We were lucky to catch up with RYANN USSERY recently and have shared our conversation below.

RYANN, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

Honestly, I don’t think my hero is just any one person. I think the statement “it takes a village” is one most accurate. My hero is my community. That extends from God to family to friends to other creatives I’ve met in passing. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to be resilient and to always adapt to any situation thrown to you. Life is always changing. We are always changing. Looking at everyday as a chance to “begin, again.” is the best way to live. My community healed me in ways I didn’t think was even possible. It has influenced me to be authentic in my self, no matter what that looks like from day to day. The right people will always receive you. Lastly, to always show gratitude for the ones around you and for what you have in the present moment. I feel like it is so easy for people to come from a place of lack due to circumstances but what is right here, in front of us, in this given moment is the purest reflection of what’s to come.

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

I am Ryann also known as 300 Archives. I am an all around visual artist and creative director. I also do model casting and location scouting. I am most known for my editorial yet documentary style photo work which includes striking colors and cinematic feels. I first started taking photos as a kid just using my phone trying to capture different angles of various objects and myself but I had no idea as a kid that being an artist was a career option. Once I got older, I found that I naturally gravitated towards cameras whether it was an iPhone or actual DSLR. When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to go to school for but art always felt right in my spirit so I ended up buying a camera that year and enrolling at SCAD Atlanta. What I didn’t know is that was just the birthing of what I am now. I am most proud of being able to create full time. I would say not limiting myself to any one thing is what mostly sets me apart. Although photo work has been the bridge to a lot of my success, I continue to show that I can do much more than design a photo. I have some projects coming out soon that show my involvement on casting, location scouting and also directing behind the camera and maybe a little acting in front of the camera. I want people to know that I am an artist and my work means the world to me. I create authentically because I look at my work as something that will live far beyond myself so I hold it to that exact standard.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was involved in a 3 car accident earlier this year and by the grace of God I am here today. As a result of the accident, I had to be out of work for a month and even when I did get back to work, it came with heavy restrictions. I felt so blocked creatively because creating had became my everyday life, I was creating any chance I could get. The restrictions heavily affected my mental health for weeks until I had a good friend who told me, “why don’t you use this time to prepare for what’s next so once you can create again, you’re back and much better than you left” and I had never heard God speak any clearer to me. I immediately got serious with pre-production for every shoot that was to come, including my personal work. It just showed me there was no rush to execute any idea I had, the time and energy is what the idea needed to manifest in the physical in the most authentic way. Although the accident changed my life in an instant, I am so thankful for it because it shaped me into the creative I am today. Once I was able to shoot again comfortably, my work took on a new form and I fell in love with creating all over again. All in all, God saved my life. Art saved my life. My community saved my life.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media has its advantages but in recent years, we have had a lot of disadvantages when it comes to creatives trying to share their art. It can be very tricky for artists when you see how others achieve success because it puts you in a mind space of, “well, let me just try what their doing” which breeds for inauthenticity. While that very thing might make you pop, that is now a standard that you have to uphold to keep that audience, which was never yours. I wholeheartedly believe just being authentic to yourself and your art is the best way to grow your audience on social media. No, you might not have 10K overnight but I feel like aiming for an organic audience is much better than a follower count will ever be. These people are your community, your support system and the ones who are always liking, commenting and sharing your posts which then creates a domino effect of more people seeing your art in an authentic way. My best advice would be, don’t force it. Focus on the art and your personal vision, everything else will fall into place.

Contact Info:

• Website: 300archives.com
• Instagram: 300.archives
• Twitter: @300ARCHIVES

Image Credits
Personal Photo by Ryder. Models are Devon Harvey, Kali Campbell, Charlie Chuck, Makayla Mick, K$ace, Zion Zell, Joshua Bugg & Eric Tailor.