Photographer Rob Gwilliam Sees Life through a Brighter Lens

Traveling around the world, when Rob Gwilliam got to South Africa he found a new career, a new religion and a new life. His profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos on the Scientology website at www.scientology.org.

In a video featured on the new Scientology Video Channel at www.scientology.org, photographer Rob Gwilliam talks about the tremendous vistas Scientology opened up for him.

Born and raised in a farming community in Shropshire in the United Kingdom, Gwilliam decided it was time to see the world. 

When he finally arrived in South Africa, he felt he had arrived home.

“I only came out for a month, but I liked it so much that 15 years later I’m still here,” he says.

Taking on a job with an art publishing company, Gwilliam learned about Scientology from the owner of the business, a Scientologist.

“Scientology helped me think freely,” says Gwilliam, 44. “It helps you get across what you want to so much easier. I don’t get bogged down with the day-to-day and can see things from a creative point of view.”

It was while working for this company that Gwilliam decided to leave his job in farming supplies behind, move to South Africa, and start a new career as a photographer.

“I was never into photography before when I was in the UK,” he says. “My new employer was importing a lot of finished products from the States—calendars and cards. But Cape Town is such a beautiful city and South Africa is such a beautiful and diverse country, we saw an opportunity to use South African art.”

“Though we still import, the majority of what we publish is South African products with South African photographs,” he says, “and 75 percent of the photos I use are my own.”

Married now, and the proud father of 10-month-old son Rhys, Gwilliam has put down roots in his new country, having taken over running the publishing business when his boss, an American, moved back to the States.

Gwilliam gained a clarity and focus from what he learned in Scientology and finds its principles apply to every aspect of his life—from running a business to his own creativity and carrying out his responsibilities as a husband and father. 

“Scientology is something I use all the time. It becomes part of your life. Because I’ve got the technology to handle the things that come in my way, the size of the problems shrinks,” he says. “Life is just happier.”

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.