Conversations with Andy Bowen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Bowen.

Hi Andy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started taking photos when I was 16. I shot action sports of my friends and landscape on film. Cameras stayed with me since. The professional side of things came with the launch of my business, Above Alpine Photography 12 years ago. I had acquired a unique set of skills from being an action sports athlete, a multi form artist, and dedicated entrepreneur. Everything led to a niche in my area of the world and I continue to enjoy the journey of taking photos and shooting video. While I do less action sports and more portraits of people, I still adore the medium and am passionate about every aspect from shooting to the editing.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Making art and business mix is inherently difficult. We are not our income or popularity. We are what we think and do. The line can blur and feelings of failure and financial hardships can take the wind out of our sails. This can and has been brutal at times but nothing changes how much genuine fun and enjoyment I have taking photos. I’ve learned sticking with a craft long enough eventually leads to some form of success and with it money and being known for quality and dedication. There will be periods of doubt and hardships but it is all temporary. Staying with it because I love it always helps me find my way back to a confidence and more certainty about what I choose to do with my life, art, and career path.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
More than anything I am an artist and philosopher. I love drawing, making music, writing lyrics, essays, and poetry. I love thinking and don’t believe in overthinking. I got my degree in philosophy and continue to expand my scope of the world and all that’s in it through this lens. I have been published for essays, poetry, photography, video, and have released 16 albums in music alongside producing dozens of others. My music can be found in multiple genres most notable as Filming The Universe, and BOW3N. The content of all my work is deep and makes an effort to make others feel less alone, validated, cared for, and inspired. Art has saved the world many times, saved me personally over and over, and trying to contribute to the craft in an attempt to help the cause is my ultimate pursuit. I am and choose to be complex, multi skilled, and remain open to learning and I have found all this to carve out a unique position in what all I do.

What matters most to you? Why?
Excellence and seeking potential matters most to me. If we stop at, “good enough,” we rob ourselves of what is possible and at the same time feeling the best we can, seeing who we really are and what we are capable of. Seeing the next level of anything is exciting, inspiring, motivating, and fuels our zest for life. Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Most believe this was a caution to those who would otherwise find themselves old, fading away, and regretting letting life pass by without ever truly living it. I choose to pay close attention to every aspect of my life, making sure I see progress, find novelty, and explore the human experience as much as possible. If we can create a strong character, we can enjoy what that attracts and refutes. Everything from relationships to our art is stronger and more robust. Be a giant and live big. That doesn’t mean be rich and popular, it means be fully engaged with life and enjoy the rewards of truly living it.

Pricing:

• If it’s only about money I think you’ll fall short of feeling good about what you’re doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.abovealpine.com – bow3n.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: abovealpinephotography
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/andybowen7

Image Credits
Andy Bowen