I want to start a business. It’s just been something I always wanted to do since I was little. Well, I do admit, I’m not good at math or obeying rules, but I learn quick and I dream big.
Why do I want to start a business you might ask? In addition to making money and being my own boss, I like to share my artistic talents with the world.
I’m sure you’re going to say I’m going to start a photography business right?
Let me tell you something that might surprise you. My experience with photography only started 2 years ago. The first time I held a DSLR was when I was in my photography class during my last semester at Augusta State University. Ironically, I was initially going to take a graphic design class, but during my last semester at the school, there weren’t any available. Instead of waiting for another year to graduate, I just wanted to take some course credit to fill up my hours.
I never would have imagined that photography class would be a life changing one.
It was really fun class, and I discovered my hidden talent in photography. As a poor college student, I was borrowing one of the DSLR cameras from the school. I never touched another one again after graduation, until a Black Friday deal on a camera came up nearly half a year later. Ever since I got my own DSLR, I have been taking photos on practically a daily basis. In addition, I started taking photos for Spotted of the Augusta Chronicle, where my photos get published online and printed in the newspaper. As a result, I boosted my reputation in photography seemingly overnight. Most people know me for my photos, but secretively, I actually have decades of experience with fine arts and writing, before a digital camera was even invented.
Starting at a young age, I like to draw and write. I never limit what I can do with my artistic talent. I started out drawing stick figures, then with sketches, painting, computer graphics and pretty much everything else you can think of. My writing skill has come a long way too, starting out as simple diary to poetry then fantasy, and I even continued to write after
moving to America.
Language barrier? No problem, I can learn!
There is no genre or category that defines my artistic capabilities, because I embrace the joy of learning and new ideas. Growing up, I was shy with my work and I shunned away from others because I was afraid of criticism. Especially after going through almost 10 years at a magnet school, I have seen really amazing work from really talented people. Every time I exhibit my work in public, I felt that I was embarrassing myself. It took me many years of practice and getting inspiration from my peers before I became confident with my work. The fading idea of starting my own business strongly rose to the forefront of my mind again.
Local businesses, cafes, libraries, and restaurants have open galleries for artists to display their work. Furthermore, non-profit organizations in Augusta call for artists’ donations for silent auction or any fund-raising events, and host juried competitions. Taking photos for the Chronicle really gave me the opportunities to meet people and helped me to know all the potential out there in the city. After expanding my social network and overcoming my childhood fears, I took initiative to make a name for myself.
Slowly but steadily, I’ve been building up my reputation as an artist in the community, starting out purely voluntarily by donating my work for charities and then competitively by participating in many contests.
Now I finally started up a studio page on facebook, documenting all my photography, artistic, and writing achievements. I also offer commissioned work upon requests. In the next few days, I will really work on making a presentable portfolio and offer my artistic services on my website. In the future, I wish to have a physical workshop and an online storefront. Stay tuned guys!
Foxsilong Studio 