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

Alexis, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

To be honest that answer changes for me on a weekly basis. Some days I would not change it for the world, but other days: it is exhusting… (both mentally and pysically) Sometimes I do find myself wondering what it would be like to have a “normal” or consistent job. I’ve been doing this for over a decade & I’ve stepped away from being a full time creative durng COVID/after a house fire and eventually came back when I could replace my equipment. However, in todays social media climate, being a creative sometimes feels like you have to be an “influencer” to get anywhere. If you don’t keep up with the game of reels, daily posting, constant engagment, whats in my bag, etc. trying to get your work out there can sometimes feel like shooting in the dark & hoping it hits. Sometimes it does, but 7/10 if I don’t follow the algorithm, my work ended up just going into a void. Around 2022 I started to notice the excessive time I spent on social media was greatly impacting my mentally health & I didn’t feel “present” with my work anymore, I was constantly nip picking my projects until I hated it. There was a period of time where I genuinely wondered if this was for me anymore because I wanted create without making it an entire production for a social media post.

Alexis, 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?

I got into the creative world at a pretty young age. It started off as a little side hobby with photography that eventually became a means of living. I found a way to apply multiple things I did (photo, graphic design, illustration, etc) into something I could utilize in many different ways. One of the more notable examples is when I collaborated with Ballet in the City (formally Ballet in Cleveland) and within a few months became apart of the organization for more than just to photo aspect. One of my favorites was making the poster illustration & design for the presentation ‘The Red Shoes” of former NYC Ballerina, Kathryn Morgan at The Kennedy Center.

I’ve always been immensely proud of myself for my ability to adapt in various situations & environments to make a project or idea work. Simply put, I always can find a way.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Business ain’t personal.

After I graduated high school and transitioned away from school, one of the things I had to learn is sometimes the people you think are gonna be there to support you, simply aren’t gonna show up, Sometimes it is hard to not take it personally. In the beginning there was a lot of people who were supporters of my work when I was building my portfolio, but when it came time to actually pay me for what was now my full time job, a lot of those people and I grew apart when I stopped being on everyone budget and stuck to my pricing. There was a long period of time where I felt like people only wanted me around if I brought my camera and that was a super shitty feeling. There was a discussion I came across about photographers & finding clients. Something that stuck out to me was: You will never convince the $50 client to be a $5000 client. When I stopped focusing on being the budget babe & started to really explore the type of client base I wanted, my business really started to grow.

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

Being able to tell the story, and inspiring people within that, is such a rewarding part of what I do.

Early on when I started working with the nonprofit Ballet in the City, there was a dancer that used her experience she had at a photoshoot with me in her collage essay. In 2016 I posted a model call out looking for new dancers to work with on Instagram. After many responses, I arranged a shoot with a local dancer name Lily Sargent from Akron. The day of the shoot I was doing senior photos earlier in the day, and since time was going by fast I ended up having her meet me at a collage campus close to where I lived. The location wasn’t ideally where I wanted to shoot at, but I made it work. We walked around the Parma Tri-C campus taking photos until sunset. Despite Lily being super nervous as this was her first ever photoshoot, she was very easy to work with. After the shoot that I learned that Lily has a rare disease that at one point kept her from dancing completely. I finished editing the set within a few days & sent them over to Lily’s mother excited to share what I got. What to me was a fun little break from client work ended up being what she described in her essay as a turning point in her life.

Her mom wrote, “You helped her transition from being “disabled” to “normal ” in her mind. The mental barrier of failure, retention of a grade, etc. still haunted her. That mental piece can really hold a person back, and it is THAT you erased. You really have helped her understand who she is and what she can now do. Thank you for coming into her life. You have done more than you will ever understand….”

In the following year she was accepted into a professional company as a trainee, and recently became a director & additional programs coordinator where she now teaches dance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexisziemski.com
• Instagram: @lenscapkid
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lenscapkid
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenscapkid/
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/lenscapkid.bsky.social

Image Credits

Veronica Mihalus @veronicamihalus (The raven photo)

Kiiti Johani (@rosey.dose (Bue backgroud with white snake)

@ballerina_mj & @ashleynicole1210 (B&W ballerinas)

@Mary_faith5678 (Cherry blossom Ballerina)

Skull by @chadscollection Chad Winters for Skulls by Paul Gambio

Shelly Duncan @shelly.creative makeup by Jessica Bingelli @j_bingg (Disco ball clown)

Mr & Mrs. Laule (Wedding Photo)

Ashley Engstrom (Red Ballet Waterfall)

Poster from Kennedy Center