Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kyle Stevens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kyle, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I was pretty determined as a young child born and raised in New York City. I had big goals and ideas that I wanted to turn into a reality, and I knew that it would require a great deal of work to eventually get there. I didn’t have the connections or money, so I had to really trust the process and fully commit to the belief that my vision would ultimately play out the way I saw it. Twenty years ago, I wanted to be in attendance for WWE’s WrestleMania 20. I loved professional wrestling as an adolescent. Unfortunately, money was tight and there was no realistic way for me to be at Madison Square Garden. I was devastated at the moment, but deep down I told myself that one day I was going to get the opportunity to see my dream become a reality. Through many twists and turns in my wild media career that took off in 2016, I now find myself being invited by World Wrestling Entertainment to be on hand to photograph WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia. Sixteen-year-old me would be quite impressed with how I stayed the course even when times were tough and curveballs were thrown. I do believe that if you can block out the nonsense and extra noise, you can push yourself to greatness.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am always excited to capture the beauty of little moments that might go unnoticed if one is not keeping a watchful eye. I like to be aware of my surroundings and I appreciate the fine details. When I have my camera in hand, my goal is to create an accurate record of a specific moment in time that can go on to take a life of its own for years to come. It’s fulfilling when you can make your subjects feel their best. When others are happy, I’m happy. If I’m able to create lasting feelings of warmth and fondness, it means that my journey meant something real to whoever I interacted with.
Currently, I am looking to create partnerships with brands and venues that can get behind my creative process and work ethic. When I show up, I’m all business because the end result of my work means absolutely everything to me. I take great pride in my final product no matter what the task at hand might be.
I’m also still bustling away as the lead entertainment journalist for the Queens Gazette, in addition to being sent out for freelance photojournalism assignments through Shutterstock. Recent prominent photo placements include People Magazine, Daily Mail, and the New York Post.
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?
Three qualities that made an impact on my journey are hope, courage, and faith. My advice for people who are looking for inspiration to stay the course on their particular path is to never give up on hope. There will be challenging days. No matter how successful one becomes, there will be new obstacles that pop up from time to time. A hopeful attitude will keep you humbled and constantly curious about the unknown. Developing courage will make one take risks that can open doors of opportunity to a brighter tomorrow. Courage is a lifelong lesson, and it’s never too early to start pushing yourself to be better. Lastly, faith is necessary to keep your two feet moving ahead. Without having faith, we would all be wandering around without rhyme or reason. Faith ultimately keeps hope and courage alive.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
A book that changed my life is ‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael Alan Singer. I read it during the summer of 2020. Not surprisingly, that year was a challenging time for everybody, and we are all still figuring out our way forward the best that we possibly can. During those warm (and confusing) months, elements of my life were in turmoil. I had to sit down and ask myself questions about my career, personal life, and what I wanted for myself. Singer’s words served as a rock-solid source of strength and balance. I can’t do them justice, but I can highly recommend everyone add it to their essential reading list. It’s a complete game-changer and you will revisit it time and time again. The book is that good.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thekylestevens.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thekylestevens
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thekylestevens
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekylestevens/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/thekylestevens
Image Credits
Photographs by Jay LA.
