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

Alright, Nate thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I’d have to say my journey with poetry goes back over ten years now. My mentor Mr Moses & David Robinson introduced me to the art form first. From there I was writing everyday and it wasn’t until high school where I met both my mentors Terrence & Candin Lovejoy. They pushed me to the limits of story telling and encouraged me to read the dictionary. Photography is something I stumbled on into in 2019 I was writing a poetry project and I took a picture and it just gave me a feeling a different perspective I can bring with imagery. The Skills that are the most important when it comes to poetry is originality and truthfulness.. All of my poetry is based on my life and the people around me so it provides the reader or listener to connect to the vulnerability that I am displaying. For me when I write, I write for the kids growing up who have no where to turn to. I try my best to be a light for them and to expose my pain, fears, dreams and insecurities so that they can find peace within themselves to push forward and not give up or give in. It’s very important we stress not following the status quo’s, there is a lot of people not being themselves and are dying trying to portray something that they are not, or are just miserable, having to keep up the front. Now the skills for photography my poetry for me gives me the advantage I feel in that’ space because as a poet your goal is to bring the words to life take the reader on a journey like Rakim, Slick Rick or Nas. So coming from that background I see things and capture moments that I don’t think the normal photographer is looking for. I always predicate both my crafts of creating a new perspective. The obstacles that stood in the way of learning more for both poetry and photography for me would have to be life. I’ve been through a lot and had to experience things that forced me to take a step back and focus on myself and the people around me. But no matter what I always caught my self writing and bringing my camera with me to work to take photos. I never lost focus of my professions if anything the obstacles showed me a new perspective that I can now tell and bring to life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

A little bit by self well I am from Brooklyn New York born and raised. I attribute my success to my upbringing from my mother Tiffany Perry, my grandmother Jacqueline Potter, my grandfather Robert Henry Johnson and of course my brother Nicholas Simmons and Brianna Perry. They motivated me to get me to were I am currently as we speak. I started out doing poetry as a outlet in the 6th grade and I just fell in love with the art form. It became my life. I’ve went on to win poetry slams and win open mic competitions. I never did it for fame or recognition I did it because I love what I do. The same can be spoken for my photography in 2019 I started just playing around with it and now here are I am proud to say that I’m 7 times professionally published and I keep adding on to my portfolio of life. I couldn’t have done it without god having his hands on me, my family and my friends man I owe them everything. To my fans or new people that are being introduced to me for the first time I want you to know that I am in this to bring a new perspective to the art form. I will never change nor forget who I am at my core,that is the key to my success in life. My brand is based on truth, love, loyalty and honesty. The thing I i’m most proud of is being able to shine a light on where I’m from and be an example that you can make it out by being yourself and also taking on the role of being a mentor to the kids. I have to say road might be longer, and tougher when you are being unapologetically yourself, but I promise when you make it on the other side it would be worth it. The key to my success truthfully and honestly is just going through life embrace your falls and let downs, view them as lessons and always and I mean always chase the eternal. What I mean by that is always chase growth spiritually and emotionally and the rest will take care of it’s self.

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

The most rewarding is being an example to my family, friends and kids in my neighborhood that you can do it your way without compromising who you are.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

That’s a great question. I have so many stories. Because I spoke about this before and it motivated someone to go seek help, I’ll speak on the situation. My absolute low of my lows was when I was homeless. If you were to tell me 5 years ago that I would be alive and be in this space I’d wouldn’t have believed you. I remember my lowest day I showered a store bathroom and I didn’t see no way out of my situation at the time, it just so happened that very day I got a phone call from my closest friend Ryan that he was going to hire me for a position i applied to four months ago. I just remember crying that day and it gave me the energy I needed to push and carry on in life. So Ryan and my brothers, the neighborhood, and Big 30 if you all are reading this I love you all and I thank you for everything you all have done for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Nateperryphotography

Image Credits
@Nateperryphotography