Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Qian.
Alex, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Growing up, I pretty much neglected my creative side; exchanging piano, sketching, and singing for a skateboard and and angsty “Smells Like Teen Spirit” look. It wasn’t until after college that I realized my life was lacking something creatively significant. My journey to finding photography began when I was in my early twenties experiencing the backpacking “wanderlust” phase of my life as well as struggling through some significant mental health issues. I started like most others with my cell phone and GoPro just having fun making memories of my adventures as I got healthier. Over time I outgrew each piece of gear I had and also started sharing my work on Instagram and Facebook which really started to motivate me to continue to get better as my following grew. I’m now known as Wayfaring Professional through those channels and I plan to continue creating and growing in the creative space as photography has become a full fledged passion project!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I feel a unique and deep child-like sense of emotion when visiting an unfamiliar location. I think the reason I fell so deeply in love with photography is that it allows me to capture and embody that feeling in a format that the rest of the world and my friends and family back hope can experience. Alot of my peers are much less adventurous and have a much more narrow vision of the world as a whole and I want to show that cultures and locations transcend borders. I really just hope to inspire people to look at their surroundings in a different light, and if possible, to push someone to get out of their comfort zone and travel. I think I have covered most of what makes Chicago beautiful through my work over the last year, despite the assumptions about our city, my intent is to do so in different urban destinations around the world. My art also embodies my struggles through anxiety and depression which reflects in my tendency to edit my images in a moodier fashion.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I think the biggest challenge facing artists today is the challenge of getting their work to the top of the pile. In the same way the internet has made it easier to be seen, it has also made it accessible to literally everyone which means it will likely be buried in the noise. The other significant challenge is understanding the entrepreneurship and business mentality that doesn’t come naturally to many people. I’m thankful to have had that formal training in my professional life and through higher education which has allowed me to get up and running withing the past year. The last challenge I would mention is maintaining your vision. With platforms like Instagram it is very easy to get lost in the game of likes, engagement, popularity and to be influenced by others that are doing well on the platform. In order to stand out you need to be able to pick through the noise and be unique in your own style.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I maintain a portfolio of my main mediums of photography as well as educational articles at www.wayfaringprofessional.com
Some of my most popular images are available for purchase as prints and I am always taking bookings for photography work!
I also run a mental health awareness charity gallery for which details can be found via my website as well! I would much rather people contribute to the greater cause rather than me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wayfaringprofessional.com
- Email: alex.qian@wayfaringprofessional.COM
- Instagram: Instagram.com/wayfaring.professional
- Facebook: Facebook.com/wayfaringprofessional
- Twitter: Twitter.com/wayprophoto
Image Credit:
@wayfaring.professional Alex Qian
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