Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Liz Anderson . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Liz , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
First of all, just want to say how honored I feel to chat with you today! Thank you again for the opportunity to tell you a bit about my myself. When you first start creating fashion editorials, you are forced into various unpaid positions (wherein you must essentially sacrifice your time & creative energy on your own dime). You know with great conviction that the “high you feel” during the hours of/& leading up to an actual production is worth this exhausting (but necessary) financial risk. In the beginning of your career, you are also met with a constant lingering doubt. “Why am I doing this”? “What is the point?” “Will I ever find success?” Fighting against an instinct to throw yourself an absolute (embarrassingly child-like) pity party and dramatically quitting, can therefore be quite challenging. Betting on yourself and believing in yourself (whilst swimming in this doubt), has therefore felt like the biggest risk of all. I think this why we creatives celebrate each other so earnestly when we do “get a win”, as each of us can identify with the sacrifices that were SURELY made for that person to have reached each milestone of success. The hard work makes the win taste that much sweeter. 
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Liz Anderson, and I own a media production company called Lady Daze Creative. I work with various brands, business owners, influencers & celebrities in creating organic media exposure within an editorial. In fashion editorial, I prioritize researching what my client specifically needs to showcase, while also trying to understand how to draw in an unexpected audience. I choose location first, and start finding a juxtaposition that essentially opposes the venue. A junkyard full of forgotten vehicles? Let’s dress our model in an elegant design & pose her on that rusted car w/ the bashed in windshield. Sourcing an unusually gentle steer who is known for giving children “rides around a farm”? Let’s drape our model in vintage Roberto Cavali & work to break the stereotype of western animals being ONLY seen alongside cowboy hats & boots. I suppose my methodology is to try and oppose the traditional, in an attempt to make it interesting. I usually give my glam squads freedom to create, as that collective interpretation oftentimes produces something both exciting & authentic. I only strictly control the environment and showcasing each brand within my little “cooked- up fever dreams”. I find that placing a model/actor within this intricate setting creates a storytelling atmosphere for my subject to organically adopt.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal within editorial is always to create an interesting juxtaposition. Something unexpected, that makes the viewer do a “double take”. Many clients initially don’t understand the differences between an advertisement & editorial. Advertisements are purposefully showcasing a product in an oftentimes generic and obvious way. The expectations for editorial media exposure are vastly different, as the finished product MUST be both artistic and storytelling in some capacity. Begging an audience to admire the work and subconsciously become attracted to the elements of fashion within it, becomes a WONDERFUL challenge!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Giving my big ole’ ego a day off! I used to be horrific at accepting constructive criticism, and that gets you ABSOLUTELY nowhere. I’ve have been fortunate to have the most fantastically impressive (& harsh) mentors. Female producers & photographers who saw a tiny talent in me, and took hours out of their lives to tell me truthfully how I could improve my skill set. One of my mentors is a successful Ukrainian celebrity photographer, who is generous in giving praise (when you’ve earned it), but DEADLY when you haven’t! She would look at my early work, work I was extremely proud of & in her thick accent growl, “Liz, this is NOT a photograph! You must do better, or just throw away your camera.” She lit a fire within me, & (possibly in comical desperation to prove my abilities to her) I began working harder to improve my craft! 
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.ladydazecreative.us
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ladydazecreative?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ==
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ladydazecreative?wtsid=rdr_0MTvQkyZHaIvuT1u2
Image Credits
Portrait of Liz Anderson by Crystal Griffith