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

Alexis , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my most meaningful projects I’ve worked on to date is my pieces photographed from my trip across the country and back.

A couple of years ago, I was someone who struggled really deeply with social and overall generalized anxiety. I was a person who struggled just to walk into a grocery store alone more often than not. Through therapy and sobriety, I have learned a lot about myself. I realized that my fear of being in public settings greatly came from my lack of self confidence and self acceptance. Through doing the internal work and learning about myself, even more deeply without substances and others opinions jading the way, I became confident and sure of myself in a way that aided in my cross-country adventure. On a personal level, I am just so proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone and driving through all of these incredible places + stopping to take in the beautiful scenery and experiences along the way.

I believe that one thing that aids in photography is a persons perspective and I notice when my perspective is open, free flowing and vibrant, my photography [reflects that and] satisfies my soul on a deeper level. This trip really opened my mind to the world and the pure love I embodied for the experience aided in my photography pieces along the way.

Alexis , 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?

I started getting into nature photography and photography in general as a child. I found a letter I wrote to my grandparents as a child the other day asking for a camera with video recording capabilities. I remember my first camera and video camera – I would take it everywhere with me and photograph / video anything that inspired me. I grew up on a farm in Kentucky for a large majority of my childhood and even a portion of my adulthood so I had a lot of time with nature and I remember my love for and connection with nature starting on the farm as a child.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself getting out on trails and in nature as often as possible. Nature is my “happy place”, where I feel the most calm, clear minded and at peace. Being in nature gives me time to reflect and take in the beauty for all that it is.
I started really getting into photographing these adventures towards the end of my substance use. Getting out in nature and capturing the beauty of the nature I was surrounded by has given me something to look forward to, sometimes even in my darkest of days.
Since becoming sober, I feel I’ve connected with myself -> nature on an even deeper level and seeing the beauty and having great appreciation for nature has aided in my passion for photographing nature and sharing my perspective with all who choose to see.
While this is more so something I do a passion as project currently, I am navigating how to monetize this passion in an organic way and am very excited to produce some really cool content for clients of all kinds moving forward.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I knew that photography was something I was really into when I kept coming back to it. With many things in life being a season, I’ve had passions I’ve learned to love or have came naturally and some that I’ve learned just aren’t for me in this season. With photography, I am ever-inspired to go out and create. I am most often taken away by the beauty that each season and location brings and it brings me so much joy to capture and share that beauty.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has been in my life for over a decade. Once I discovered MySpace and Facebook, they were primarily a way to connect with my family and friends at first. Only recently have I gotten into social media in a business and more so way to connect with other creatives sense.
What I’ve learned is that the best way to build an authentic, engaged audience is through connecting with other creatives and people who are also interested in similar niches parallel to what I choose to share. I’ve learned so much through connection via social media, from in a creative sense to new trails to check out and beyond.
I think that connecting in an authentic way is the key to building a sustainable audience on social media. This can look like following and commenting on / engaging with others who share similar passions or maybe even just creatives in general who you admire their work. I’ve connected with a multitude of creatives that participate in creativity in ways I’ve never even thought of and have learned so much through doing so and connected in that way as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Grounded N Nature
• Facebook: Grounded N Nature
• Youtube: Grounded N Nature

Image Credits
All images photographed by me!