We recently connected with Kari Ann Chea and have shared our conversation below.
Kari Ann, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I started my professional creative journey as a photographer right out of high school. I was shooting the wedding of every cousin and family friend who got married while I worked retail and started putting myself through college. I eventually took an opportunity to learn on the job as an Ophthalmic Technician where I could pursue my photography on the weekends, this lasted about 6 years and by 2020 I left the medical field and transitioned into a full-time creative business owner. I still practice photography for friends but I earn my full-time living through my business Chea & Co. offering graphic design and social media management. There are definitely ways that I could have sped up the process to get to where I am today, but I believe that we go through seasons and have experiences for reasons beyond our own benefit. Like I was meant to take all the side jobs I did until I got to where I am because I was meant to cross paths with someone in order to impact my life or theirs.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got into this industry by taking a leap of faith and needing to prioritize my mental and physical wellbeing. When the pandemic hit I had to halt my photography business and being in the medical field I was working very close with patients and it took a big toll on my mental health. My sister, Dalaina, had a Virtual Assistant business and needed some help with graphic design for her clients, she asked me to assist her and within a few months I quit my job and started my business.
I am most proud of connecting with my clients and bringing their visions to life while still making a difference. Whether it’s taking a portrait that I know will impact someone life and memories, creating social media content that makes my client’s account sing, or writing caption copy that resonates with the audience and hits their pain points, I know that my work as an artist and creative goes beyond what I can see. Art has always had such an important role in my life, it was who I was when I was teenager, both creating and consuming art has shaped me into who I am as a person. Now I get to create art as my job, support other businesses and business owners, and have an impact on the lives of the individuals who consume it. It’s truly a dream come true.
When potential clients see me/my brand/my work, I want them to see authenticity and know that I see the work they are doing and want to support their business with my work as if it were my own. I love hearing my clients gush about why they love what they do or why they work within their niche, feeling their passion adds fuel to my creativity. I want them to know that they can trust in me to create designs/content/photographs, that align with their business because I am as passionate about my work as they are about theirs.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A big reason why I started my business was to prioritize my mental and physical wellbeing. Over the years I have had some challenging health concerns and have had seasons where I’ve lost parts of myself due to that. But because of my business, I have been able to prioritize what I need to be the best version of myself for me, my family, my art, and my clients. Some days that may look like pajamas all day while I work on client strategies and content calendars, and others it means packing up my laptop and notebook, going to Barnes and Noble to work in the cafe for a few hours and rewarding myself with a new book once I’m done working.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think non-creatives may struggle to understand why I gave up a career I was well established in to start a business where there are no guarantees. Life has zero guarantees, I could have been fired at any time in my job while I was working for someone else. But as a business owner and creative, I have the opportunity to accept what aligns with me and yes there are times when a client may end a contract because they need to pause over the holidays or what not, but I am still in control of where I go next. As a creative I have different avenues of opportunity to pursue where I make my income and because I own my business I have the freedom to explore all of them. I’d rather take a risk on me than put all my eggs in the basket of someone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kariannchea.com
- Instagram: @kariannchea
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kariannchea/
