We had the good fortune of connecting with Haley Mewborn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued art because it’s who I am. Art to me doesn’t compromise, it doesn’t change based on the opinions of others, it doesn’t compromise its existence and it often shows things for what they truly are. For me, choosing to pursue art was choosing to pursue myself, to never deny who I am or how I see the world despite the opinions of those around me. I’ve always known I would never want to work in corporate America and i’ve always known that i’m capable of expressing myself in better ways than just a 9-5. For as long as I can remember, photography has always held a place in my heart and as i’ve gotten older that connection has only become stronger. Pursuing art is pursing myself in all of its forms, both past, present and future.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to believe that my art is a reflection of how I see the world and thats what sets it apart. I prefer to always adapt my editing style and color corrections to whatever the situation I’m in is so that you can tell it’s my work but it’s not the exact same look every single time. It’s very easy to restrict yourself to one look and become known for just that but i never want to feel trapped in my own art. I’m incredibly proud of the space I’ve created for myself as a woman in a predominately male industry. I’ve been apart of a few full U.S. Tours and many regional/partial U.S. tours and have been the only woman on quite a few of them. The space I’m in doesn’t have much room for women and I’m incredibly proud of the space I’ve created for myself. It wasn’t easy at all to get to where I am, I spent roughly 2 years building a portfolio and establishing my name in the Atlanta scene as someone who is more than capable of handling life on the road. I’ve done tours in anything from sedans and suvs to vans with no working AC in the dead of summer, i’ve driven countless hours across the country, sold merch and helped bands load in/out just to justify my presence on the road. It has never been easy but it’s always been worth it. The biggest lesson i’ve learned is to not be turned away from the lack of representation but to use it as motivation to create the space for myself and the thousands of other talented women that can change this industry to what it should be.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am today or be as brave with my photography if it weren’t for my college photography professor, Brett Mullinix. He pushed me to not only create beautiful art but challenged me to think past the surface on everything I do to really understand my art in a way that no one ever has. Aside from the lasting impact he’s left on my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my local music community. Stay Here, Toast and Jam Studio, Tenth Row, Hindsight, Blurry and A Band Called Love are just a few of the bands and producers who have always supported me and pushed me to create the space for myself in the industry and without them I think I would’ve given up on pursing photography in the music industry.

Website: https://hnmcreative.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hnmcreative/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HNMCreative?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HNMCreative/
Other: https://hnmcreative.darkroom.tech/

Image Credits
Photo of my taken by Cameron Flaisch of Cameron Flaisch Photography

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