In our journey through the realms of the arts and their practitioners we discovered a common thread: oftentimes the most powerful creatives reach their fullest potential in times of discomfort and hardship.
We’ve seen fashion stylist and make up artist Christina Lee, who was stuck in a corporate job for years before realizing her heart (and talents) belonged to fashion. Spanish photographer Maria Cano discovered her endless passion for visual storytelling while dreading sitting in an office at a real estate job.
Our latest jaw-dropping discovery spent years telling stories as a journalist before coming to terms with the fact that she wanted her life story to be different and she wanted to tell it through her camera.
Photographer Sammy Hearn calls Nashville home and like many of her peers endured years of professional dissatisfaction before she was able to turn a hobby into her full time career.
“I’m at a point right now where I know what I’m doing but I never went to school for photography or anything so i had to figure it out along the way.” Well, mission accomplished!
When asked about how the Nashville arts scene is treating her she simply puts it like this: “There’s a lot of musicians (obviously) which is a good thing because it gives you the chance to experiment and go for something different.”
“When you take a corporate gig or even a headshot gig there’s no spice whereas with musicians you can take some risks. Besides, there’s so much more than country music in Nashville than most people realize.”
Her paramount advice to aspiring photographers is also quite simple: “Don’t give a shit about what people think and make art that YOU love.”
“People will come! People can sense when you’re doing something genuine and authentic and that’ll get you the right and most exciting opportunities.” She continues.
Speaking of art we love, we are honored to have the opportunity to premiere Sammy’s latest work which she called “To the coming true of your most improbable dream” and goes as far as saying that “these are probably my favorite pictures I’ve taken so far.”
“I got this giant zorb ball from eBay a while back and hadn’t found the best way to shoot it yet. It’s been too cold to do anything outside, so I contacted my friend Matthew Simmons over at Home Studio in east Nashville to take a peek at the sanctuary that’s part of the property. It ended up being the perfect fit, and Raena really nailed the look. She’s so gorgeous and easy to work with.”
“The ball itself needs its zipper lubricated before someone can get in and out of it, and then once the person is in it, they’ve only got about 20 minutes of fresh air. It’s blown up with what I can best describe as basically a giant blow dryer (like in Spaceballs).
“I have to say I didn’t really go into it with a theme or anything in mind. I knew the ball needed a huge space. I told Raena to come dressed 60s, and the orange dress she chose was a really happy coincidence that matched the colors of the sanctuary. It all just ended up working.”
“A quote from one of my favorite movies comes to mind when I think about titling this series. ‘To the coming true of your most improbable dream.’ It’s from Another Earth which is about the discovery of a duplicate earth in the sky, and what happens when two characters cross paths in a weird twist of fate. The male protagonist delivers the line late in the movie, after the female protagonist wins a permanent trip to visit Earth 2.”
“He’s heartbroken that she’s leaving because he’s just realized he’s in love with her, but he’s also incredibly happy for her – she literally won her most improbable dream. I’ll save you the entire plot but, we all dream about something. What hits me about that line is it’s so human.”
“We all have this One Big Dream that feels so wild, so big, so utterly beyond and outside of your body. It’s so intimate. We don’t talk about our big dreams enough. What’s beyond the bubble of what you know now to be the truth? Do you want to stay in that bubble?
“Whether it’s love, going to space, or for me personally, shooting Harry Styles, how incredible would it be if it just came true? I like thinking dreams can come true for everyone. So I hope that my photos can convey some sense of optimism and daydreaming for people who look at them, and maybe inspire them to create whatever it is they want to create.”
Sammy’s photography reminds us to talk about our big dreams. So let’s talk about them and let’s do it loudly!
