We recently had the chance to connect with Danielle Hardy and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Firstly, I want to say I love this question—because having passions outside of a prescribed career is key. I recently started volunteering with 10 Million Names, a project focused on restoring the names and stories of enslaved Americans. My interest in ancestry and genealogy was sparked at a young age by pure curiosity about how people come to be who they are. I’m always looking for opportunities to flex that muscle and give back to my community at the same time.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a curated narrative photographer and creative producer at Converse. Through my images, I long to decipher the nuances of blackness and culture. My work centers on the intricate dynamics of human connection, both intra-personally and inter-personally, with a particular focus on how social constructs of race, class, and gender shape these relationships. I obsess over crafting compositions that reveal the complex versatility of emotion through visual storytelling. My practice embraces a tactile, process-oriented approach, treating images as living objects in continuous transformation rather than static end results. My images often feature conceptualized movement and abstract posing, stemming from my dance background.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child a had such lofty belief in myself. I recently came across some old construction paper amongst my old childhood drawings that meticulously briefed how my life would look in my twenties: I would be a pediatrian, with two dogs and a husband, live in Hawaii, and be a pilot. I mean c’mon…that’s amazing stuff! I hadn’t yet developed that inner voice that shot down any dream that wasn’t presently visible. So when I think about this question, I think more about it as belief I have lost as opposed to something I no longer believe. I want that unwavering, fierce belief in my God-giving abilities to grow stronger as I as, not atrophe. And I working everyday to challenge that doubt and tap into my childlike wonder.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of being seen. The fear of being percieved in any way other than the way I consciously think about myself (on a positive day). Caring too much about others’ opinions is one of the most stifling fears because it is invisible. Perception is a figment of our imagines and can take shape in whatever form fits the occasion, so to rely on something so fickle to inform my worth is unfruitful. Though, Leaning deeper into my faith is truly transforming how I tackle this fear.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That the industry is the pinnancle of fulfillment. There is so much more to life than “making it.” So much more than accolades and accomplishments. Life is in the ordinary mundance moments. When the facade of succes fades away the only thing we are left with is our character and the way we treated ourselves and others. I believe society needs to decenter the industry as the main driver of our lives. Just being alive and breathing in and out is enough.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I only had 10 years left, I would stop overthinking every step I make–simple as that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daniellehardy.com/
- Instagram: @dani.lanae
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hardy-a801941a5
Image Credits
All photos were photographed by me.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
