Meet IAN FINDLEY

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful IAN FINDLEY a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi IAN, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I was raised in an abusive and negligent household. I can recall many nights leading up to foster care where I wouldn’t know where my next meal was coming from. There were plenty of days where I wouldn’t know where my mother was or if the rent for that day or night at whatever motel we were staying at would be paid. Going through all of that teaches you how to be grounded when the ground itself is moving. You learn to fend for yourself, how to watch your own back. You also learn how to find the right people to trust and get a pretty good idea of how to read people, All of these skills have played a role in my adult life.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I grew up with a mother consumed by addiction and spent critical years in foster care—two experiences that could’ve defined me. But I refused to let them. Instead, I claim them as part of my backstory, not my destiny. From those early days of instability, I cultivated an unshakeable sense of self and purpose.

Through photography, I’ve forged a path. What started as a way to express myself evolved into a thriving career. I am Ian Everett Findley, a Houston-based photographer and digital artist whose work spans compelling portraits, evocative street scenes, and mixed-media artistry. Every shoot reflects my commitment to authenticity and vision—qualities born from years of navigating challenges and embracing change.

Building a creative business from the ground up wasn’t just a career choice—it was a testament to my grit. I booked clients, curated appointments, and started selling museum-quality prints, all because I learned how to adapt, push forward, and trust in my own worth . I’ve had to hold myself accountable, stay disciplined, and show up consistently—no small feat for someone who didn’t grow up believing stability or success was possible.

My resilience isn’t just a survival mechanism—it’s my superpower. It fuels my creativity, drives me to connect with others through images, and pushes me to build something meaningful from scratch. I don’t just photograph moments—I carve them into existence, much like I carved my life beyond circumstances. And that, to me, is living proof: where I came from doesn’t limit where I’m going—it empowers me to redefine what’s possible.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Thank you for that. Well the most would be not allowing the experiences I grew up with to define my future. My present isn’t my past unless I allow it to be. Trusting that whatever is out there has a plan for me and that my job is to simply do my best to do follow through with that plan. For people starting out on my path, best advice is….don’t (laughs) set your own path, make yourself. For photography, if you want to be a photographer, go take photos. Take photos until you like your own photos, until you hang your own photos in your house. Take some classes, learn the craft. But most importantly as an artist, GO MAKE ART.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Teach me that normal is make believe. While I wouldn’t prescribe my upbringing to anyone else, I can’t say it didn’t have its perks. Coming up the way that I did taught me something vitally important that some people don’t learn until later in life if at all. Life isn’t fair, it never said it would be. I don’t need to compare myself to other people, other people aren’t the litmus test for my happiness or my success. Holding onto that mindset has saved me from years of needlessly trying to be like everyone else, that combined with the ability to think critically has served me well for the past 40 years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iefproductions.com/
• Instagram: @iefproductions