About Zero Dean

I know what you’re wondering. And yes. Zero is my real name. You can read about it here.

When it comes to life, I’m a bit of a generalist. While some love to be associated with their professions — “I’m a [profession]!” — I’ve never been particularly pleased with being labeled as — or pursuing — any one thing.

A few things I do

I’m an author, photographer, and motivational writer. I share inspirational content and thought-provoking insights on life, self-improvement, and personal growth through my website, social media, and my book series “Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled.” Through these platforms, I share life lessons, personal experiences, and advice to help people navigate challenges and live more authentically.

My work focuses on embracing individuality, pursuing passions, and overcoming fear, with an emphasis on living a meaningful and fulfilling life. I also share my creative photography and reflections on personal development.

My Work

My writing and creative projects revolve around inspiring people to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenges, and pursue personal growth. My approach often challenges conventional thinking and societal norms, encouraging readers to live authentically and prioritize happiness, fulfillment, and self-awareness over external validation.

Key Themes in My Work

Self-Improvement: I focus on topics like overcoming fear, building resilience, and pushing past self-doubt. I often emphasize that growth comes from stepping into discomfort and facing challenges head-on.

Authenticity: A recurring theme in my work is the importance of being true to oneself, embracing individuality, and rejecting societal pressures to conform. I encourage people to pursue paths that align with their values and passions.

Resilience: Many of my lessons highlight how adversity and failure are valuable opportunities for growth. I often remind readers to see setbacks as stepping stones rather than obstacles.

Mindfulness and Gratitude: I write about the importance of appreciating life’s small moments, practicing gratitude, and staying present.

Creativity and Passion: I inspire readers to explore their creative potential and follow their passions, even if they’re unconventional or risky.

My Book Series

My “Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled” series is a collection of personal insights and motivational lessons designed to help people think differently about life and their choices. I’ve structured it to be approachable, with short sections that are easy to digest. Many readers find my advice practical and relatable, with some sections designed to challenge one’s mindset directly.

My Style

My approach is candid and down-to-earth, often mixing humor and directness with deep philosophical insights. I don’t shy away from hard truths, making my work relatable for those who seek honest advice rather than sugarcoated platitudes.

I frequently interact with my audience through social media, sharing bite-sized motivational quotes, longer reflections, and creative photography that showcases my artistic side.

Some of My Notable Quotes and Lessons

On Fear and Courage:

“You don’t get over the fear of doing something by not doing it.” This message reflects my emphasis on pushing through fear as a necessary part of growth and pursuing one’s goals.

On Authenticity:

“When you truly know who you are — and who you are in the process of becoming — you will no longer live in fear of what people say or think about you.” I frequently encourage readers to stop seeking external validation and focus on self-acceptance.

On Resilience:

“Hardships are not only not the end of us, they are often responsible for what become the most valuable lessons of our lives.” This idea aligns with my belief in using challenges as opportunities for personal development.

On Kindness:

“If you want more kindness in the world, put some there.” My advice often promotes positivity and kindness even in challenging circumstances.

On Taking Risks:

“If you never risk failure, you’ll inevitably be bested by others who do.”

Key Lessons I Share

Take Responsibility for Your Life: I emphasize that the path to fulfillment starts with taking ownership of your choices and decisions.
Embrace the Journey: Life is about progress, not perfection. Even imperfect steps move you forward.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others: Focusing on your unique journey is essential to finding peace and purpose.
Small Steps Lead to Big Changes: Consistent effort matters more than giant leaps.

I recently ran across this quote by Stephen Fry (and Oscar Wilde) that expresses it nicely:

“Oscar Wilde said that if you know what you want to be, then you inevitably become it – that is your punishment, but if you never know, then you can be anything. There is a truth to that. We are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing – an actor, a writer – I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I am going to do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun.” — Stephen Fry

My life is a reflection of this mode of thinking — and became much more so after I intentionally strayed from the path I was on in 2010 to embark on a journey beyond my comfort zone. The Alan Watts “What do you desire?” video at the bottom of this page also aligns with my thinking.

Some things I've done

Documentary Filmmaker

After publishing my first book consisting of lessons learned from my own life experiences, it made me curious to learn the lessons others have learned from their own.

Ultimately, this interest led me to begin traveling across the country to shoot a video documentary series (and podcast) about hope & resilience.

Professional Photographer

I began my professional portraits career in 2004 — but I should note that I have sometimes taken years-long breaks from portrait photography to juggle my other interests. I also shoot landscape & nature photos (here’s a video of some of it).

I have an Instagram account specifically for my photography at @zerodean.photography

Computer Graphics Artist

I’m formerly a computer graphics artist. I’ve worked for AAA gaming companies making art for top-rated video games. I was part of the buildings/environment team on Red Dead Redemption as well as the Rise of Nations series.

In my career, I’ve designed websites, coded HTML, created logos, designed user interfaces, shot & edited videos, and more. And I still do, but mainly for myself now.

Writer

In 2010, I started a blog to help document my adventures. It began as a sort of travel journal, but quickly became focused on the challenges I was facing. Eventually, I stopped focusing on my challenges and started sharing what I was learning from them.

Some of the things I’ve written over the years have been shared with millions of people — which is awesome. But in true internet fashion, most of the times my work has been shared, the person who originally shared it decided my name wasn’t important, so they cropped it off.

I published my first book, Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled was finally published in December 2018.

Handyman

In 2017, as I was battling writer’s block, a General Contractor friend of mine mentioned he was looking for additional labor as he had an abundance of business and could use the extra help. And — would I be interested? Funny thing is, hard labor and easily measurable goals sounded really appealing. So I said yes.

And it was fun — for a time — and I loved learning all the tool and tricks of the trade, but at the end of every day, I was simply too exhausted at the end of the day to focus on other things — such as finishing my book. I finally moved on after a year. A few months later, I finally finished my first book. The break allowed me to come at it from a fresh perspective and tackle all the things that were holding me back a year earlier.

Humorist / Webcomic

When I started blogging in 2010, I discovered that some of my more humorous observations & stories would be accentuated if presented in a sort of webcomic format. Since I didn’t have time to illustrate numerous panels, I settled for a simple single panel format.

My webcomic, if you can call it that, is almost exclusively based on real-life experiences (and simply written in a funny way).

Instructor

Before I began sharing lessons in written form, creating & teaching computer graphics pipelines, providing guidance to portrait subjects, mentoring models, and giving photography & photoshop lessons to budding photographers, I was sponsored as an undergrad to design and teach a college level course at my University (Intro to Computer Animation).

And before that, I was hired by my University to teach multimedia software and web/graphic design to students and faculty. So I have a fair bit of experience providing guidance as well as using the software and tools necessary to create content. Oh, and at one point, I spent a semester in Australia studying Screenwriting and Film Production. This just goes to show you I’ve been pursuing related interests for years.

Founder, 3D-PRO

In 1998, I founded a private network for computer graphics, animation, and FX professionals in the entertainment industry.

Over 20 years later, it is the longest-running community of its kind and is still a thriving communication network composed of all the major players in the Animation and FX industry around the globe — including major studios like Disney, Pixar, and Industrial Light + Magic as well as Academy Award winners, TED speakers, directors, and more.

Zero Dean