Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Moliski
Alex, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Ah, the question “What’s your story?” The story. Everyone’s chasing it, yet most don’t realize they probably already have one. Over the last generation, there’s been a subtle but profound shift in how we think about what a story is—likely fueled by social media. It’s gone from “I have a story” to “I am a story.” The first is common and entirely valid, but the second? Rare, and often unrealistic. Social media makes this harder. It turns our individual tales into curated personalities, forcing us to create a narrative where one might not exist. It pushes us to specialize, to focus on the things that will earn more likes, while quietly flattening the richness of who we are. Go ask your grandpa what his “story is. He’ll likely tell you about a time he caught a fish. An instance.
So, when someone asks, “What’s your story?” I’m not sure how to answer. I’ve seen a lot of interesting places, tried a lot of different things, and spent years chasing a magnum opus. But here’s the truth: I’m glad I never found it. If I had, my story would be over. Chasing lofty goals can be fulfilling, but finishing them often leads to disappointment. Life isn’t about the final product—it’s about the act of creating it.
At the end of the day, I’m just a normal guy who likes to stay occupied. If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I stick to my goals. New Year’s resolutions? They’re my thing. I track them on a detailed chart, measuring progress and keeping myself accountable. Being goal-oriented has helped me follow through on ideas and stay engaged with life. So I guess that’s my story—not some grand narrative, but a series of small, meaningful steps forward. Progress for the sake of progress. And maybe, after a decade, when you look back you’ll have an impressive anthology.
My anthologies orbit writing, music, photography, and videography—all inspired by nature. I’m currently the Editorial Manager for Backcountry.com, but there are limits to writing in the retail world so I set goals for myself to complete a number of personal projects throughout the year. Some of these projects turn into habits and stick around. For example, in 2015 I challenged myself to write every day (like a journal), in a month I’ll pen my last entry of my first decade. The goals I set are linked to my hobbies but not always directly. Last year, my goal was hike 500km (310 miles) with my wife. Since we were out exploring new places so often I took my photos and videos than I had the last three years combined.
A few of my other completed goals/stories added to my anthology are:
I’ve written a book (The Last Letters Of Theodore Roosevelt)
I’ve written and played music for an Webby award-winning website (atrailtale.com)
I’ve visited 48 states (sans Alaska and Hawaii) hitting 36 national parks along the way
I’ve backpacked some of the most beautiful places in the lower 48
I’ve donated all my photos & videos wracking up nearly 150 million views/downloads
And a bunch of other random stuff
Not sure I answered your question, but TL;DR: I started with small steps to challenge myself, and I’m still taking tiny steps forward.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Heck no! I’ve often set far-too-lofty goals for myself and have failed at many of them. If you’re truly connected to your goals, like I try to be, this leads to frustration and disappointment. The few lines I mentioned above are truly highlights of the entire experiment. I’ve failed far more than succeeded. When I do fail, I try to remember this line from Theodore Roosevelt, “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed”.
Since I mentioned some highlights… here’s a not-so-glamorous one: I’ve had “run 500 miles” as a yearly goal for the past five years and have only managed to hit it once. Another strange goal I completely failed at? Catching a carp—one of the most common fish in North America. I’m an avid angler who’s caught all sorts of fish, but never a carp. I added it to my list, and despite my efforts, I couldn’t make it happen. Anyone have tips for catching one out of Utah Lake? I’ve heard there are tanks in there, but I’ve never had any luck…
I’ve probably struggled the most with my creative goals. Constantly comparing myself to the best, I’ve been my own harshest critic. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned through perseverance is to embrace my own style—in both writing and photography. Since then, I’ve found not only more happiness in the process but also greater success in the outcomes. I don’t think I would have ever published my book if I had kept comparing myself to the greats. Like I said before, I’m just a normal guy, publishing a book that’s generally considered “not half bad!” is good enough for me.
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?
How do you qualify as a “creative” or an “artist”? As a full-time writer in a marketing department, my career technically exists in the “creative” world, but I don’t consider myself an artist. In a world where everyone is creating something and AI is infiltrating most professional work, it begs the question: is anyone truly an artist anymore?
If paying the bills with creative work defines an artist, then outside of my career, I’d have starved long ago. And not for lack of trying. I had my moment of chasing the dream, trying everything to “make it big.” Here’s the make-it-big breakdown so far:
Photography: $14.77—mostly from small donations.
Music: $106—someone out there is still streaming an album I uploaded to Spotify years ago. I’ve never even collected the money.
Writing: ~$400—my book is on Amazon, and a handful of people have purchased it, but with fierce competition and no marketing budget, it’s tough to gain traction.
After countless hours of work over several years, I’d barely be able to cover a third of one month’s rent.
Realizing I wasn’t going to “retire” off my book sales or side projects, I began approaching my work differently—especially my photography and videography. And this shift is perhaps what sets me apart. I now give all my work away for free.
At one point, I had over 500 gigs of (what I thought were) high-quality photos and videos. I wasn’t getting much engagement on social platforms, so I asked myself, “What do I do with all this?” That’s when I discovered a few sites where professionals can download free content. I started uploading my work as a way to give back to a community I love.
This year alone, my work was viewed over 100 million times and downloaded over 150,000 times. Someone out there is finding value in what I’ve created, and that feels far more meaningful than chasing 30 likes on Instagram.
What does success mean to you?
I touched on this earlier, but if you’re skipping the fluff and want the good stuff, I’d sum it up as: trackable, noticeable, incremental improvement.
Pricing:
- For free photos and videos see my profile on pexels: https://www.pexels.com/@alexmoliski/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexmoliski.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexmoliski/
- Other: https://www.pexels.com/@alexmoliski/
