Rising Stars: Meet Anna Finger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Finger.

Hi Anna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story is one that almost didn’t happen. My life was one that almost didn’t happen. I was born in China and adopted by two amazing parents. They picked me out of a photo lineup before even meeting me in person. They saw me and said, “That’s the one.” I think about that a lot and how close I came to not being adopted at all. If they had just chosen the baby to the left or right of me, I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t have this amazing life. My upbringing was pretty normal, but as I got older, it started becoming more and more clear that I was different. I did most of my growing up in rural Iowa, and there’s next to no diversity there. I had the privilege of traveling more than a lot of my classmates growing up, and I like to think those experiences opened my eyes to how things could be outside of my hometown bubble. I met so many different people from different walks of life, and I craved that more and more. When it came time to pick a college, I knew I wanted a large campus where sports were a big deal. I know, not really the priority, but I digress. I ended up at Iowa State University and had the time of my life there. I started a clothing brand with a couple of friends, and that in itself was a massive learning experience. In my senior year, another big decision shaped the next part of my life. I had all of my required credits done and I just needed filler classes to maintain full-time student status. I was deciding between karate (so I could slack off and get an A), or an intro to videography class. I had dabbled in photography for the clothing brand, but never videography. I decided to go with videography and I was instantly hooked. I fell in love with the idea of bringing ideas and stories to life. This journey has taken me to weddings. I struggled my first couple of years because I am terrible at selling myself. My best friend Jackie came to me and basically said she had had these ideas for my company for months and ran them by me. I was immediately on board and shortly after we started booking more and more clients. I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without her, and the support from my friends and family. So here I am today, shooting videos for weddings, concerts, and small businesses that reach out, and I hope the journey continues!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not a smooth road. The first couple of years after college were a real struggle. Videography is a predominantly male field, and I had potential clients asking me if I had a male shooter, and when they found out I didn’t, they would politely go in a different direction. On jobs, people were always surprised to find out it was just me and I wasn’t the second shooter. It took me a bit to find my identity and brand as a female filmmaker, and I’m still a work in progress but we’re getting there! Although business is steady right now, I still struggle today. Freelance can be amazing. I love the freedom and ability to set my own hours, standards, and expectations, but sometimes those things can also be the thing that hinders me. If I have an off day, there isn’t anybody directly with me to hold me accountable when I slip and don’t do it for myself. If business slows down, for a couple of months, it’s stressful wondering when the next job is going to be. Also, there was COVID. The business had picked up and was going extremely well and then the pandemic hit severely impacting events. It was expected but it was for sure a major setback. I wallowed for a bit, but ultimately decided not to focus too much on it because I can’t control it or change it. Things worked out. It took about a year, but they’re slowly but surely working themselves out, and I can’t ask for more than that!

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?
I am a freelance videographer. I am mostly known for shooting weddings and concerts, and I am most proud of the fact that despite the earlier challenges I listed, I am persevering and forging my own path. I’m doing what I love and just not taking anything for granted along the way. I would say that my path makes me unique. It’s reflected in the work that I do. Ultimately, everybody has a uniqueness to them. Mine stems from the decisions that altered my life and took it in a very different direction and the experiences that make up said life. I bring my authentic self (with a side of self-awareness to read the room) when I’m on the job. If everybody is feeling great, the work turns out phenomenal. It’s my job to shoot video, but it’s also my job to make sure anybody I’m filming feels comfortable to get the best possible footage.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
So many things make me happy! Food, family, my friends, traveling and dogs to name a few big ones. I didn’t list videography because I figured it’s already pretty obvious I enjoy what I do. I am someone who is fulfilled by spending quality time with friends and family. We don’t have to be doing anything special, I just like being around them. Food, aside from the endorphins it releases when you eat, is food. I love food. Trying new cuisines is part of why I love traveling so much. Whenever I travel it never fails to offer a new perspective as well as a lesson. I like to get to know the locals wherever I go, and do my best to stay away from the popular tourist attractions. I’ll usually hit them up but only for a day and usually either really late at night or early in the morning to avoid the crowds. My favorite thing about travel is meeting new people. I had a friend tell me recently that I get energized when I meet new people, and I didn’t like it because I thought she meant that I was unhappy in the company of my friends. But as I think about it, I’m realizing she’s right. Not about me not being happy just being with my friends, because I am. At the same time, there’s a rush I get when I meet new people because I’m excited to learn more about them. I want to know their stories and where they came from. It took some reconciling with myself to realize that being happy at the moment with my friends and wanting to meet new people can exist simultaneously. And dogs is on there because who doesn’t love dogs??

Contact Info:

• Website: www.creationsxanna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationsxanna/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creationsxanna
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFr41qFI4J6PmpCyjukIhaA
• Other: https://g.page/creationsxanna?share

Image Credits
Anna Finger