We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Holley and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren, how has your pespective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Before I started my company graphiknation, I had spent about 8 years in a very fast-paced, demanding role with lots of pressure and little regard for quality of life and self care. I poured my heart and soul into a job that was always just under the glass ceiling, and the harder I worked the more was expected of me. There was no real incentive or reward for myself as a team leader, and even less incentive for those on my team. We were all working hard to meet daily productivity goals, only to have the benchmark for success moved further away as we got closer to it. I knew I was on the verge of burnout, and it became clear to me that I needed to make a change to maintain my own health, sanity and creativity. I walked away with no real plan other than just being free from a toxic, burnout-inducing environment, and began working as an independent contractor for friends and colleagues. What I thought would be a temporary, transitional solution went so well for me, I learned that I didn’t need to seek traditional employment as I had in the past. I could define my life as I wanted to, and better serve my clients in the process. I quickly realized that I was far more productive, creative, focused and efficient working from my home office which gave me the flexibility to create boundaries for myself, my clients, and even friends and family. Without all the added bureaucracy, red tape, and worst of all — the overwhelming amount of meetings that consumed my days in the office — I’m now able to bring my 15+ years of big agency experience to small businesses at a fraction of the cost. And I can do it from anywhere in the world with good internet access, which has pretty much eliminated work-induced stress from my life, and I can count on one hand the number of times I have been sick in the last 10 years!
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am not a typical “street” photographer in the sense that I don’t often make humans the central focus of my street photography. I’m much more interested in the character of the city and streets themselves. I like to experiment with different camera techniques, use vintage lenses on my digital cameras, and execute my ideas through any means possible. I am very proud of my recent collaboration with Panasonic LUMIX on their “Illuminate” project, highlighting their new S1 full-frame mirrorless camera. I also recently started a YouTube channel, which has been a goal I have been working towards for a while, and that has proven to be both exciting and exhausting. I’m looking forward to growing on that platform and broadening my skills further to include more video and content creation. If I could say one thing sets me apart as a creative professional, it’s that I have a unique ability to set aside my own personal tastes and just get laser-focused on who the customer and target audience is and what suits their needs and preferences. I think that has been the key to my success as an independent artist. I hear directly from my clients how much they love and appreciate my work, that it meets or exceeds their expectations and gets them measurable results and praise in their industry. After leaving my full-time job and starting my own business, I found myself missing that sense of community that comes along with being around a group of other creatives. For a while I filled that void with a newfound passion for street photography, but it wasn’t long before those feelings of isolation came back to the surface. In February 2014, I started Atlanta Urban Photo Walkers, a street photography meetup group as a way to connect with other creatives who love street photography and the city of Atlanta as I do. I thought maybe 20 or 30 people would join? By the end of the first week, there were 100+ members, and it just grew like wild fire. Since then, I have organically grown this community from nothing to 4,300+ engaged members, across all ages, levels and locations in the metro Atlanta area. What started initially as a personal side project to meet some like-minded people and go out and shoot once in awhile, has turned into a grass roots, city-wide, recognizable community arts brand.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a long-time Atlanta resident and the organizer of the largest street photography group in Atlanta, I am uniquely plugged in to where all the best spots in the heart of the city are! Anytime friends or family visit, I wear them out hitting all the best local bars & restaurants, and taking in the most scenic views. I have gotten so good at it, that I offer private, customizable tours of the city on my website. (graphiknation.com/shop) I also penned a blog article in 2019 on the best things to see and do in Atlanta during the Super Bowl, and it has a tremendous amount of great insider info for those who want to skip the obvious and go straight to the local gems. https://graphiknation.com/3-
My favorite go-to spots are almost all in Downtown Atlanta, and accessible via the Atlanta Streetcar! So many love to criticize the Atlanta Streetcar, but I was an early advocate and am one its most passionate supporters. If you have never actually ridden the Streetcar, I would say give it chance! Every single stop on the route will take you to some of the most iconic places in Downtown. From the urban epicenters of Woodruff Park, Peachtree Center and Centennial Park to the small business community-driven Sweet Auburn Curb Market, Edgewood Avenue and the King Center. You could spend an entire day just hopping on & off the Streetcar for only $3, and visit more local businesses and iconic attractions than anywhere else in Atlanta.
A few of my favorite local bars & restaurants: Noni’s—Italian recipes from owner Matt’s grandmother, this place is a community treasure. Recommend the homemade tagliatelle with basil mint pesto + local sausage. Kate’s Big Salad is also out of this world! On weekends after hours, this beloved local restaurant morphs into a retro DJ danceteria. It’s wonderful and weird, just go with it. Joystick Gamebar—Oldschool arcade and board games, cozy living room vibe. They make their own ginger beer soda, so order a dark & stormy (or two). Mother—Love the outdoor patio—and the pickle back shots! Soundtable—best beats, creative cuisine, killer cocktails, chill vibe. Bon Ton—Cajun-Asian fusion that’s insanely delicious with killer cocktails. As an added bonus, it’s just steps away from the iconic fabulous Fox Theatre, so you can make it a date night to remember. Camelli’s—Best pizza in ATL, or anywhere if you ask me. This Little 5 Points staple has been serving their epic “monster” slice since long before the bougie pizza craze became “a thing”. Recommend adding a side salad with their house balsamic vinaigrette, or just order a side of the vinaigrette for dunking your crust (it’s insanely delicious). Apres Diem (Midtown) or Carroll Street Cafe (Cabbagetown)—European-style cafes of the same owner, where you can feel like you’re on a mini-Parisian day trip, sipping on Bordeaux or cafe au lait.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partner Nancie Vito (nancievito.com) has been so supportive, both personally and professionally. As a life coach and mental health professional, Nancie keeps me grounded, introspective and empathetic. Her focus on happiness and flourishing has definitely had a positive impact on me, just by proximity. It’s invaluable to have a life partner you can evolve with, through good times and bad.
Website: https://graphiknation.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/graphiknation
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graphiknation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/graphiknation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraphikNation/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/graphiknation
Other: Meetup Group: Atlanta Urban Photo Walkers: https://www.meetup.com/Atlanta-Urban-Photo-Walkers/ https://instagram.com/atlurbanphoto
Image Credits
All images by Lauren Holley, @graphiknation Photo of Lauren Holley (on the floor) by Amy Berry, @urbanaddict