We were lucky to catch up with Kelsey Crawford recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kelsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
Right now, one of the biggest trends I am seeing in the industry of content creation is authenticity. I have noticed particularly on Tik Tok that more and more creatives, especially creators of color, are building their fan base by simply being themselves.
Kelsey , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a dancer, photographer and content creator. I started dancing on and off in elementary school as well as playing other sports. I didn’t at start taking dance seriously until high school once I joined show choir in 2012. I went on to dance for Clayton State University and then Georgia State University. I currently am still training to grow as a professional dancer.
I began photography in 2014 when I was 19 years old at Clayton State University. I started as a photography for a journalism/radio student organization on Clayton State Campus. I further expanded when I transferred to Georgia State University and joined their chapter of Her Campus. Now I have started my own photography business.
I have always dabbled in content creation on instagram and YouTube. I still use these platforms however, I joined Tik Tok during quarantine early 2020 and have fell in love with the dynamics of how everyone shared themselves in ways that are relatable not just sellable.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn how to do everything my way. When I first truly started in this industries I wanted to take them by storm doing everything I thought was right until I realized early on that I don’t actually know that much. It took a lot of unlearning that mindset (and still does sometimes) and it takes a lot of willingness to learn from others and take constructive criticism.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Networking! Many of the people that frequently view my content and use my services I’ve meet in person at events, on campus, in rehearsal, at work, etc…Those view my content or use my services also pass my name and talents along to others which helps build clientele.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wanderlustkels.wixsite.com/ayokelsmedia
- Instagram: @wanderlustkels
- Youtube: wanderlustkels
- Other: Tik Tok: ayokels Photography IG: @ayokels
Image Credits
IG: @dan.dejuan