Emma Gulickson
Emma is a Nashville-based photographer and videographer who is passionate about weaving moments into the tapestry of emotions and showcasing the beauty of creation made in the image of its Creator.
You’ll most often find her alongside artists like TobyMac, Terrian, and many more, capturing live moments and stepping into the creative process to help tell stories that inspire, connect, and impact generations to come.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
Over the last few years, I’ve really wrestled with this question: “What is the dream?” In that time, I realized the dream is that the Lord would encounter people through the things He allows me to create.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
Growing up, I had always wanted to be a nurse. Partly because of the example I watched my parents set. They are both medical, and a big influence on that was that they love to help people. When I was a junior in high school, I remember feeling so lost realizing I had no desire to be a nurse anymore. It’s quite an unnerving feeling to realize the thing you planned to do for as long as you can remember is no longer something that you want to do or feel called to.
Flash forward a few years, and I picked up a camera for the first time. It was undeniable: the Lord gave me a gift. A gift that I watched Him pair with the love for music that I grew up with. One that I now get to use on a full-time basis, and it’s not lost on me that all of the redirection led me to exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
My relationship with Jesus is the constant to every element of pursuing my dream. Everything is made by Him and for Him. He is the source of my creativity, and my love for capturing the things around me. We were created by a creative God, and I believe part of being made in His image is having the privilege of aligning ourselves with His creativity. What an honor that privilege is.
What’s one or two practical steps you take to keep moving forward?
Wake up every morning going to battle with the jaded spirit.
In this space, it can be so easy to become acquainted with it. We must remember what a gift it is to do what The Lord has called us to do. A gift that we may not have tomorrow. Continue to be a good steward of that gift while you are entrusted with it, and submit it back to His hands for His glory. He will open every door you are meant to walk through.
What encouragement would you share with someone who’s going after their dream?
The grass isn’t greener on the other side; it’s greener where you water it. Be present in the season you are currently walking in. Sometimes, it can feel like you are falling behind. Like you should be further ahead than you are, but in reality, you aren’t on a timeline. God has you exactly where He wants you for that season. Embrace it, learn from it, and grow with it.