Christian Salibo
Christian’s a photographer and videographer getting after his dreams in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA.
As much as Christian believes for big things, he believes in who God is and all God says he can be. This past year, he took a huge step of faith and dropped out of college to pursue his dream of being a full time photographer and videographer.
With both courage and action locked in, Christian began picking up new clients and taking on new projects all throughout Southern California. Whether it’s shooting cover art, short films, or lifestyle concepts, his dream of having a full time creative career has become a true reality.
As Christian continues using all he is for all God wants to do, he continues becoming the light he always imagined to be.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
I’m currently working towards making my dream as a photographer/videographer a reality. I would love to focus more of my work on (but not limited to) the music industry or fashion industry, as both are forms of art I’m very passionate about.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
I first realized I discovered this dream when I was serving in my church's youth ministry. It was there I was pushed in my creative abilities to create photo and video content for service recaps, promos, cover art, and even merch drops.
I found so much joy developing this gift and it being used for something so much bigger than just me. I was surrounded by other creatives that pushed me while serving at that church. They quickly became my best friends, and to this day are some of my biggest supporters and encouragers.
While I was serving there, my youth pastor gave me this advice as I was trying to figure out what God has gifted me with - “Follow the fruit”. Meaning, what are you doing that God is noticeably blessing and providing more opportunities to pursue? Where I am now and the trajectory of where I am headed is a direct result of me following the fruit and the opportunities God has blessed me with.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
As I’ve been pursuing this dream, my relationship with God has been my everything. I know this gifting, talent, and opportunities are not ones that I can take any credit for at all.
As I invest deeper and deeper in my relationship with God, I’m reminded and humbled by His sufficiency. He can take away my gifting, talent, and opportunities, and I would still have everything I need if I’m in a relationship with Him.
I know the industry of music, fashion and entertainment can be so dark, and as I’m now in it, I pray and constantly prepare myself to be a light. I just want to be a reflection of Jesus to the best of my ability and believe when God opens up opportunities, I’ll talk about my faith. Ultimately, I just want to be a vessel for God and what He wants to say and do through me.
What’s one or two practical steps you take to keep moving forward?
Each new month, I take a day to reflect on the last month, writing down things I can do better and learning all I can. That could be finding more efficient ways to organize my schedule, being better at responding to emails, or setting aside specific days to create for my own pleasure.
Then, I set goals for the upcoming month to knock it out. That might look like reaching out to brands I wanna shoot for, or setting up an unpaid shoot with a friend for my portfolio.
What encouragement would you share with someone who’s going after their dream?
Don’t give up just because you’re not making a living from it yet. Keep working on your craft, simply for the love of it. Make sure your character is more evident than your gifting. Remember that God blessed you with that gift, not to build up your own kingdom, but His! Let your relationship with God always come first - Everything else will follow.