We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joe Welkie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Joe, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic really comes from realizing that we only have one life. I want to accomplish as many things as possible in the time I have and do it all while I still can. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring so I’m really big on doing as much as I can while I can.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Joe and I’m a photographer as well as an aerialist. I’ve been doing photography since the start of the pandemic when I wasn’t able to pursue many of my other passions, and I’ve been doing aerial arts since around 2017. My photography uses unique lighting scenarios with projectors and light wands to create really unique and interesting portraits. As an aerialist, I specialize in two apparatuses, static trapeze and aerial pole.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that have helped me are
1. Experimentation. I am constantly experimenting with new lighting techniques and throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. Plus I’m always trying to find new flows in my aerial performances.
2. Perseverance. Stuff isn’t going to come to you automatically and you have to be patient and hone the skills you are learning.
3. Fun. If you aren’t having fun, why are you doing it?
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Honestly, a big challenge is fighting against Instagram’s weird policies around shadow-banning and promotion. It is really limiting my growth as a creator and I think my stuff is good enough to be seen by more people, but apparently Meta thinks otherwise. Some of it doesn’t even make sense either, I don’t understand their rules and how to follow them in order to see maximum impact. However, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve accomplished and how far I’ve come in my journey. I don’t solely rely on social media to validate me, but it would help a lot!
Contact Info:
- Website: joewelkie.com
- Instagram: @jhotophoto and @joey.noho
Image Credits
Edsger Studio, No Cap Images, Brianne Dudra, Paige Sierra
