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

Cameron, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

The most important thing I’ve learned from my prior jobs is the art of time management. At my prior jobs working at multiple pet resorts as a dog party planner/photographer and daycare supervisor, time management was very important in order to take care of all the dogs safely and efficiently. The pet industry is a very high paced work environment where there were many moving parts to juggle at once. From scheduling appointments and editing hundreds of party photographs, to moving large groups of dogs with a variety of temperaments, it helped me improve my time management skills in order to accomplish everything I needed to each day.

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’m an artist and photographer with a focus on portraiture. Through my work, I like to capture the essence of my subjects with detail and color, using graphite, colored pencil, and photography.

I’m originally from Akron, Ohio, but currently based in the Chicago area. I grew up in an artistic family, which I think helped lead me to be the artist I am today. Whether its my hand drawn work or my photography, most of my inspiration comes from my appreciation of different people and the use of color. I try to capture the realistic beauty of people and their lives. These elements are also reflected in my documentary photography.

My goal as an artist is to continue to push myself to explore using different materials throughout my variety of artistic avenues. Aside from creating, I’m also a Drawing teacher for kids and teens. I love teaching them skills while helping them find themselves as individual artists.

I have many plans for the future, which include growing my online shop, and publishing my photographic documentaries that are currently in the works.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

A particular goal that drives my creative journey is to simply enjoy what I’m doing.

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

The most rewarding aspects of being an artist is to be able to provide my skills as a gift to others, as well as connecting with people through my work that I may not have been able to have a chance to connect with otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cameronderby.com
• Instagram: @cameron_derby & @cameronderby_photo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/cameronderbyphoto
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@cameronderbyart