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

Bryan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by depth and the many mechanics that flow within and without objects of motion. People included. Wondering what else, besides Isaac Newton, was responsible for their movement. Wondering about the things that danced on their hearts and their minds. Wondering if they were wondering the same. Thus beginning my entry onto the creative path; not just for the sake of it being a genetic precursor but because I needed an outlet to express the things I hadn’t yet found the words to explain. And it is this that I want to give to all that I come across. Be it a business transaction, a conversation sparked via social media or randomly in person, through more published books (I currently have two), or when I begin to establish platforms to teach and elaborate upon my ‘look within’ foundation that desires, very deeply, to reconnect humanity with humanity.

When I’m gone, I think people will continue to wonder where I came from. But more importantly, they will talk about the way I made them feel. The ways I made them think about the things they’ve brushed off more presently. The ways I became their mirror and reminded them of who they are. And who they are is me and I am them, where the only difference is I was born with this mission waiting for me, to one day give it to whom it belongs to. The people.

I hope to be remembered for picking up and continuing Nature’s, God’s, the Universe’s mission to give the people their power & joy back, as so many before me has.

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 always had the creative bug, like quite a few of my family members. Watching my uncles draw such detailed images of musicians like Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes, Nas, all of the members of the Wu-Tang clan as a kid was the catalyst to my creative career. I was 5 years old and wanted nothing more than to rush the process so that I could reach their level of sculpting and shading, so I took to tracing. For years, I watched myself become better and better but as you know, age tends to alter one’s perspective of what they want to pursue and take interest in. At age 11, I decided I wanted to pave my own path and so I began to write, as my imagination and inability to articulate the things I felt and thought merged and placed me on a quest of self-expression. For the next 5 years, to this day, I read books obsessively, and even still, the imagery from ‘The Other Brother’ and ‘Within the Shadows’ by Atlanta native Brandon Massey are imprinted in my mind. I also journaled and discovered the beautiful words of poets like Nikki Giovanni, Edgar Allan Poe, Langston Hughes, and William Blake.

And it was as if all of these words carried me into photography when I was 16. Something prompted me to buy a ‘point and shoot’ camera (fully automatic camera) so that I could capture the moments on a family trip to Atlantic City & New York. It was in AC that I learned my passion for posing people in photos but it was NY where the creative floodgates broke. I will always remember the vibration I felt the moment the wheels on the travel bus touched its pavement. The lively energy from the city brought to life something in me so fiercely that I knew I had to go back because, unbeknownst to me, the fashion background from my mother passed to me. We were in a store in Queens and a lady thought I worked there and asked me if what she had in her hand looked good on her. And without thinking, my mind went searching in the racks nearby and found her something better. 4 years later, I moved back there and where I solidified my creative attributes in Fashion Photography, Digital Design and Film. 11 years later, turning all of the trials and errors, aka “paying my dues,” into a creative business with the name House Bryan Ward.

I am a Brand Ideator, that utilizes Photography, Film, Digital Design and Conceptual Writing to create marketing, and brand identifying material for individuals and companies. I am most proud of the energy and intent that I bring to my clients, which leads to what sets me apart. I have been through quite a bit in my growing up, and in doing so, it has allowed me space to understand the needs and wants of others. Not just to understand them, but to cultivate them and nurture them because to me, everyone I work with I consider to be a long-term investment, relationship, etc. Even if they are short-term because to me, that establishes a level of trust & comfort with my client and it is something I value very deeply. The essence behind the creative tools that I utilize is configuring ways to connect each individual, company, etc. to themselves personally so that I can then give life to their vision.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think it’s important to be mindful that creation is passion driven, and those of us who operate under this notion are connected to everything we put our hands and minds to. Inspiration comes to us in many forms and many ways and sometimes we have to seek it to remain in its flow. We do this by reading. immersing ourselves into museums and other forms of art outside of our own, watching movies, flipping through magazines, etc. I give this insight to ask you all to be patience with us during our process. Capitalism has us forgetting that behind every beautiful piece of art is a beautiful human being giving service to another beautiful human being and its important we remember to treat one another as such.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

The tools I utilize for my business has been acquired over time. Each project is unique and may require a different tool/item need to complete the project. In this profession and I’m sure others, there’s a belief that all the financial resources and even all equipment is needed in order to build the business. However, I prescribe to the belief that you shouldn’t despise small beginnings; just start and use what you already have. I’ll say it again. Start. With. What. You. Have. With any dream or goal you want to accomplish in life, challenges will arise especially when you carve your own path. When these challenges arise, it’s the passion and dedication that makes you become resilient and in my humble opinion, keeps you moving forward. And as you continue to move, the resources earned should be invested back into your profession. Along with passion and dedication it’s extremely important to have a support system; individuals who help with balancing work, business, and the pursuit of life endeavors. I’m so thankful I had the support from my amazing mother and grandmother and they continue to support through today. Thank you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.housebryanward.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwofhbw/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-ward-5b571929
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@housebryanward7942
• Other: https://linktr.ee/housebryanward

Image Credits
Barrie, Stylist in Atlanta. Imani, Makeup Artist in Atlanta. Dane Jones, Hair, Makeup & Stylist. Models: Fenixthegypsy, Musician/Model in Atlanta. Markus Hudson, Actor & Photographer in Atlanta ROD, Recording & Mix Engineer/Producer in Atlanta Marbrielle, Writer/Painter in Virginia Rob J, Musician in Virginia,