It’s been said: Follow your heart, work somewhere you love so as not to work a day in your life, and that if it’s not fun it’s not worth it. Meet Julian Bialowas – a Canadian photographer and graphic designer who is a living example of all of the above. He curates and designs for 16HOURS magazine and put a unique spin on a 365-day photo project. He’s adventurous, inspiring, and not afraid of a little discomfort. In anticipation of all the movers and shakers that will be traveling to MOVE:DC soon, finding Julian Bialowas was like finding a kindred spirit.

1. Tell us about yourself. Especially your 365q project and work on 16HOURS magazine.

365q was a Photo A Day project that elapsed between October 2010 – 2011. What made it different from most 365 day projects was instead of taking a photo a day, I recreated an old photo of mine a day. I had a huge library of unused photographs hidden away in untouched folders. I always found they were missing something and not worthy of space on flickr. I found that missing element when fooling around in Photoshop. I placed text on a photo—something I had never done before. That’s when it clicked and 365q was born. Recreate a photo of mine a day, with the intention to inspire. To motivate. It would be a 365-day project with a cause.

16HOURS Magazine is a collaborative endeavor between Sian Richardson and myself. The magazine was created to motivate its readers to go beyond only reflecting on words of inspiration, but to also live by them. To get up, go out, and start exploring. We believe there is inspiration everywhere and in everything; you just need to go out and find it.

2. How did you get into photography and design?

I was flipping through a photography magazine when I realized it was actually somebody’s job to put it together. It was the career that counselors and teachers never told you about—I was immediately hooked.

However, before this idea hit me I was going to be an engineer. We’re taught when we’re growing up that success is money and money is happiness. I would be successful and have a huge paycheck at the end of the month. But something happened before that first week of class—I transferred into design. I realized that being an engineer may be a “successful” career but it sure was not something I truly wanted to be doing my entire life. It clicked that maybe we’ve been taught wrong all along. That perhaps, just maybe, happiness is success—and not the other way around.

I realized that I would much rather be studying (and doing) something I’m passionate about. Where I could wake up every morning and be excited about the work that lies ahead—and be doing something that could make a difference. It seemed unconventional and irrational to many people I knew. But I was going to take this path; I knew it was something I had to do. And I would make it my goal to inspire others to do the same. I can safely say it has been the best decision of my life to date.

3. What advice do you have for people who’d like to pursue their dreams but are intimidated by financial restrictions or general fear of the unknown?

You must remember to always love and strive for the unknown. It’s best quoted by Christopher McCandless: “Nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” As for financial restrictions, there is always a way, be it couch surfing, hosteling, cooking meals vs. restaurants or driving vs. flying. Get out there!

 4. What has been your favorite adventure so far?

It’s so very difficult to pick just one, however as of right now, I’d have to go with my trip to Iceland back in 2009. From experiencing the midnight sun to witnessing the Eyjafjallajokull Eruption first hand – it was an experience I’ll never forget.