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

Mychal , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I have been working for myself full-time for the last 2yrs, using my photography and singing. Most know that LA is a tough landscape, and it takes time to build anything here. I started substitute teaching when I first came, almost 7yrs ago, to stay afloat. I was a longterm english teacher at notable charter school, and their senior pics weren’t the best. I offered the school my services for that year, and the following year they booked me for all of their seniors. I went from working with one high school to working with seven. I started with senior portraits and now I offer school portraits, school ID’s, event photography, graduations, etc. I’ve been working in education for so long, and I was getting burnt out. But, I figured there had to be a reason I couldn’t get away from it, so I put it out there in the universe that if I’m gonna stick it out with the kids, it needs to be something more sustainable and in my wheel house. Schoolography is what I’ve coined the school photo side of my business. I continue to shoot privately as well, shooting actors, models, artists, weddings, etc. When I’m not shooting, I’m a professional singer. I spent close to 3yrs singing in Kanye West’s Sunday service traveling around the world. I’ve also sang background with many other artists over the years, and in 2022 I released my first single. So I stay pretty busy and that keeps the bills paid. I think everything happens when in it’s own timing but if I had to do it again I think I would have liked to have more faith in myself and my abilities. It was a journey of self discovery as well, these years, and I would have loved to start where I am now, but that’s life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Mychal Brandon, Cleveland, OH born and bred. I graduated with my film degree back in ’16 and moved to LA 6mos later. I had been shooting photography for close to 5yrs before I moved, and so I knew I wanted to dive into it once I got here. It’s a tough market and I wasn’t sure how I would get my name out there. So I started shooting here and there, with and for whomever would let me. I became a Lyft driver for a season, and I substitute taught for a while to get my bearings as I acclimated. It was through lyft and through substitute teaching that so many of the opportunities, I’ve gotten to have, manifested. A cinematographer hopped in my backseat and invited me on set as his intern, that spawned friendships that created more opportunities in production and even connections to start directing a few music videos. As a substitute teacher, it gave me insight to working in the schools and with the staffs, building relationships. Schoolography was birthed out of those relationships, and now I’m building that brand, and the goal is to expand into other schools, providing unique and commercial quality images for competitive rates to schools and families.

When it comes to my photography, I love the shock value that my art gives clients when they see themselves. I deal with models of varying experience and it’s always a pleasure for subjects to fall in love with the art we produce. I like organic things, and I love capturing people in their likeness. So much of my best work comes from the unexpected captures when people are just being themselves, and I love that. When it came to shooting students and teachers, I thought it was important to capture authenticity. Most school portraits can be a bit drab, and I wanted to change that.

I’m a singer at heart and I’ve been singing my whole life, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to make some waves and really do some cool things in music. It’s a saturated and tough industry to break into as well. But through friendships and a little tenacity, I scored a few jobs, and then I auditioned and became a member of the Kanye West Sunday Service Collective. Singing in the choir introduced me to so many artists and creatives, that in turn opened doors to more wonderful opportunities to sing. I’ve sang for and behind great artists like Chance the Rapper, Sia, Tonez and I, Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly, Dave Chappelle, and so many more. I continue to sing, and I’m even working on more of my own music these days. I released my first single ‘Peace in the Wind’ in 2022, it scores my journey in finding peace during this LA journey and life perils.

I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do, and the goal is to continue to grow, become more sustainable, and one day I hope to inspire and hire more creatives to be a part of my media arts enterprise.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is the freedom to do what I love and make a living. Living in California is not cheap, and so many people don’t thrive, or spend a lot of time doing the things they’re passionate about, because it doesn’t pay the bills consistently. I was never a fan of the struggling artist motif. That’s not to say I don’t have slow or tough seasons, but I’ve avoided working a full-time job because I’ve allowed my gifts to make room for me in the spaces that I was obligated to occupy for a season. You can’t just be creative in craft, you have to be creative in how you monopolize on what’s in front of you. So it feels good when the bigger checks come, because it shows a level of growth in business, and in my journey, that I’m in my vein and headed in the right direction.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think non-creatives may struggle to understand the choice to keep pursuing that creativity even in the face of financial hardship and dry work seasons. There’s a level of safety and security in working a full-time job, and I’m often tempted to check the ecosystem of the working class. Sometimes it’s not about safety in the external sense, sometimes it’s about keeping your mind safe, free, and open to the possibility of more without the restrictive terrain of corporate America, etc. I think we are all necessary. You go to work, but you come home to watch people like me on TV or radio, to help you detach from what you just left. So the risks we take as creatives, help to keep the world moving, to allow you to get lost in imagination, to go somewhere else through art and someones else’s risk taking.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mykesoulo.com
• Instagram: @mychal.brandon & @schoolography.mb
• Facebook: Mychal Brandon
• Linkedin: Mychal Brandon
• Twitter: mykesoulo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mychalbrandon

Image Credits
Lucas Markman