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

Blair, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Emerging as a smaller, independent artist I have found joy in not just collaborating with larger artists, but also passing the mic and helping to amplify other artists who may not have as substantial a following as others. As a photographer, I have been told time and time again to network and collaborate with other larger, more established artists, rather than focusing on the smaller artists that also have just as much, if not more to offer. I think the thing about working with upcoming artists that is so exciting is that the passion is so fresh and it actually feels mutually beneficial, rather than transactional, all while helping to build a sense of community in the art space.

Blair, 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?

ParisHiltonsKid has turned into a brand identity for me at this point. What once started as a kind of joke username in high school has morphed into something that now my work is somewhat centered around. The biggest thing that I strive to create in my work is a safe space, both literally but also figuratively speaking. Creating and publicly sharing art is something that can be quite vulnerable, and not everyone has a space they can go where they have a mentor or somewhere they are encouraged to grow, explore and experiment, that’s what I try to be. Additionally, ParisHiltonsKid definitely revolves around collaboration, as I truly believe that is the only way to spread the wealth and create community, it’s my way of creating space, for myself and others, to be seen and heard.

I think the thing that I’m most proud of through this journey as ParisHiltonsKid is the way that I’ve been able to connect with other people, artists and longtime inspirations of mine in a way I never would have thought could be possible. It has allowed me space to be who I am in my craft, and I’m very grateful for that.

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

A big lesson that I had to unlearn is that art is subjective and you need to go with your gut, even if you feel like you’re the only one who truly likes the final product. Everything we, as artists, create, has tiny remnants of our DNA in it, a story, time that we spent getting to the final piece. I learned that even if I post or share something I’ve been working on and it doesn’t receive the response that I was hoping for, that as long as I still feel passionate for it, that’s all that matters.

It’s really hard to get sucked into the the void of other people’s opinions and the commercial norms that we all see on a daily basis, and sure, that may work sometimes, but what about stepping outside the box? What about uplifting and working with artists who may not be as well known, but are still just as capable of providing what is being asked? I remember time and time again when I would ask other larger artists about my portfolio I would receive comments about trying to work with established models, or certain brands, or to photograph a certain way. And I did try those things, but what I found was that it felt ingenuine. So I learned how to create in a way where I can still achieve a final product, while still leaving pieces of the real Me in the work.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Honestly? Being nice, taking chances and not being cocky. Some of the biggest artists I’ve worked with have agreed to work with me simply because I took a chance and reached out to them or their team. All it takes is one Yes. And if you’re nice and can work well with others, people truly remember that! It’s all about being a safe place to land while still being firm on your values. Being nice is also soooo much easier than be rude.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.parishiltonskid.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parishiltonskid/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-dixon-75404416a/

Image Credits

All photos by ParisHiltonsKid (AKA Blair).