We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nkosi Gomez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nkosi below.

Nkosi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I closely associate the word risk with another word; gift. I see them having a reciprocal relationship. Recently, I’ve reached a milestone in life. The last time I aligned with the Voyage team I was a working artist earning a full-time living through creative expression. A new variable has emerged in my life since then. His name is Sol Ashai Gomez, my son.

Now, the reason to live and create is even more dense than before. This path is perhaps my biggest risk at 27. It has been clear for as long as I’ve called myself an artist that I would soon start my journey to parenthood. There has been lingering fear associated with providing for a family however, I’ve understood it as the mind being unsettled as to what the future holds, giving me more of a reason to stay present & confident in not knowing.

The nine months of learning, waiting and finally the labor & birth of my child has given me a deep sense of being okay with leaning forward with no clue of what will unfold next. My biggest concern during that time oddly enough was not how I was going to be the best dad but my financial responsibilities as one. Providing for myself as an artist was effortless and with a child everything changes. It’s been about a month and three weeks since he has been home and I find that my fears have lessened.

I can look around and see that many creatives avoid this path because of the same worries I had. I hope when I say this it resonates….

The decision and risk to raise a child as an artist has given me a gift of financial literacy.

Artists can generate income and make a living in 2022; a reality where visual representation and artistic expression is a commodity.  Although, how many of us understand the difference between an asset and liability? What about investments and inflation of the dollar?

I honestly didn’t fully grasp much of it until my brother and regression hypnotherapist, Wes Barnett gifted me, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, a book by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. This text has changed my granular perspective of everything I knew about my earnings as an artist and how I can do better to build them. I soon found myself taking more risks shortly after the new year began. One being an investor of Masterworks. The first platform made it possible to invest in multimillion-dollar works from artists like Banksy, Kaws, Basquiat. I made my first investment in shares in the work of Gerhard Richter. One of the most important and influential German artists living today.

Bridging this back to taking risks and making life-changing choices. I know that if I didn’t trust myself enough I wouldn’t be able to self-cultivate and grow the way I intuitively felt I needed to. For years I was avoiding working for any business because of the risk of losing my creative freedom & time. With the understanding of balance and providing for a family I work a part-time job as a Lab technician handling photographic prints at Pitman Photo Supply a local camera store where I actually bought my first full-frame camera as a teenager.

Another tool that aids in risk-taking for me was another gift from Wes; The Daily Stoic Journal by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. Which offered 366 days of writing and reflection on the art of living. This journal introduced the idea of Stoicism during the most important time of my life. It allows me to be more concrete with introspection and accountability. It proposes a question a day in which I answer once in the morning and later on in the evening. Synchronically, today’s question was,” How many of my limitations are really self-imposed?”.

We are so unfortunately conditioned to fear what we don’t know in our lifetime. With that awareness it has enabled me to align with my highest value because resistance no longer serves me. Each day I step out of my comfort zone to achieve my goals and find comfort in change and new experiences as I move toward my yes.

Nkosi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Chance Nkosi Gomez (27 years of age) is native to the west-indian Island of St. Lucia W.I. He is based in Miami Florida where his interest lies in producing photographic art. The medium was introduced to him during his high school sophomore year enrolled in an elective photography course taught by filmmaker Dr. Devin Marsh (Robert Morgan Educational Center). During that time, understanding the fundamentals of photographic equipment was an enigma of sorts. An integral challenge during these early stages was the question of what exactly defines a successful photograph? Nkosi began producing conceptual imagery after finding interest in the work of Ben Zank, Noell Oszvald, Aleksandra Kingo & Brooke Didonato. Using suburban and industrial environments as a stage, Nkosi manipulates negative-space, form, line and the human figure to create a minimalist visual dialogue. Through the titles of his work he presents quixotic phrases and humor into vernacular language. Although each series varies in its approach his work relates to the subconscious mind. Through this medium he shares a doorway to a world people are already familiar with that they can enjoy and add to their map of reality. This also aids in cultivating an adherence to a creative vision that’s real for him. He has completed an associate’s degree in Photographic Technology at Miami Dade College. Several of the series he has produced has been mentored by Artist, photographer & educator Tony A. Chirinos. Over the last five years, he has self-published Over the last five years he has self published five photographic books, Follow me i’ll be right behind you (2017), Sonata – Minimal Study (2018), Birds Singing Lies (2018), Rwanda (2019) & Where does the body begin? (2019). Modern digital imaging technology challenges an artist such as Nkosi, to exceed the technical capabilities of the equipment and produce imagery that is all at once divine in the mastery of capturing and controlling light creatively.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I think it’s a common misconception to have the best out-put in photographic technology to create masterful imagery. I stress it is in-fact the understanding of light and the elements of design that denote and bring across stunning work that span the test of time. For those who feel there is room for improvement within their craft I strongly suggest picking up the book, “Learning to See Creatively, Third Edition: Design, Color, and Composition in Photography” I wish I obtained this read prior to graduating high-school. It is very simple to read and digest even if you are not a photographer.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society,

I believe in firm and tangible boundaries and this is a barrier too many of us are still facing.

Please respect the financial margins artists ask in-turn for their services. Many of us are riddled with clients attempting to bargain down our prices. It takes intimate time with ourselves to produce the work you value and respect. When approaching us keep in mind we too have gratitude for our time and efforts. It took years to explore our talents and acquire skills. That is what you are paying for when booking and having us on board your projects and platforms. Although it may seem effortless, it shouldn’t diminish the price of our work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chancenkosigomez.com/
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/nkosiart
• Other: https://opensea.io/Chancenkosigomez