We were lucky to catch up with Andrew Draper recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Andrew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
Growing up, my parents prepared me for life by being true. As I look around and experience the world with friends and peers, I find that it’s not difficult to notice the alternate reality people seem to desire to create for themselves. I get it, nobody desires misery, right? However, I feel the abundance of people making decisions in life by using emotion over truth is alarming.
I can recall several experiences from my childhood that rocked me, and brought me back to earth. I was told “no” by my parents for what feels like my entire life. It may sound negative, but as I entered adulthood, I realized that it’s probably the most valued experience that I’ve collected along my path. I think the word that better describes “no” is discipline- a word synonymous with a skill that is used to describe artists, tradespeople, or anyone that has become excellent in a field of study, practice or understanding. Discipline is good, and necessary. And now, in my adult life, I’ve been made strong by the discipline that I feel many of my peers have been spared the majority of their lives. It is the discipline that I have received that I can thank for my success, whatever it may be. It is because of discipline that I can be taught, fail, try again, and succeed. When I was about eight or nine years old, I can recall a story in which my mother dangled a carrot in front of my brothers and I… she informed us on a summer morning, that if we finish all of our “summer school” content, (my mom is a public school psychologist, and educator and made us do schoolwork through each summer) she would reward us with a trip to Malibu Grand Prix, in Norcross. Well, kids will be kids, and we sure were. One of us didn’t quite make the cut. Something was left undone. Needless to say, there never was a trip to the go-karting track. My heart was broken. Hey, I was a little boy, this sort of thing is what shattered dreams were made of. I never made the trip out to the little amusement park, and to this day, I wish I had. Yet, at the same time, I could make the argument to myself that it’s better that I didn’t. My childhood, adolescence, and young adult life have been littered with moments and opportunities that my parents both equally obliged in to harden me, and prepare me for the unemotional ability that the world has to simply say no.
We’ve all heard that closed doors are a blessing, and I think I agree. We all want something. We want money, we want to be known, we want to be loved and looked upon with respect. The thing is, it doesn’t just happen. I believe that in order to truly find happiness or peace, to have anything that I’ve just mentioned, we must have purpose first. I don’t give up when I hear “no.” I find another way, or I try again. I’m thankful for no. It has served my life better than “yes.” My parents made me strong. My parents prepared me for reality. I am forever grateful for their contribution to who I’ve become. I’m proud of who I am. I seek the truth over my emotion. When I converse with or debate my peers, my mind can be changed. I can be shown new ideas, and I have an unlimited capacity to grow, simply because I can accept “no” in my life.
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 became a photographer by accident. I ended up in the creative world totally by chance. Maybe my path would have crossed it one day, sooner or later, but I found love in making images, and making them beautiful to me. When a past client has come to me with a project, I do what I can to see it through their eyes- what they envision. The lens of their brand has to be paramount as I work with them, so that they are satisfied with what I can produce…but more than anything, I think that what sets me apart is how I engage people. I understand the importance of true interaction. I know what it’s like for someone to merely hear what I’m saying, but not truly listen, and nothing is more frustrating. Doesn’t it make you feel like you’re just a pitstop for them on their way to what they feel is better or more valuable? It does to me, and for that reason, I do what I can to have the most honest and engaging interactions with people, both professionally and personally.
But if I had to pick a story about the most proud that I’ve been about my work, it would have to have been when my wife and I discovered a leak in the crawlspace of our house. It was yet another trip to Home Depot to try to find a solution, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Into the plumbing section I go, only to find that several of the images on the plumbing fittings that are on the shelf were taken by me! Through contract work that I was doing with Remedy Films in Buford, I was lucky enough to be part of the team that was creating content for one of the biggest plumbing supply companies in the world. Not only were my photos on some of the identifying images for the fittings and fixtures, I had also been present for many of the instructional videos that they produce for the company, so I also knew what to do! You may not expect that to be the most noteworthy moment for me to share about my career, but it made me ultimately happy. Happy, yes, because I was able to repair what was broken in my home, but also because I was proud of what I had done, and that the moment made my experience in doing what I do full-circle. How cool.
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
I double-booked a wedding on the same day that I had a three-day job starting in Las Vegas. That’s where it all began. I changed my flight to take the red-eye to Vegas the day before I left. Cool, that’s super cheap. I sweat through every layer of my typical all-black wedding attire, complete with non-breathable black jeans. The wedding went great, and I was off to Vegas. I arrived, somewhere around 3am. At the front of the hotel, I was greeted by two couples, having a good time. One of the gentlemen had his torso firmly inserted into the top of a trash can, and was heaving uncontrollably. Nice. Glad I made it.
Went to my room, never saw the light of day until three days later, when I was happily riding back to the airport. I got to security, made it through, rode next to Governor Chris Christie on the train that transports passengers to the terminals. While that was interesting, it pales in comparison to the moment that would follow shortly after. I was somewhat starstruck after having stood right next to a man that has run for the office of the presidency of the United States of America. As I found my way to my gate, I took a seat across from where I’d be boarding, at a vacant gate. I wanted some privacy as I like to write while I’m traveling, and in the midst of doing so, I got lost in my own little world, journaling and recording what the past few days were like. Finally, the gate attendant got on the intercom to begin boarding the plane, so I stood up, gathered my things, and went to stand in line. As I was waiting to board, I gave myself my usual terry frisk, just to make sure that everything that should be in my pockets, are. I immediately felt the lack of something in my left front pocket-the one that usually holds my wallet.
This isn’t good. I’m about to board the plane, and I don’t have a wallet. I won’t be able to get my car out of the parking lot. I had to make a decision, and fast. I was one of the first ones called to board, so I knew that I had time for a quick hunt. I immediately dropped my bag, and fell to my knees to begin frantically searching, but without looking to un-cool, of course… we’ve all seen this happening to someone else, haven’t we? Nevertheless, it wasn’t in my bag. “The seat across from the gate, that’s where it is,” I thought. It has to be there. I swiftly, and awkwardly walk across to the gate opposite of mine, and check under and around the seat. It’s not there. There’s a man cleaning floors with a cart. Ah, maybe he’s found it and is going to take it back to the airport lost and found. Is there even such a thing? I approach him, “sir, you haven’t happened to come across a wallet, maybe right in this area where you’re sweeping?” “Nah man, I haven’t, I’m sorry.” I was totally deflated.
Decision time is creeping up on me again. Get on the plane? Leave my wallet behind? I don’t know what to do. I’m tired, my feet hurt from three straight days of event shooting, and I just want to go home. I call the airport. I go through the directory until I get to a real human, and ask where I might find a wallet that’s been turned in. “Oh, in the lost and found in security,” the lady on the phone said. It’s time. I’m gonna go for it. The guy that I’ve always laughed at, sprinting through the airport… is about to be me. Karma has caught up. As I run up to the plane train, I realize that it may take a while to go all the way around the airport. No, it’s one stop. Get on the train, I need to find my wallet. All the way to the security checkpoint I go. Nothing. I’m done. I give up. I’ve finally come to the realization that I’m going back to Atlanta without a wallet.
I take the ride back to my terminal, walk up to the gate as the last few people in line are boarding. The gentleman cleaning the floors rolls his cart up to me, and says, “do you want to check in the can on my cart?” I look at him, with sad, pathetic, tired eyes. Yes. Yes, after the sprint back to security and the frantic run around the gate, after all of what I thought was humiliating, THAT is what I want. Let me just dive into that trash hole and start rummaging around. I know it’s not in there. Why try? Against my better judgement, I realize that you can’t fall off the floor, so I take him up on his offer, and dive right in. The kind man also joins me down in the hole, after all, he’s got gloves on his hands, and as we’re down there mining for gold, he moved a muffin wrapper to the side, and I can’t believe what I see. It’s my wallet. There she is. right there in the bottom of the emotional pit that I’m in.
When I showed up to Vegas, I saw a man with his torso hanging in the top of a trash can. It’s only fitting that I decided that’s also how I should leave. I got on the plane, relieved, and went home. Nothing against Vegas, but I don’t have the best memories there. I thought if I ever felt that way, it would have been for more legitimate reasons. That’s my close call.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think it’s the catharsis of creating something in the form of expression- as much as I loved taking photos for my clients, there’s nothing quite as rewarding as taking a photo that your eyes love to look at. If you’ve ever painted something, made something with your hands out of wood, or even polished your favorite pair of boots, you know how satisfying it can be to make something new again. I feel that the same satisfaction comes from taking a picture that brings the best out of the scene that you’re capturing.
Contact Info:
- Website: WheresTheIceCream.com
- Instagram: andalexander
Image Credits
Andrew Draper