so what a great time to dive into all these creative things you could be experimenting with. There's a lot of creatives out there who are not feeling that way, who are feeling scared about the fact that they aren’t feeling motivated right now. Instead of beating yourself up and feeling like you should be doing something, feeling a certain way, or comparing yourself to others who might be feeling a little more creative right now, just be kind to yourself. Know that whatever you have to do to get through this incredibly traumatic pandemic is okay. I had a call with Heather Hooton last week before we did our mentor session and she asked, "Are you feeling creative or motivated because I’m not. Are other people?” As a creative, it’s scary to say, “I’m not feeling creative right now.” Just know that it’s temporary. Shifting your perspective on what it means to be creative helps. Sleeping helps build your creative juices. Everything you do every day is building into your creative soul, so just look at it like that. If you are spending a few days wanting to nap, sew, draw, or do nothing, tell yourself that it is what you need to do to keep your creative process building. It doesn’t have to look a certain way.
Photo by Ariel Panowicz.
How can the community support creatives during this time?
Realizing that there are lots of ways to support them outside of finances. A like, share, comment, or shoutout on social media can have such a big impact. We have these platforms where thousands of people see what we do and there’s so much power in giving people shoutouts if you like what they're doing. I think that’s a big thing, especially right now. If you like something someone’s doing, use your platform to share.
What are you doing to stay positive?
Be kind to your mind; be kind to yourself. Trying to find gratitude in anything you can once a day helps, even if it’s the smallest thing. Every day, at the beginning or end of the day, I think, "What am I grateful for today?" Sometimes it can just be having a warm house to be in or being able to sit in my backyard. Being conscious or aware and paying gratitude to something every day has helped me. This is such a crazy rollercoaster for everybody. I know that when I’m having a bad day, I almost feel bad about feeling bad. Just accept and know that it’s going to be a rollercoaster, that some days are going to suck and some days are going to be great. Wake up, remind yourself of that, accept it, and don’t be so hard on yourself.
What is the first thing you’ll do once social isolation is over?
I think hugging people and eating food on a patio with people. Doesn’t that just sound so nice? You realize how important human contact is, even just being near people. There have been a handful of times where I’ve seen people from afar and it’s so weird, even trying to talk to somebody from so far away. Humans are supposed to be closer together.
How are you staying connected?
We’re doing live Q&A Mentor Sessions every Saturday at 2 PM CST. We’ll have a different featured photographer or creative on. They’re live so people can post questions and we’ll answer them. Each week, whoever I feature, I let them pick an organization locally to donate to. No pressure; it’s such a crazy time for people economically that I just always like to say that. It’s nice to talk business and creative stuff with other people and feel connected virtually.
Don’t miss out on the latest creative work by Ariel Panowicz, and be sure to tune in to Q&A Mentor Sessions every Saturday. Follow along by clicking the links below!
To apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, click the link below.
Keep up with the Omaha creatives making waves in the community! Follow Omaha Fashion Week on Instagram for updates on The Front Row.
