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

Hi Jayleigh, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It started with me just being a huge fan of concerts, taking photos on my cellphone on the barricade but people seemed to love my work and eventually I decided to buy my very first DSLR camera! I’ve always been a very creative person and knew the normal 9 to 5 wasn’t for me

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The thing about anyone being creative is you have to find something that makes your art unique to you. For me, I’ve always wanted to remain humble and remember where I started. I was one of those kids, on the barricade. Each concert experience gives you those unique feelings. You feel the butterflies in your stomach, you feel the excitement for what’s about to happen, and then it happens. Through my art, I want to be able to give people those same feelings, as if they were at the concert. I want to capture the raw emotion and energy that’s in the air, through the artist and their music. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but through my art, I want you to experience a thousand emotions. When I capture these emotions, I want everyone to understand that I’m a fan! I still love singing along, and I still love for the opportunity to obtain a setlist. For me, I’m shooting these pictures for people who couldn’t make it the show, and give them a similar experience that I had.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would probably start with taking them downtown! We have these beautiful waterfalls there and some really great restaurants, coffee places, and shops! My favorite is this really cool coffee shop/theater called Coffee Underground! Highly recommend. Then we’d probably make a day trip up to Asheville or something! Definitely one of my favorite nearby cities

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honestly one of my best friends Haley Mewborn is probably my biggest supporter and I don’t think I’d be even close to where I am without her

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualleighh/

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