Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra McGee.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in San Antonio and fell in love with art and photography at a young age. After putting myself through any art class I could, I attended the University of North Texas and got a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography. I worked in social media and e-commerce photography for local businesses after college but I got extremely depressed and anxious. I began photographing mine and my friend’s dogs as a way to pull myself out of my depression. This led me to a job as a photographer for Chewy.com. Now, I get to play with puppies during my 9-5 and on my off time, I have the freedom to whatever creative project I want.
Has it been a smooth road?
Anything worth doing takes some struggle. I would not say that growing up my household was unstable, I’m very lucky in a lot of ways. My family has always supported my art and taught my sister and I grew up to figure out what we love doing and hope that you can make money doing it. However, I did grow up in a military household. My father had cancer, has PTSD and is an alcoholic. Toxic masculinity and substance abuse was alive and well in my home.
I inherited my stubbornness from my father. I chased after anything I became interested in, and I think everyone should do that. Be unapologetic and in your pursuit of happiness. Seek out the people who will love and support your interests. There were a lot of times where I thought I was so stupid for following my love of photography, to the point where I refused to consider other options. That level of bull-headedness is not something that’s possible for a lot of people, but with the support of others, a lot of things can happen. Thankfully, we’re at a time where it’s really easy to find a community, but the best foundation are not yes men, but people who will challenge you and encourage your growth. Talk to women established in your dream. Put a LOT of time and work in, ask for mentorship or internships or assistant positions. Talk to anyone and everyone.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What I’m most known for are my bright fashion and pet portraits. This is a long way away from the crime scene photography I was initially pursuing! I like to make work that makes me happy, and I’m always open to weird or different ways to create.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
More and more I’m seeing women making their own opportunities, owning their own companies and their own brand and I’m so into it! I jumped straight into corporate art making, which works well for me because my anxiety is too much to not have a full-time job, but I’ve seen how hard it is for women to have equal footing in the workplace. What I’ve learned is that on purpose or not, a lot of men will not just “allow” women in their space and their positions. We are learning more and more to make the space for ourselves regardless of what is typically done.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sierrac.net/
- Email: sierrac.photog@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siesiesierra/
Image Credit:
Lisa Muller (http://leemulls.com/)
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
