We recently connected with Chanellé Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Chanellé , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
As a business owner, I find more happiness, fulfillment and contentment in pursuing my dreams of creativity. Being an entrepreneur is not always an easy venture. I was confronted with numerous challenges during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic i.e., canceled or delayed projects which affected my financial stability. As a result, anxiety and doubt reared its ugly head, and I started searching for various regular jobs. My heart was not in this search at all, but I thought this is what I was supposed to do. Although I felt defeated, I knew God has had a special assignment for me allowing my passion and talent to produce a more than sizable profit. I realized that this pandemic cannot stop God’s plan for my life. Consequently, I knew I had to keep the faith despite what MY reality was showing me. I kept tithing, doing community service, investing, etc. Suddenly, photographic and graphic design opportunities appeared. I was overwhelmed with happiness and joy knowing that God kept His promise to take care of me. In conclusion, I knew I would receive weekly checks in corporate America. The corporate provided me with my foundation, but entrepreneurship gave me freedom to live a life designed by me.

Chanellé , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
CPC Visuals (formerly Creative Photography by Chanellé) features the work of native New Orleanian Chanellé Harris–an expressive, eclectic and soulful photographer, graphic designer, and mixed media artist based in the Dallas / Fort Worth metropolis. As a high-spirited artist who was once a financial analyst in corporate America, she embraces her innate creativity through photography, graphic design, mixed media, and welding. Chanelle’s style of creating art is through displaying the highlights of diverse cultural perspectives in an understandable manner to other cultures. Although she has received minimal formal training regarding photography or graphic design, Chanellé’s style of creating art is through her perception that pleasantly appeals to her clients. This artist is in tune with her customers’ needs exceeding their expectations on every level— especially with products and customer service. Chanellé was an interim staff member at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) teaching photography to Upward Bound students as well as continuing education photography classes. Her photography has appeared in the national publication Essence Magazine online. Moreover, her creative work has been displayed in Southern Dallas, Smooth Jazz, and Voyage Dallas Magazines to name a few. She has been an official photographer at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Dallas Riverfront Jazz Festival. Furthermore, she was one of the official event photographers for the 2015 Essence Festival along with several House of Blues (HOB) Essence Festival events in New Orleans, LA.

Any advice for managing a team?
Although my photography team is small, I find that active listening is imperative for managing a team while sustaining high morale. Previously, I was the co-founder of a cultural organization which required extreme active listening, a positive attitude, cooperation, and commitment. I cannot stress how important it is to listen to the team’s verbal and nonverbal communication (body language) to understand their points of view. Nonverbal communication sometimes overshadowed verbal communication within this group. I have learned that when a person feels valued, their morale is normally high. In addition, encouraging words and positive affirmations produces dynamic teamwork. In turn, they add more value to the team which bolsters the success for the team/organization.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is allowing myself to be authentically creative in my artistry. When I am in a creative zone–stimulated by soothing music and positive thoughts—magic happens!!! I allow my mind to explore depths I did not know existed. This surreal feeling exhilarating and electrifying. TRUE FREEDOM!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cpcvisuals.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cpcvisuals1/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chanelleharris-cpcvisuals
• Twitter: @CreATechanelle

Image Credits
Tyson Pough (Tyson Pough Photography)