Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Simmons.
Hi Josh, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career as an academic. After earning my Ph.D. from the University of California Irvine, I was burned out on teaching and research so I entered the private sector as a software developer. Once I had paid my dues and started to branch out into more niche roles, I realized how related software engineering and my work at UCI were. I am a naturally creative person and was starting to feel stifled by the 9-5 environment.
I began moonlighting as a photographer (a passion for me that predates my interest in computers) and essayist. My photography and my essays aim to capture my subjective view of the world as raw as possible. Sometimes this is useful to people and other times the result is only interesting to me. I continue photographing and writing because it’s my way to express who I am.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Of course, there were struggles. I grew up in an abusive household and have dedicated much time and effort to overcoming the resultant CPTSD. Mental health, especially in men, is typically brushed aside and it’s something I try to bring to the forefront in my work. All prominent significant companies claim to champion diversity, but when it comes to men’s mental health, diversity is often ignored.
Another challenge I’ve contended with is switching career paths. Having to rapidly assimilate to new norms, jargon, and technology is extremely difficult. Starting over is generally inadvisable.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My primary creative outlets are photography and writing. My chief interest as a photographer is to capture slices of life happening authentically. Most of the time this involves taking my camera with me everywhere. Whether it’s friends, outlaw bikers, or the audience at a political rally, I try to remain invisible and capture life at the moment – without posing, without editing reality. My only tool for fudging the reality of the situation is my shutter button.
When I write I write things that I want my daughter to know. She’s two months old. I try to write simply. If I use a big word it’s because I own that word. My essays regularly get me into hot water because I don’t pull punches. I wrote an article about my experience working for Shopify after I had quit – it went viral and I hear that it made some waves internally.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Honesty. Honesty permeates all good creations. A designer I like is Dieter Rams. His product designs from Braun are whimsical, maybe a bit playful, but above all they are honest. They’re designed to be used by humans. That doesn’t mean they’re utilitarian. Humans have emotions and sensibilities. Utilitarianism ignores that.
Honesty is a challenge. There are endless incentives to lie. I f*ck it up sometimes but I’m always improving. When I learned to be honest about the major things in my life I was able to walk the path that God had put ahead for me instead of the one that I wanted. Getting what you need will always land you in a better place than getting what you want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joshcsimmons.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcpsimmons/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drjoshcsimmons
