Interview with Juliette Mansour

Juliette Mansour

I am a first-generation American, born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in the 1970s and 80s, within a blend of three cultures. Though I've lived in Atlanta all my life I've travelled to different cities and countries every year since I was a toddler. Since then, I've harbored a clandestine lust for an artistic, gypsy, wayward life. I love making photographs but I have been writing much longer. I won a few creative writing awards in school, majored in foreign language literature, got a Master's Degree in linguistics. Then for no good reason, I took a fast left turn in 1998 away from language teaching into technology. The innate curiosity that drove me to pull apart transistor radios at the age of eight was repurposed into a love for media, photography and visual arts. Since then, I've honed my skills at creating photographs, taken lots of classes, won a few meager recognitions, started my own street photography group, built a darkroom in my home, have had my prints in a couple of gallery showings, been in a couple of festivals, got a few photos published in magazines and have had a lot of ups and downs with my process. I've met some interesting people along the way. I've learned the beauty and pain of sitting meditation and other methods of mindfulness. Reconnecting with my immigrant roots, I cultivated a deeper love for quality food. I adopted two awesome dogs who are waiting for me on the other side. I have cultivated the finest of friendships, learned some hard lessons and ultimately, have had much success in "finding my true self". I'm still getting to know her.