We were lucky to catch up with Kenneth St. George recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kenneth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My mother showed me the value in pursuing a passion early on in my life. She quit her job in order to become a childcare provider when I was 7 years old and it inspired me to find something in my life that I loved that I could also dedicate myself to.
Kenneth, 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?
My name is Kenny St. George and I’m an independent photographer and director from Philadelphia, PA. I moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2018 to pursue my creative career, and since then I have had the pleasure of amassing a number of clients including Nike, HBO, Jordan Brand, The National Basketball Player’s Association, Converse, Foot Locker, and more.
I got into photography via my initial love for freelance journalism. In an effort to be different, I wanted to learn how to shoot my own photographs for my written pieces, and the craft completely took over. I have now been in the visual arts space for the past eight years, having expanded into content and film direction within the last two years. I am most proud of the fact that I was able to develop a new passion after my life as an athlete, while also having a positive influence on children and showing them yet another career option that they can pursue.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew the importance of seeking out commercial work early in my career, and building relationships with agencies as opposed to trying to directly make contact with brands. My career started in events which was a blessing, but it can be hard to build a lucrative career on that path. I wish I would have known so that I could shift my focus to commercial work just a little bit earlier.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Towards the end of 2022, opportunity was scarce, and a friend of mine made me aware of the Kennedys Program at Wieden+Kennedy New York. I applied for the eight month accelerator program, and was blessed enough to be accepted in. I spent a large portion of 2023 learning the advertising agency and it not only helped me get back on my feet financially, but it also totally expanded my horizons creatively.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kennethstgeorge.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennystgeorge/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennystgeorge/