CH.89: If you were to categorize or describe the style of your artwork, what would it be and why?

WV: My work consists of narrative photography, with a focus on portraits and editorial lifestyle imagery. Most of my time is currently focused on my project One of Many (oneofmany.co) which brings these together.

CH.89: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

WV: Random chance meetings, the conversations that spring from them. Also, occasionally, from films.

CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new project/ piece of artwork?

WV: It’ll start with an inherent curiosity on my part about something I may have noticed. The next step is that I let this marinate for a while, bouncing around my head and heart, and then I look for an interesting angle to capture the story from.

CH.89: Is there anything in particular that you would want people to take from your artwork?

WV: The fact that they are not alone.

CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?

WV: It’s a job. I try to show up for work every day and do the job. I resist the notion that being a creative professional puts us in some special poetic box with different rules from another job. That’s a toxic and self-sabotaging way to think.

CH.89: When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?

WV: It depends on the person doing the work, the reason she’s doing it, and the goals she may have with the work. It’s a spectrum and everyone has to find their own best practice.

CH.89: What is one major lesson you’ve learned as an artist thus far?

WV: It’s easy to get too far into your own head when you work alone, so it’s important to be part of a community of peers and to talk a lot.

CH.89: Do you regard personal style & taste to be of highest importance?

WV: I very much enjoy personal style and taste, but I place things like honesty, kindness and other more substantial things in the category “of the highest importance”.

CH.89: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?

WV: The abundant opportunity for isolating oneself.

CH.89: What is one thing you love about being an artist?

WV: Being able to positively impact other people.

CH.89: Is there anyone in particular, any artist’s that inspire you in any way?

WV: The hustle of Helena Price, the creativity of Mac Premo, the commitment of Bas Berkhout.

CH.89: What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?

WV: I love and embrace it. I couldn’t do my work at all without it.

CH.89: Do you think being an artist allows you to view the world differently from those who don’t follow creative paths?

WV: I don’t think one’s profession necessarily has anything to do with how we view the world. And these days, regardless of your job, you can be a creative. A creative car mechanic, a creative farmer.

CH.89: Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?

WV: I enjoy a change of scenery, and meeting interesting people, finding new stories to learn from and be inspired by. Charleston (SC) has my heart.

CH.89: Do you have a favorite author or book?

WV: Bone by Jeff Smith.

CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your artwork?

WV: Reaching more and more people with stories about kind, inspiring people across the world.

CH.89: What does being an artist mean to you?

WV: I seek out new ways to look at problems and how to solve them.

CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your artwork?

WV: No

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