We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrew Kinder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Andrew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

My first career was in engineering. I’ve always been a creative person my whole life and wanted some way to make it work. It wasn’t until I had developed a portfolio as a photographer that I considered it seriously, and eventually, it became a reality. Having been in careers in two different fields, I can confidently say that I am happier and more fulfilled as an artist. But that’s just me. Everyone I know has a different story and different circumstances to bring into the picture that makes one answer better or worse for them.

While I was working as an engineer, I began to have the realization that coming to work was no longer fulfilling or giving me something to grow into. I started to explore my passions as a photographer on my days off and that lead to some incredible relationships and business opportunities. The more I found opportunities, the more confident I felt that pursuing it full-time was the right decision for me. It was difficult leaving my engineering career, but being where I am today, I don’t have any regrets.

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

What sets me apart from others in my line of work is my background. I’ve been on my own since I graduated high school, joining the US Navy and serving abroad in Japan. I worked the hardest I believe I ever will, and earned memories and experiences I’ll never forget. My expertise was in Nuclear Engineering, which is crazy for me to fathom now. At the age of 20, I was fully qualified to stand watch in a nuclear power plant, and at 21, I in the engineroom of an operational nuclear-powered aircraft carrier deployed in the Pacific ocean, patrolling waters with our nation’s allies in S. Korea and Japan.

Having an experience like this makes a big impression on you, and it’s the intangibles from this that I’ve brought into all of my creative pursuits since. It flows through in my work ethic, it shapes the way I organize and plan, and it follows me in my sense of pride and integrity. This distinction is what gives me great pride in what I do as a creative, because I’ve been able to utilize my left-brain together with all of the ideas my right-brain has provided to me.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I believe in the concept. I am fascinated by the technologies being developed and I truly believe there will be some form of “NFT” associated in the digital art world moving forward. However, I think there are still plenty of kinks to work out before it’s widely adopted and trusted.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think an idea that non-creatives struggle to understand, and one that I had to learn through observation is that, most people, are very creative. I think that a lot of professionals in fields that are respectfully logical and left-brained fail to recognize that there is actually a great deal of creativity that both benefits and influences their own work. I think that if more professionals identified this earlier they could boost their own satisfaction and fulfillment in their roles in their respective industries, and could even innovate more and push the envelope of where they want to go. Speaking from my own experience, I can look back in my old workplaces and see where an injection of creativity could have done wonders to elevate the dynamics and create a better, brighter, working environment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.avkinder.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avkinder
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avkinder/