John Langmore shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
John, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Having just returned from a long motorcycle ride to Alaska, I had six weeks to reflect on this, literally as it applied to that trip, but also metaphorically as it relates to the journey through life. My goal when leaving Austin on that trip was to make it to Deadhorse, Alaska (and back, of course). I crashed in Alberta, Canada, and had to muster the determination to carry on despite damage to the bike and injuries to me. In that respect, I was on a path – Deadhorse, Alaska, come hell or high water! On the other hand, when I met some bikers in Oregon suggesting a detour for a rally somewhere in the desert, I wandered off the path and was grateful I did. I realize that’s also been my approach to life. Most of what I’ve managed to accomplish professionally required me to be on a path, determined to reach the end despite all obstacles. On the other hand, I’ve had numerous wanders, venturing off the path of determination. I think of it as meeting fate halfway – if you’re determined but open to whatever life throws your way, you’ll be amply rewarded in the end. It’s an approach that’s served me well thus far.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For better or worse, I’m the perpetual jack of all trades, master of none. I began my professional life as an attorney, first at a law firm and then for a large multinational corporation. It was a great run that let me see the world in a way I never could have on my own. I left that for the sake of returning to Austin. Returning to Austin opened an unexpected career developing infrastructure projects as well as a rewarding life of civic engagement that continues today. Yet, after about ten years, boredom set in. That’s when I began seriously pursuing my photography (something I grew up with as my mother and father were both noted photographers). That led to my first book on working cowboys and my second one on the unique community of East Austin now all but lost to gentrification. The book on cowboys eventually led to me making my first documentary film on working cowboys. (As a side note, I grew up cowboying for twelve summers and it remains a defining aspect of my life.) Relating back to my answer to the previous question, I’ve been on a path through life but always remain open to wandering off it when a worthwhile detour presents itself.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
Benny Binion. Benny was a legendary cowboy, bootlegger, outlaw, gambler and a founding father of Las Vegas. I knew him almost entirely as a cowboy when he gave me a job on his large eastern Montana ranch. I was twelve years old, and he was seventy. Being a city kid from Richardson, Texas, I didn’t know a thing about cowboying, cattle or horses, but I had a strong desire to learn and a willingness to endure the vagaries of working livestock. In those twelve summers on his ranch he instilled in me a cowboy’s work ethic. As a result, I’ve learned nothing worthwhile comes but through hard work. Intelligence, talent, even good luck don’t amount to anything if not coupled with a strong work ethic. Benny taught me a lot, but the value of hard work was his greatest gift and an enduring legacy I try and model for my own two sons.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve almost given up. That applies to every aspect of life – relationships, completing a difficult task, trying to find a job, finishing one of my documentary projects. All of those involved a low point where I wanted to give up. No one escapes that. It’s pushing through those low points that ultimately gives you the satisfaction of a completed task (that applies no matter the size of the task). I chased the documentary project I’m currently working on for over four years. At a point along the way when I was ready to throw in the towel because I just couldn’t seem to get access, I heard a news report interviewing a childhood friend of the soccer player, Lionel Messi. The friend said Lionel’s outstanding feature as a child was not his talent, but instead his hatred of losing. I thought, I hate losing too. I doubled down on getting access for this latest project. Almost two years later I was finally granted access. And I have no doubt I’ll need to apply my philosophy of never giving up several more times if I hope to finish this project.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
If I use the advice I give my two sons as a benchmark, I’d say one of my fundamental truths is that you should never compromise your integrity. Your integrity one of the few things in life over which you have total control. You don’t have control, for instance, over your reputation as what others say about you can influence that. But you always have the agency to conduct yourself with integrity. I’ve found there are two fundamental truths about conducting yourself with uncompromising integrity. The first is that it will cost you somewhere along the way. I’ve gotten off public boards I otherwise wanted to be on because remaining there would cause me to compromise my integrity. On the other hand, when people know you are a person of integrity, you will be rewarded in ways you never imagine. Furthermore, if you’ve conducted yourself with integrity, when you look back on your life, as I’m starting to, you get a sense of satisfaction that transcends all of life’s inevitable transgressions that come with simply being human.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
It’s a battle for all artists to be motivated by the output itself and not by a desire for recognition or some appeasement of ego. One of the greatest losses of being overly motivated by ego is missing the joy of living in the moment. A dear friend of mine who’s had an immensely successful career as an actor recently put it to me this way: “If I say, stick with directing documentaries and someday you’ll be great, it skips the immediacy of fulfilling the job at hand which is everything. It’s huge and demands so much right now. It’s not about your next shot and more shots after to be better. It’s about right now. What you’re doing now is everything.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.JohnLangmorePhotos.com
- Instagram: @johnlangmore
- Facebook: John.langmore.1
Image Credits
All copyright John Langmore
