We recently connected with Mikayla Vaughn and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mikayla thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I attended an art show where I submitted a photo of a bridge I took in New York City’s Central Park. The show liked my piece so much that they let it hang on a wall in the gallery for a month. I was so excited I must have gone by nearly everyday to see it. One day when I went by the gallery, the piece was gone! When I asked the gallery where it went, they said someone had come by earlier that day and bought it. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with buyers in person and talk about the stories behind the pictures and the creative process.

Mikayla, 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?

While in college, I was a filmmaker, tellings interesting stories I found in my heart. I’ve since turned to photography as a way of capturing the beauty of the world around me. I primarily focus on scenes in mountains or near water, where I seek to inspire my viewers to appreciate nature and to go out and explore. Sometimes I’ll stumble upon a scene that I think will make for a good landscape photo, but often I will research an area I want to explore to find the most ideal spots for a photo session. These photo days are usually coupled with hikes which take me deeper into the wild that are only accessible by foot. What I think sets some of my work apart from other photographers is the elements of surrealism I bring into the otherwise naturalist scene. By tinting the skies a light blue or dark green and playing with light, I am able to depict a slightly fantastical scene that I hope instills a feeling of awe in the viewer.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Part of my goal with photography is the selfish desire to remember the cool places I’ve been, but once I started sharing my work with others both in person and online, I realized that people were drawn to the scenes and asked where the shot was taken. Since my portfolio has landscapes that are both very accessible and remote, viewers have a sort of choose-your-own-adventure opportunity to seek out some of the sights I’ve captured. I think what’s great about photography as a medium is that someone had to be in a specific place at a specific time in order to capture what it was like to be there in person. Knowing that someone made it there means that others can too. I hope that my viewers feel the call to preserve the gorgeous landscapes around the world and seek out their own adventures.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think society should value the work artists and creatives do to break up the monotony of daily life. We bring new perspectives to the world through our cameras, canvases, and writings that might not been experienced by the non-creative world. Obviously purchasing the work of artists helps financially support their endeavors, but I think that society is missing out on amazing experiences by not engaging with artists on a person to person level as much. Meeting an artist at a local show or reaching out to the photographer who took a photo you liked on Instagram can help foster a community of artists and art appreciators. I know for me, talking to people and showing them my process helps them understand more deeply about the work I do and we feel a since of belong within the larger society. Even when someone comes across art in their lives, I hope that they are able to give it some of their attention and ask themself some questions about form, color, and subject that might inspire them to research more and maybe even give art a try for themself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mikaylavaughn.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikkiv76/

Image Credits
All images taken by me, Mikayla Vaughn