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

Elicia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on began with my close friend, John Dawkins. We’ve always shared a creative itch and a dream of making art our careers. As a musician and visual artist, we formed a perfect duo. When college started, John began writing his first EP, and I followed him through late-night writing sessions, recording, and developing his brand. This made photographing and designing the covers for his first EP so special. I knew this project would be incomparable because of the deep connection and time I invested in it. Now that John is diving into another EP and album, this past year has been filled with music videos, studio shoots, and creating the new album cover. Through it all, I’ve seen how our crafts evolve together through different seasons of our lives.

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’m a 23-year-old photographer and graphic designer based in Kansas City, specializing in sports photography while also exploring live music, studio work, landscapes, and behind-the-scenes shots. I kind of live by the idea that every time I take a photograph, it’s an opportunity to photograph differently. I always find a way, even if it’s small, to do something I haven’t done before each time. I like the saying, “What comes out is what’s inside”; ultimately, it’s all a form of self-reflection.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Photography was actually rsuper unexpected for me—I didn’t study it in college, and it wasn’t even on my radar. I’ve always been creative but never knew where it would lead. One summer, I decided to work as a camp photographer with no prior experience, and as soon as I returned, it kind of just all clicked in my brain. I reached out to KU’s media team on a whim and got hired as a part-time photographer while being a student. I quickly found myself shooting every week on sidelines and courts and traveling with teams. I truly got lucky for those opportunities, and I made sure to give my all each time. All of this has led me to pursue sports photography.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Being a creative in college is definitely beneficial, it lays the foundations and pillars of your art. However, there were times when I found myself tied down by professors’ tastes, expectations, and project guidelines. I had to unlearn the structure and timid mindset I developed in college. Ultimately, letting myself explore and embrace the ebb and flow of photography made me a stronger artist. There were no limits, no boxes, no rules.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliciacastillo.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elicia.jpeg