We recently connected with Kyla Henderson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kyla, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
If I am being completely honest, being burned out is one of the hardest things to go through as an artist. In my case I felt burnout the most when I was trying to compete with myself. Getting to a certain part as an artist and winning awards and being in exhibitions I started to put pressure on myself. I went into my art works with the mindset of “will this be good enough to win something?” In doing this it caused me to become burnt out and not want to create or know what to create. There were many long days of staring at my computer screen trying to figure out what to do. To overcome it, something that helped me was taking a break as a whole and giving myself a couple of days to recoup. Something that was fun and light was to just edit and play around with new effects and layers to see what would happen. Now with being in college it has given me the opportunity to take a break from the pressures and competition. In doing so, it has allowed me to miss my craft in a way that I never have before. I have been able to go and take pictures for fun and find joy in photography. Doing this has given me the ability to come in with a fresh mind. I know now what works best for me when I feel creatively overwhelmed.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a photographer and entrepreneur. Being a photographer I have the honor of capturing different events for many people which brings me joy. I am the person that gets to capture someone’s happiest day and give them something that they will always have; and to see the smile light up their face is like the icing on the cake for me. Now that I attend the University of California Los Angeles I have officially extended services from not only the Chicago land area, but to the Los Angeles area as well. Lastly, I am extremely excited to announce that I have a book coming out that will be released soon.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Something that I’ve learned and I’m still working on today is talking about my accomplishments. I’ve always been shy to talk about all of my significant accomplishments that I have received over the years because I feel like I’m bragging. Nevertheless, coming out of my comfort zone and promoting my achievements has allowed many new opportunities to present themselves. With the large amount of photographers, it can be hard to stand out. The factors that make me stand out are the shots that no one else is capturing; behind the scenes and candid shots. A piece of advice that I’m constantly being told is “I can’t want this more than you” meaning even through all the help, it would mean nothing if I didn’t want to achieve my dream of being a successful photographer.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My mom is my person; she is the strongest woman of God I know. She not only pours into me spiritually, but physically as well. She has always been in my corner to encourage me to accomplish my dream. She has helped me pick out artworks, which has ultimately allowed me to gain opportunities that I never believed possible. Most importantly she is going to challenge my creative abilities in ways that will make me better. My mom has taught me how important it is to stay consistent because without consistency nothing will grow and I won’t obtain my goals. I think the most important skill she has instilled in me is to always place God in the center of all things I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ksh-photography.square.site/gallery
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queen_photographer13/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyla-henderson-605838252/
Image Credits
All images were taken and made by me Kyla Henderson
