We were lucky to catch up with Annabeth Mejia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Annabeth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I went to college to pursue a STEM degree. I thought it would be best for me to pick a smart degree and make a career for myself. When I came to the orientation I realized I would never be happy with this choice. I quickly changed my major to the visual arts. Starting with animation then switching to new media, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to focus my studies on let alone my life. Half way through college I took my first photography class. I had always been interested in photography and film and had been taking extra classes around this area of study. I was more interested in this class over all the others. When we got to the final project I dove deep into research where I found some inspirations that still stick with me today. It all just clicked with me. The next semester, there was an analog photography class that I just needed to take. I got permission from all my professors and the scheduler to overlap this class with another. After this I finally switched my major for the last time. This was what I was meant to do. I could not imagine doing anything else with my life other than photography.

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 am a photographer. I focus a lot of my work with human experience from intimacy to the simple beauties of life. Every aspect of life is art. The way we connect with each other, the way we choose to live, the little things that we all hold dear. For the most part I use digital and analog photography techniques. I love to capture the moment where it will stand still in time and allow others to experience it with us. The viewer is apart of the experience when they look at the image.
There have been a few projects I’m very proud of. The biggest one being “Learned Intimacy.” This project focuses on intimacy between people and how we view that specifically as people born and raised in the Southern United States. Another is an ongoing series of curated parties I throw for different demographics of people. I aim to gather varying types of people to enjoy this time with each other, make new connections and spread this experience with viewers during the moment and when displayed through images.
I love to connect the viewer with the image in a way that they can feel what they are seeing and really understand it even if its a moment they have not lived.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Currently, I am going through a moment in life where I question if I made the right choices. I think life is shown to us as a single line path that we have to take and roll with, but going to college to study arts has changed my perspective. I don’t regret the decisions I made. However, I plan on going back to school for a separate degree. Personally I think this will help me create a more stable position for me to be able to focus on my work without worries of if I can pay rent of afford food that month. It will allow me to work less and be less stressed so that I can grow with my art practices. I may be choosing a different path for the time being but I will not stop creating. I am also working at moving to a place where my work will be more accepted and appreciated within the year. I love the place I live now, but I feel capped off here and unseen so I am working hard to save for this big change in my life.

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

Accept every form of art and let it grow in the community. Don’t let your views dictate what can be seen. I live in a place that is very particular in what gets to be put on grand display, but at the same time there are groups growing here allowing showings for the new. If we don’t let these different forms of art be shown it will squash any new and upcoming artists in the area. They will feel that their art is not worth being shown unless they live in a bigger city, or it will cause frustration between the old and the young. Allow yourself to take in new art even if it’s not to your taste.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://annabethmejia.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/numbwhale/