We were lucky to catch up with Kenyan Guidry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kenyan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I would have to say that I am incredibly happy and satisfied with working as an artist/photographer. Prior to my current form of employment, I worked in retail for 10 years So I don’t have to wonder about what it will be late to work your regular job because that was my life for the majority of my employment career. Although I did enjoy my time working at my previous job, my current position as a artist and photographer is 100% more fulfilling because not only do I get to capture meaningful moments I also get to meet so many people from many walks of life. To me, the security of working a “normal” 9-5 Is superseded by the pure enjoyment of being able to work with nature wildlife and being able to correspond with other creatives.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

There are many aspects I would like to touch on while covering this question but I will try to concisely organize my answer in a way that’ll make sense to the audience. Ever since I was a little kid I have been drawn to the art world (pun intended). I started out as a portrait artist and then slowly moved towards wildlife and other things that involve nature because as a Wildlife photographer I now have so many references I can use for inspiration. Being a Wildlife Photography for and a Portrait Photographer Has opened up to completely different worlds. Between the unpredictability of wildlife and the opportunity to connect with people while doing portrait sessions, Photography in general has played a major port in my life. Weather I’m doing a single portrait session or capturing and events such as wedding, I would describe my work as casually candid because personally I prefer to really focus on capturing the overall atmosphere of the moment. I want to be able to tell a story with my photography And that applies to both wildlife and portrait work/event work. I think my outlook on photography mainly stems from how I fell into the craft, and 2013 I was actually diagnosed with cancer that has led me to have a newfound appreciation for life and that in turn really motivated me to capture life’s precious moments.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As I’m mentioned before, and 2013 I was diagnosed with cancer and that time of my life really showed me how resilient I not only could be but have to be. I was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumors a.k.a. just cancer and it’s basically like a stomach cancer And I have been on so many different chemos, immuno therapies and clinical trials and each one has brought about that whole new set of obstacles that I have to somehow push through. There were definitely days where I really didn’t think about the next day because I was solely focused on just making it to the next moment. Some chemos were incredibly rough on my body and mind and for a long time I didn’t even think about creating meaningful art But through my constant support system consisting of my family , friends and coworkers I was able to just keep going.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me the most rewarding aspect about being an artist or a creative is the impact that you can potentially have on other people. For instance, I’ve had quite a few people comments on my artwork, photography or writing that they really felt something and that my work elicited a powerful emotional response. Weather the response is something positive or negative, as long as what I created was powerful enough to cause a reaction, that is what means the most to me. I’ve also had people thank me for writing the things that I do because it basically gave them a voice and made them feel like they were not alone in a particular situation.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @capturedbyken , @craftedbyken , @kenguidryphotography , @wordsofken
• Facebook: Kenyan Guidry
• Other: [email protected]