Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ken Kennady. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ken, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

One year after having my son, I started to become unexplainably ill. Exhaustion, loss of balance, loss of vision, and fainting spells. My body had not been mine since even before his conception due to a miscarriage and trying to better prepare my body for his 9 month stay inside. Between this mystery illness, and a deep postpartum depression, I found myself lacking a sense of who I was prior to this loss of bodily autonomy. Was I living true to myself even before my trek into parenthood? People always say they would die for their kids. But would they *live* for them? Would they show them what the brightest, most fulfilled versions of themselves looked like so that their kids could mirror that?

I spent a lot of time exploring how I wanted to define myself – and made many mistakes along the way. One recurring theme was a sense of femininity in its messiest states. I wanted to romanticize this notion that was so moving to me. I started with poetry and lo-fi sapphic photography – something that was beautiful to the woman’s gaze. Once I understood that deep desire to resonate with the pain, love, and endless yearning of the feminine psyche, I saw my path.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Before anything, I’m an artist. I collect, curate, and design ideas and spaces. Because of my love for collecting unique, beautiful things, I am able to help others create their visions. For example, if someone has an upcoming photoshoot (photographer, model, agency, etc.) I hear their vision and help to create that for them. People often send me pinterest boards, which is great. But I like getting on the phone with the person and hearing the story. I often become a person who others trust to offload parts of their vision that are derived from grief, excitement, sadness – things that may be difficult to express to a someone who doesn’t have the capacity for others’ pain.

But those are the stories I want to tell. I once styled a shoot with 2 days notice. The model hired me in a pinch. We stayed on the phone for over an hour talking about what the vision was. Through that conversation, I found out that her husband was terminal and in his last few days. I read the poem she wrote and gave as inspiration and dove into my own pain as a person with a terminal illness. How would this affect my family? How would I want them to be portrayed as the pillars of strength which they are? The day of the shoot, her husband passed. She came onto set not having any clue what I would be bringing her. But that shoot, and everything surrounding it is the most beautiful monument to my expertise – an eye ready to see beauty and a heart ready to accept pain.

Because of my keen eye for beautiful things, I like to buy, style, and resale vintage and preloved luxury items. Many of the shoots I style will have an element of luxury in them. Whether it’s a vintage Dior dress, modern Prada bag, or Versace maximalism, I love envisioning things with my own take. So on top of styling and creative directing shoots or brand activations, I also sell most of my luxury items.

Right now, I’m also working on a zine that will be published in April 2025 called The Girls and Their Vices that’s very special to me. It’s a love letter to all femmes demonstrating the identities and commodities we’re fed by society.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal for my creative journey is connection and representation. I want people to feel moved by the pain, sweat, blood, and tears that brought a group of creatives together to create a final project. The photographer, the model, the assistants, the stylists – they all have backstories that contribute the photos or videos that you see. I want part of me to be seen by those who need to see it.

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

After over a year of specialists, lab work, scans, I’ve finally been partially diagnosed with White Matter Disease. Essentially, the white matter in my brain is dying and cannot be stopped or repaired. I will slowly begin to lose function in the areas in which the cells are dying. To date, I’ve lost much of my mobility and can only stand or walk for brief periods of time before losing control over my legs. The area in my brain that began dying first deals with the autonomic system (things that happen in the background). Due to this, my blood pressure is dangerously low and leads to ischemic strokes. Medicine is only somewhat helpful.

Having a husband and son, I want to leave so much beauty behind for them. I always knew one of my greatest strengths as a parent would be my ability to hold space for pain and grief. I may not live long enough to do that for my son, so I’m doing it for everyone else – hoping that I leave that example and legacy of empathy behind for him.

Shoot days can be taxing, and heat amplifies my symptoms exponentially (we’re in Austin, Texas). But I do my best to rest before and after shoots. I may not always have physical bandwidth, but my capacity for empathy is near endless. So I still show up ready to execute the vision.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @wannabeartistwannabemuse @americaine.co

Image Credits

Patrick McWilliams, Richy Lyttle, Victoria Sueiro, Franki Phoenix