Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly May Gravley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started as a film major at the University of North Texas and dropped out after a semester. After a series of odd jobs and a mental health crisis or two, I enrolled in some photography classes at Collin College in 2017 and started shooting concerts the following year. I covered shows for online blogs and zines before getting picked up as a freelancer for local pubs like the Dallas Observer and Central Track. I also met my husband around this time. He was a journalist who was reviewing the shows I was shooting. That’s kind of cute, right?
I’d been into writing since childhood, but could never find my niche. I tried everything from poetry to screenwriting and nothing felt quite right. When I started writing reviews to go with my concert photos in 2022, something clicked and I started writing for outlets like Consequence of Sound and the Dallas Observer, where I was actually on staff for a year. My concert reviews evolved into fully reported pieces on music and culture. These days, I consider fandom culture and history to be my niche and jokingly call myself a “fanthropologist.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My biggest obstacle has always been my mental health. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 18 and have been hospitalized for it twice now. Even though I’m fairly well regulated these days, it’s hard to get out of my head sometimes. My imposter syndrome will get so bad, that I feel like I don’t have the right to go after what I want and pursue things I’m passionate about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m both a music and culture writer and a concert photographer. I’ve covered various topics, but my passion is pop culture commentary and history, particularly the history of fan communities. My favorite piece I’ve ever written was a Dallas Observer cover story on The Beatles’ only Dallas concert, where I interviewed several fans who attended the show. It was the kind of story that brought more joy and fulfillment than I’ve ever experienced at work and I was secretly sad when it was finished. It really put into perspective the kind of writing and research projects I’m passionate about and what I’d like to focus on moving forward.
As for my photography, I feel immense pride thinking how far I’ve come in the seven years I’ve been shooting. I signed up for photography classes after one of my hospitalizations just to have something to get me out of the house. I never would’ve dreamed that my camera would give me access to some of the biggest artists in the world and carve out a place for me in the Dallas arts scene. Last year, my work was featured alongside that of my friends and role models in an exhibition at Deep Ellum Art Co. and I’m still shocked and humbled to have been included. One of my favorite moments of my entire career was showing that to my dad.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Both good and bad luck have gotten me where I am today. I was dealt the unfortunate hand of pretty severe mental illness (type one bipolar disorder) and that steered me off the path I’d imagined for myself at 18. I thought I would have a very traditional life that involved finishing my film degree at 22 and winning an Oscar before 30. (Okay, maybe that last part isn’t quite so traditional.)
But I’m grateful that none of that happened. I fully believe that where I actually ended up is better. I love what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with and I know that fate is so delicate, that none of this would’ve happened if one thing had gone differently. It makes me question whether the luck was really that bad at all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlymayphoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/carlygravley
- LinkedIn: https://Linkedin.com/in/carlygravley
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarlyMayGravley
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@carly.fanthropology
Image Credits
All photos courtesy of Carly May Gravley
