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

Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The Art of Killin It has been the most recent and meaningful project ive worked on to date. This immersive show is a BIPOC murder mystery comedy that takes place inside Hardigan Manor. I am the art director and photographer of the production and not only did it challenge me, it showed me I was even more capable than I originally thought. To make it even better, watching people of color in a story that hasnt been done before, make people laugh and look for clues all at once is something I would of have never dreamed possible until this project. The creator and producer Jordon Waters has been a fellow creative and partner who was presented with an opportunity to not only showcase his stories, but uplift others ACROSS the board from the technical team to the actors. He brought in marginalized people and voices and gave them a platform to create with him in an incredible way and I am so proud of this ongoing production and all of its changes, additions, and challenges it comes with each and everyday.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started doing photography back when cameras still required film and werent digital quite yet haha. I wanted to do it all, draw, photography, design – my imagination was always bigger than I think my families sanity could realistically handle at the time so I filled many journals, took ALL the photos, and eventually found myself making the transition from occasional freelancer to full on artistic entrepreneur. My mission is to make photography accessible to the everyday person in a much more immersive experience than simple headshots or family portraits. A growing brand I have, Soaring Silks, is my take on the flydress experience that happens in places like Greece and Hawaii. I took a step further by partnering with designers to create unique flydress designs that are universal for many body types. The Soaring Silks experience is an experience that shows my clients their beauty just as their loved ones may see on a daily basis fueling the confidence they deserve to have following their photoshoot BEFORE they even get their final album. I do very minimal retouching and work with make up artists like Brenda Garcia Jaramillo to achieve a natural look that needs little to no digital altering resulting in quick turn arounds and real images.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

It may sound annoying and redundant but pay artists their worth but also do your research before reaching out to them. Many artists spend countless hours and money to curate their websites and social platforms with most of the information you are seeking when looking to book their services. However there is nothing more saddening then a back and forth email chain providing you information on services that are easily available to you while also most times providing support and ideas for what you want to achieve to not follow through with booking because you may have found a more cost effective option or a friend who will do it for you for free. Artists care so much – thats why we spend countless hours experimenting and practicing and curating our work so please, take the time to look at their site theyve worked tirelessly on and be ready to pay their worth.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing as a creative – has two sides for me because of my type of work. The first is when a client is on a shoot with me and I show them a preview on my camera and they say “Is that me!?” makes my spirit flutter because of how genuine and vulnerable they were willing to be with me so that I could capture that moment in time for them. The next is speaking with audience members and friends after they see The Art of Killin It and saying how much they enjoyed seeing someone that looked like them in a story like this. Its a simple and grand as that all at the same time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amberinkcreativestudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_amberink_/
• Other: You can find more info on the show I am the Art Director for at www.theartofkillinit.com IG @theartofkillinit