Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ken Westrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ken, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

Before my career in advertising, I was a photographer and cinematographer. My first client was in that world.

When I was an incoming freshman at Columbia, I was just getting into cameras, and I was making YouTube videos for fun. I made a video about my move from Iowa to New York, and long story short, that video went on to get a lot more attention than I anticipated. During the first few weeks of the semester, Columbia saw it and reached out to me to make videos for them. That was a very exciting thing to hear. All of the sudden, I was getting paid to be creative, which wasn’t something I thought was possible at the time. That really changed my perspective.

Ken, 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?

I am an art director in the advertising industry. I spend my days learning about a brand’s challenges, and I think up ideas to solve them through creative campaigns. In my role, I get to use any medium that can communicate an idea. It all feels vast and exciting to me.

First, I was a photographer. Photography lead me to cinematography. Cinematography lead me to directing. Directing lead me to writing, and now, I find myself using all of my chronic dabbling as a source of inspiration. It’s been helpful to be able to draw from these experiences.

I was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and lived there until I was eight. After that, my family moved to Iowa City, Iowa, and I’ve been in New York City since 2016. Having been in such wildly different places has really shaped how I connect with people and speak to different audiences in my work.

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

The idea of what “productive” looks like. I’ve always been one to think that more hours at my desk = better work. True and necessary to an extent, but I’ve had my best ideas doing the most “unproductive” things in my down time.

Sometimes ideas come from sitting in Times Square and just observing what happens around you. Sometimes they come from leafing through old magazines in a bookstore. This is what I would call “random research.” I think that a head full of random information leads to really effective ideas. Arriving at an idea is not a linear process, and the more dots you have to connect, the more potential it has to be interesting.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My team. When your job is to think and talk about anything from fine art to toiletries; from politics to the feeling of the ocean, you learn a lot about your partners. And we have fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kenwestrick.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenwestrick_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenwestrick/

Image Credits

all photos are my own