Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Kirk.
Wesley, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always been interested in creating, whether it was drawing, making music, writing stories, etc. But when I was 13, I got an idea for a short film. I knew nothing about making movies, but I got myself a camera, gathered some friends and went out to make it. That started a lifelong love of visual storytelling. Not long after that I got my first film camera, and my parents were kind enough to develop all the photos I took. I realized photography was a way to keep my skills sharp between movies, and a good excuse to get outside and make new friends.
When I was 17 I started my first business by accident. People kept wanting to pay me to take their photos, so I created my company The Vision Beautiful. I’ve been lucky enough to never have had a real job since I’ve always been able to make money with a camera. But a couple years ago I got tired of taking whatever jobs came my way and wanted to show people what I’m capable of and what I enjoy doing. So back in January I rebranded my company as Vision & Verve, and created a whole new portfolio showing more of the direction I want to go.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a photographer & filmmaker. I like creating handmade props & sets to bring vibrant concepts to life. It feels so much more fun and satisfying to build an idea from scratch, using as little Photoshop or special effects as possible, and to create something surreal, yet tangible. I especially like tongue-in-cheek concepts that delight people’s sense of humor as much as it pleases their eyes. A lot of my art is just about making the things in my head come to life, and getting to use as many art forms as makes sense to turn an idea into a reality. It’s all about playing, experimenting, having fun, and making the kind of art my childhood self would have enjoyed.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The biggest challenge I’d say is finding the money to make your biggest dreams come to life. It seems, especially a few years into your career, that there is a gap between what we know we’re capable of doing and what we can afford to create. It’s all too easy to get stuck in a cycle of doing mediocre work because it’s easy to get paid, and then you get known for that and have more people coming to you for the same work that brings you no fulfillment. It can be hard to break away from that, which requires taking a financial and creative risk to start over again.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The best place to see my work is on my website, VisionAndVerve.com, because there you can find all of my new work, the stories behind each piece, and some behind the scenes photos of how they were made. The next best place is Instagram, @visionandverve, which I just recently relaunched for a more cohesive aesthetic. And if they’d like to hire me to bring an idea to life, they can reach out at Wesley@VisionAndVerve.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: visionandverve.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visionandverve/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisionAndVerve/
Image Credit:
Vision & Verve
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