We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kenneth Reed. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kenneth below.

Alright, Kenneth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I believe Corporate America makes my industry way too competitive and stressful. What I do is art, and one thing art can’t be is rushed or compared. It’s also subjective since everyone has their own style. When you’re a creative in the corporate space, you have to balance being yourself, going by guidelines, meeting deadlines, keeping your job, and all sorts of other factors that can hinder you from bringing your creativity to life. The hiring process is also not the best. A lot of jobs say they’re “Entry Level”, but still require you to have a certain amount of experience which doesn’t make sense. You also have to make sure you have the appropriate portfolio to even be considered for the job even though you may fit every qualification on the job description. To sum everything up, Corporate America makes being creative stressful.

Kenneth, 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’m from the small town of Eudora, AR, and while I love it, it doesn’t have much. I’ve always been very creative from drawing, my imagination, playing music, etc., but I never knew how to translate it financially. I also didn’t have the best guidance to show me how to put my creativity to use. When I got to college I chose Mechanical Engineering as a major, but I hated it so I changed it to Marketing with a minor in Studio Art accompanied by a Technical Certificate in Graphic Design after realizing I can actually make money and be creative. In that journey I became a Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Videographer after realizing they all go hand-in-hand someway.

The services I provide are as follows (but not limited to): Branding, Marketing, Graphic Design, Photoshoots, Videography. My main market is business, but I also dabble in outside markets as well. The biggest thing I give my clients are visual culminations of their imaginations and ideas. When they come to me for work, I do my best to represent them with my skills whether it’s a logo, commercial, or a even a small graduation photoshoot. What sets me apart from others is that I do everything with a purpose no matter how big or small. I also allow my clients to give their input in projects as much as possible. I see every job as a collaboration instead of me just fulfilling a request for money.

I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve managed to balance all three forms of my services and gain income from them while maintaining great relationships with the people I work with. I also shot my first commercial this year for a clothing brand which is such a milestone for me. I want everyone to know that when they work with me, it’s always going to be a great experience, and I’m gonna do what I can to fulfill each and every request.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have 2 goals: 1.) I want to help people & 2.) I want to be 100% self employed. I want money, but I don’t think of money the whole time. I feel like life should be enjoyed, so what’s better than knowing you’ve helped so many and yourself along with not having to answer to a job. Jobs are fine, but if you’re one of those people that know for a fact that you can make it by monetizing a skill, I say do it. Times get hard, but if you have the grit, you won’t let yourself fall down.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing the work I’ve done applied to the real world is such a beauty to watch. An example is when people post the work I do on their pages and I just see so much positive reception. It really gives me the clarity and drive I need to remind myself that I’m actually good and what I do. It also gives me motivation to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kennythegreat.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennythegreatt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-v-reed/