We recently connected with Keenan Wilson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keenan , thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full-time living doing creative work can be very complicated. I am a model/actor and social media influencer so I do not receive a weekly or bi-weekly paycheck. While the pay can be great for certain jobs, you really have to manage your money. I currently create content on popular social media sites as well as starring in national commercials, print jobs, and independent films.

When I first started creating content online I made no money. After several months, a few dollars here and there would trickle in, but I remember hoping that one day I could make $100 in a month. Well, a few months later I posted a TikTok video about my cat. Keep in mind, this is NOT my typical content, but it was a funny story so I wanted to share it. After posting the video, it started gaining traction and ultimately went viral. This video alone made several thousand dollars within DAYS. I was blown away by this, but within days it was over.

Being a content creator can be rewarding, but the money is not consistent.

Keenan , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For those who may not know, my name is Keenan Wilson and I am an actor/model and content creator. Many people are curious to know how I got my start in the business. When I was in high school I heard about modeling opportunities in a nearby city and ended up going to the open call. Long story short, the agency that I applied to was not legitimate and I hardly got any work within the year that I was signed with them. This failure hurt, but I knew I still wanted to be a model so I started researching legitimate agencies near me. I found an agency and now I have been signed to them for over 11 years now.

While modeling and acting was fun, it was just a part time gig and I had to find work elsewhere to support myself and family. I went to college and received a bachelors degree in criminology and minored in sociology. With this I was able to apply for a law enforcement position and became a state Game Warden. I loved law enforcement and preserving the natural beauty of my state as well as the wildlife here.

Although I loved my job as a game warden, I knew that God wanted me to focus on modeling and acting. With this knowledge, I resigned from my position and vowed to put my all into modeling/acting and this is how I started on social media.

With my newfound time, I posted a video on TikTok and started gaining followers. At the time of posting I only had 160 followers, but this one video gained me several hundred quickly. The comments I was receiving had nothing to do with the topic of the video, but instead my voice. People seemed to be in awe of the voice they heard coming out of my mouth. They didn’t expect a guy that looks like me to have a deep southern voice. So, that’s what I am known for online!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

At the time of writing this, I have well over half a million followers on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. I was able to build my audience because I was myself. Often times people get on social media and try to act like someone they’re not in order to gain followers. You have to remember that at the end of the day, it’s easier to just be yourself.

Regardless of your niche, when you post good content consistently, likeminded people will find it and it will resonate with them. For example, people love my southern accent and country way of life so that’s what I show. I talk about life on the farm, my truck, chickens, or anything that I find humorous. You will have people that don’t like you or your content, but remember that they are not the majority. I’ll read 50 negative comments and start to think, “wow, these people really don’t like me”, but then I realize that the video has 5,000 positive comments. That’s only 1%. Don’t sweat the 1%.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the connections you build with people online and in person. I have been recognized in public many times and it still catches me off guard because I’m just a normal down to earth guy!

In the modeling/acting business, I enjoy working with others on set and being able to create amazing content for viewers. It’s still mind blowing for me to get to call what I do “work”.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.keenanwilson.com/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/keenanwilsonactor
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/keenanwilsonactor
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/keenanwilsonactor
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/keenanwilsonact
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@keenanwilsonactor
• Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@keenanwilsonactor?_t=8Ut56Mkr1e2&_r=1

Image Credits
Kaylan Crenshaw Photography Opal Optics Productions