Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Vargas.
Hi Julie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My family relocated to Orlando on the 4th of July two years ago so that our children could pursue dance and animation/film. Previously, in Ocala, I had a music studio for 14 years, so starting over in Orlando felt slightly daunting, but I opened my doors by word of mouth. When Covid hit, and everything largely shut down, I branched out into photography cautiously to pass the time until studios were more confidently relaunching. It has been an amazing journey in which I am combining my music and photography all in one studio called “The Creative Jungle Studio.” Originally, I was a full-scholarship saxophone performance major in college, so I began with saxophone and clarinet lessons, but over the years, I have since studied and taught piano and voice lessons, songwriting and creative writing classes, and artist development. I love all forms of music from classical and jazz to pop and contemporary. Photography became a passion when I began capturing dancers in my daughter’s community, my students for senior pics, and the families I work with! It’s been all-encompassing, and I love it! The more creative it is, the more I enjoy the challenge!
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?
Relaunching my career in a new community such as Orlando, which is already saturated with high-quality artists, has been a challenge. Who knew that Covid would hit seven months after we moved to Orlando? I questioned whether the artist season of my life was up, but then this last year, I started getting several letters and messages from past students telling me that they loved my teacher and that I inspired them to go further, and it was enough to motivate me to keep going to help another generation of dreamers and artists.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
After years of teaching music, creative writing, and now adding photography, I can honestly say that one of my greatest passions is discovering and unlocking the gifting inside of a student or client and making that person come alive. Whether it’s in a music lesson, and I am trying to help a student play with excellence and hone his own style and potential, or in a writing class in which we are learning to add literary tools and devices to make the writing pop and explode with unique voicing and description, or whether I am capturing the eyes and personality of someone in front of my camera lense, I seek to bring out what sets that person apart from others. I am an encourager, and I love to connect with each person to make her feel special, unique, and gifted in what she has to offer the world.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
It felt risky to start over in Orlando when I had a successful business in Orlando. It felt especially risky to add photography when, for so long, I had primarily been known in Ocala for my music lessons and writing classes. However, I have always tried to model to my children that we should live without regrets and that means we will take chances, allow ourselves to try and even fail, and experiment with new things constantly. In my opinion, great art requires risk and breaking rules and fresh perspectives. Doing things in a way that we haven’t seen them done is awesome! We should have lots of “firsts” in our lives. I don’t think risk-taking is something you talk about; instead, it is something you do!
Contact Info:
- Email: themusicjunglestudio@gmail.com
- Website: thecreativejunglestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativejunglestudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativejunglestudio
Image Credits
The Creative Jungle Photography
