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

Tyler, 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.

Fall Semester, 2015 at Salisbury University was a time in my life where i experienced change in a very intimate way. During that first semester i chose to study Exercise science as my major, simply because i enjoy going to the gym so i thought that it would be a seamless transition to learn about it at a deeper level. Little did i know how much math and science were involved, two subjects i do not like at all. Because of how much i was struggling i wasn’t getting enough sleep, i would wake up in the middle of the night sweating and anxious. I wasn’t doing well in any of my classes i was also hanging around people i was never comfortable around so it made it difficult to be myself. I was doing things i had no business doing including parting too much and for some reason i had this weird thing where i was afraid to check my grades because i just knew i was failing. All i remember is just stressing everyday and sitting in classes staring out the window daydreaming about photography because that’s all i really wanted to do. I can remember sitting in my anatomy class one day not being focused at all, and my professor noticed, and came over and said ‘you don’t look like you want to be here, to which i said i didn’t, she then said then you should find what you want to do and pursue that. In that moment and moments like that it would give me confidence and hope that i could try to find a way to do what i really wanted to do. As that semester was ending i knew without a doubt that i had done really bad, so bad, that checking my grades wasn’t even in my mind to do, i knew i had done so bad that something was going to happen that i wouldn’t like. That “something” was a letter home stating that i was placed on restricted status which means that i was dismissed as a degree seeking student which basically means i had done so poorly that if i didn’t come back that following semester and do better i was going to be academically dismissed from the university for a period of 5 years. I had to first read this letter to my father, who is normally the type to go into long winded talks about how i need to do better and what i need to do to change. This time however, all he said when i finished reading was “You know what you need to do right?” this surprised me, but it also made me think oh wow this is serious he never just says one thing. After reading it to him a few days later i read it to my mom who is normally the type to give you encouraging and uplifting words of advice, biblical scripture that relates to whatever your going through , and she always knows how to stay strong during tough times. This time though, she broke down immediately and started crying asking what we were going to do. That was really tough to see as a result of something that i caused in a way, but in that moment i had to reassure her that i knew what i had to do and that everything would be ok. Not truly knowing for sure how everything would turn out i knew i had to trust God with the details and just do what he placed on my heart and mind to do, which was Number 1 stop hanging around the people i was hanging out with, and Number 2 change my major to photography. Those two things i knew i needed to do in order to move forward in a positive way, how they were going to change anything at all or if they would, was the risk i was taking. So, upon returning to school that next semester i changed my major to Bachelors of Art with a discipline in Photography and i let go of a lot of people that i was around. Needless to say, i was sleeping much better, i was enjoying every art class i was taking even if it wasn’t a photography class, and i was meeting people that would become friends that i still know to this day. On top of that any photography competition or award that was available to students i would submit my work to and win. I would go on to have my pictures showcased in group shows on campus and in art galleries around the Ocean City, MD area, as well as in the building on campus. During that time i would have my work selected to be printed in magazines around the world, which blew my mind. I would be interviewed by the school newspaper about my photography work as well as other outlets. Finally, at the end of that semester i would receive another letter from the school, this time with good news, stating that i had made the Dean’s list. The best thing though that came from that semester and the following semesters was that my relationship with God had deepened to a level that i had not previously known. I trusted God completely and he came through for me in ways i never imagined he would, i experienced his love in ways i never knew existed. I heard from him in ways i only thought happened to people in the bible and since then I’ve known without a shadow of a doubt that he is real and is indeed for us in every way possible.

Thankyou for letting me share my story with you, i am forever grateful for the opportunity.

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.

For people who have not read about me before, i would say first and foremost I’m a child of God who depends on him everyday for everything. I’m learning and growing how to be. I fail often and hope to continue to do so, because i think failing is an important part of learning and growing. How i came to call myself a photographer is a whole different story. About 12 years ago i was introduced to photography by my older brothers, they were really into it and tried to get me into it but i never really thought it was interesting so it took me longer to pick it up. After being gifted a camera i placed it on my shelf in my room and told myself that i would never use it and it would only collect dust. Little did i know. One snowy night in December i took it out just to see what all the fuss was about. That night i walked up and down my street taking awful pictures not knowing what i was doing but i remember thinking how can i take a picture if i don’t know what one is. What i realized was that i had no idea what i liked or wanted to see in a picture to actually take pictures that i liked, i had to first figure out who i was within photography before i could go anywhere taking photos. So, i took the time to really fall in love with the process and work, i spent hours exploring locations and taking pictures of everything from city skylines in New York to studio model work. I learned that i love photography and all it encompasses and i committed myself to learning as much as i could and over the next 11 years I’ve be able to see my work in galleries and magazines as well as online publications.

Photography to me is more than a passion its a connection between me and God. I feel like through it I’ve gained a better understanding of him and myself.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me its the overall process. From walking around for hours taking hundreds of photos just to get back a notice only a few are edit worthy, to spending all night and day editing photos and re-editing and re-editing. I love the work that goes into a project that could span days or weeks, i love the unexpected issues that come up and the challenge of creatively thinking of a way out. I love the feeling of the finished product i love the feeling of a picture that resonates with you and you don’t know why. I love knowing that photography is just one part of being a creative, i recently discovered i like to write short thoughts, i call them, i want to figure out how to compose them into more of a format like poems. Being a creative or artist is rewarding to me because theirs no box to put you in, you can do and create in any form you want.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think one thing i try to remind myself often are the things that i value while I’m on this journey and my why. I value photography and the process a great deal, i view it as a gift from God, to be able to freeze moments and put messages in photos is a privilege in my eyes. So when i look at photos and think about what interests me i always try to go to a place of authenticity, how do i feel in this moment, what am i thinking about, what is it that i want people to get from my work if anything. I try to remain open minded and not too rigid in my thinking so i don’t get stuck in how i go about making work, as I’ve mentioned its important to me to grow and learn and progress, so in my opinion, in order to do that i have to be flexible with the work and the process and be able to be open to new ways of experimenting. To flow with the work and grow with the work. As i mature the work has to reflect that otherwise I’m not getting better in my eyes. I never want to pimp this gift. What i mean by that is i never want to use this as a way to make money, i believe if you do something with love God will find a way to provide all you need from it, I’ve seen it. I’m not saying that making money from it is a bad thing but for me, its too precious. Whenever money is involved it seems like things get muddied and messages get turned around, so i think one thing non-creatives might struggle with about me is that i don’t do this for money, i do what i do out of love. That’s it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tylerj.hensonn