We were lucky to catch up with Kareem Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kareem, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents never stifled my creativity. The things I envision sometimes can be wild ideas, but I always back it up through my actions. They never got in the way of that. No matter how wild or expansive my creativity was they never discouraged me or forced me to pursue something else. They allowed me to learn and make my own decisions and experiences. Like any other parent they wanted me to pursue an education. But I appreciate them not forcing their expectations on me and allowing me to create my own path. I appreciated them not vocalizing any doubts and steering me from what I needed to do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the Founder of Factory of Images Entertainment. I’m the creator of Dysfunctional Date™ and myheadphonesloud™. I am a graduate of the Made in NY training program Cycle 49. I applied for that program hoping to get my foot into the entertainment industry. I’ve always had the desire to be in it. The program was created to help unemployed and low-income residents of New York City get positions in film and television production. Their goal is to also promote diversity in the New York entertainment workforce. It’s a 6-week program that offers courses on the industry. In one of the courses our instructor gave us an assignment to create a visual presentation. For the project, I created a trailer for the next 3 years of my life. The one thing everyone in the class was amazed by was the name I chose for the production company “Bearded Bros Pictures”. From that moment on I wanted to create a production company. I later changed the name from “Bearded Bros Pictures” to “Factory of Images”. I wanted Factory of Images to mirror the opportunities that Made in New York training program gave me. Helping creatives build their portfolio, network, create a new lane for content creators, offer volunteer work and a performance space for up-and-coming artists. In early 2018, I teamed up with Cups N Convos. Our focus was to create a neutral ground for gender related conversations. It was a web series that became very popular across all social media platforms, along with the unique game nights we provided in the tri=state area. In 2019. I ventured back into my first love which was music and launched an online radio station titled “myheadphonesloud™”. The station streamed music 24/7 and had pre-recorded shows that were only accessible through a mobile app provided. The station played up-and-coming artists, as well as new talent in the radio industry. That project ran from 2019-feb 2020. In June of 2019, I was awarded the Inspirational Graduate award presented by Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. Inspired by the pandemic, I wanted to rebrand my parent company Factory of Images with the same principles but focus on live entertainment in intimate settings. This led me to launch a new project titled “Dysfunctional Date™”, an improv show showcasing the ups & downs of the dating world with 3 rounds of entertainment. 2 shows each event, 3 rounds per show: “Appetizer”, “Entree”, “Dessert”. Some courses will include audience participation. I later rebranded myheadphonesloud™ from an online radio station to a live concert series for up-and-coming artists to perform their music in an intimate venue.

I’m most proud of the opportunities created meaning something, even if it’s just for one person. The quality of the experience matters more than the quantity of people it attracts. I’m proud of the fact that the team that helped me get here believe in the projects as much as I do, and I believe in them more than they can imagine outside of these projects. I’m proud of the fact that my friends go above and beyond to support me. I’m proud of the fact that people enjoy the projects, and they want to see them continue. One of the main things I want clients/followers to know is that these projects are a collaborative effort. I try that display that in everything that is showcased.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is providing an opportunity for others, completing the project. Being able to say we did that. There’s no better feeling in the world than seeing a vision come to life and acknowledged. It’s a certain feeling of elation. That’s my success. It’s proof of the hard work, commitment, effort and collaboration of manifesting an idea into your physical reality.

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

The lesson that I had to unlearn was that there’s a certain mold to follow to achieve what you want to. Throughout this journey I’ve learned that being myself has done way for me than conforming to the ideas and perceptions of me. Being my authentic self, spills into my creative pursuits and projects. My authenticity is my muse and that is translated in each of these projects. Every single one has a drop of my personality in it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ReemDEdwards
• Twitter: ReemDEdwards
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FactoryOfImagesENT

Image Credits
Cups’N’Convos Inc, Factory of Images LLC