We had the good fortune of connecting with Kym “Kymistry “ Sharelle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kym “Kymistry “, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
In the beginning of my professional careers, I was “work, work, work”. Working 15-16 hour days 5-6 days a week. I was never at the family functions, I didn’t take vacations, I was all about work. If they needed me, I was there. That started to change first, after that very same job, after all of the dedication, just got rid of me. I got a phone call in the middle of the night. They had put me against a male coworker and he lied about me to get the advantage. They didn’t give me a chance to defend myself self against his claims, they just let me go. Fast forward 5 months later, he ended up not working out (lol) and here come my old employer…. “Spinning the block”. I went back on my own terms, more money, more time off and almost importantly, an apology was necessary.

The most impactful reason I’ve made a change in my work life balance is the passing of my Father, Curtis W. Johnson, Sr in 2019. It was a devastating blow…. Once I came through the storm, I made a promise to enjoy my life. Like, all the cliches… you only get one, tomorrows not promised, no regrets! That’s been my motto every since and my quality of life has vastly improved.
I travel way more, I spend time with family more often and I’m less likely to miss family events. Under that former employer, I was denied the time off to go to my little brother’s wedding. That will NEVER happen again!

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.
I’m a true artist… to the point, I create my best work when I’m moved to create. As a photographer, I like to have a consultation with my clients and get an idea of their backstory, their personality and then I bring these thing forward in my work.

As a model, a plus size model, someone’s always trying to put you in a box. Tell you what you should and shouldn’t wear. I’m here to tell my other BBWs, “wear what you want sis!! If you feel beautiful, if you feel sexy, that’s all that matters.

One bonus to booking me as a model also, is the fact that I have almost 20 years experience as a photographer and 15 years of experience as a makeup artist. So essentially I’m a triple threat. My photography experience helps me when posing myself and finding my light, etc. I’ve also been hired as a makeup artist for other models as well as a model for some shoots. That’s a bigger bag! When I’m booked for solo modeling jobs, I usually do my own makeup saving them on budget which is always a plus.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a creative so anything involving the arts and I’m there. From the High Museum of art to a local festival or even a selfie museum. As far as food, the first stop would def have to be Jacks Pizza on Highland Ave. The pizza is DELICIOUS, the vibe is AMAZINGLY dope and the ‘Everything wings’ are literally EVERYTHING. They are the best wings I’ve ever had… it every sauce they have mixed together *chefs kiss*. Also I love Caribbean food so Negril ATL would also be a stop! The atmosphere is amazing and so is the food!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to two fellow photographers, Lamont Johnson of One Click Photography in Selma, NC and Sunny Barnes of Sunny Grace Entertainment of Durham, NC. They are both in their own right, part of the reason I made the jump from photographer to model.

They are both very dope photographers with a great eye for creativity and detail.I’ve done some of my best work with those two.

Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/_Kymistry_

Twitter: Www.Twitter.com/Kymistry10

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