We were lucky to catch up with Phillip Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Phillip , appreciate you joining 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?

Yes and No,

Anyone in freelance knows that the industry comes in seasons and waves. Success isn’t linear, nor is it a destination. Earl Nightingale said it best when he wrote, “Success is the realization of a worthy ideal”. It’s a process that starts when you make the mental decision and follow it with action. Knowing this is important, because to keep it simple, the money will come. I’ve had 10-15k months followed by radio silence. There will be turbulence in the journey, but keeping your sanity and making peace with the process is what allows you to make a fulltime living. I started working 12hour days for $50 USD, on some of my highest paydays, Ive made upwards of 10,000USD in a couple hours. In both cases I was successful. I was working towards the goal.

As for tips to make more, I truly believe the money is connected to the spiritual and your work. When your craft is undeniable, the money is sure to follow. However, the craft does not stop with the artistic product. The presentation is just as important. Virgil was genius in implementing this process during his time here. When the two come together, the opportunities for more income comes.

Finally, acknowledging the investment and knowing if it’s worth your outcome: Art is personal. It’s not meant to be for sale. Im blessed to be able to make a living with it, but it’s not the initial purpose. It’s a form of expression. If you focus on the expression, becoming aligned with your art and more importantly yourself, you allow yourself to see and act the best way in situations which will lead to a swifter and less costly incline

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

I’m P, (some call me P. Lew or Phillip), I’m a Photo director and Photographer based in New York.

Currently starting my third year in the industry and have had the pleasure of working with several brands and talents in my tenure. From the likes of Mya, Big Sean, HitBoy, D Smoke, Fireboy DML to Brands like Fabletics, Nike, and Apple, i’ve been blessed with opportunities and have been able to express myself through my work.

You can find a collection of works at phlipisme.com

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

not that fond, but I’m also ignorant on the subject

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The shadow work necessary to be successful as an artist. No backstory needed

Contact Info:

• Website: www.phlipisme.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/phlipisme
• Other: https://www.primadonnazine.com/