Meet Katie Guyot | Photographer/ Artist

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

Hi Katie, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
It’s simple. I knew I had to keep going because I kept failing to give up. For years I’ve thought, “I want to be an artist.” I’ve tried everything from painting and drawing to writing and stained glass. I never thought I was going to be good enough because I wasn’t as revolutionary as Van Gogh or as talented as DaVinci. The problem wasn’t that I’m not either of these people (I never will be). The problem was that I wasn’t thinking about what I ‘could’ do. On top of that, I couldn’t stop. I mean, I could not draw something for months at a time, but eventually, I’d have to go back to creating something. Finally, I stopped looking at just the doing and started making a plan for succeeding. I would say that to anyone who wants to be an artist of any kind, can you succeed in giving it up? If you do succeed in giving it up, you should at least consider doing something else. There are many more stable and lucrative careers out there. If you can’t give up, follow Samuel Beckett’s advice; ​“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Okay, so this is going to get a bit philosophical fast, but I promise there’s a point and I’ll try to get there quickly. In my mind, there are multiple levels of interaction. There’s how humans interact with each other societally speaking, and there’s how we act or feel when we step outside of societal requirements and think in more universal terms. Often people feel it most when they are taking a walk in the woods or somehow spending time with nature. It does seem a bit woo-woo when phrased like this, but still… The connection to the universe is so important to how we feel every day. It’s why so many successful people have a meditation practice for example. What my art does, is explore that connection in a way that hopefully, eventually, brings others into that space. I can’t say that I’ve overcome the challenges of this yet. I’m still learning to make use of specific tools like the view camera and alternate development techniques that require a slower process and a more physical one to bring the work into that kind of space.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As I think you can tell from the previous question, I like spending time outdoors. So I’m thinking cabin in the woods or along the coast of Maine maybe. Ideally, we’d be taking hikes (preferably with a camera) and taking time to really look at what’s there rather than what we expect to be there. Assuming we’re along the coast, I’d also like to bring my SUP and paddle around the islands. I think this is turning more into a meditation retreat than anything. Though there’s a reason most meditation retreats include other people. It helps develop compassion which heightens our own experience.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow. So many people make things possible. First and foremost to a thanks to my kid. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it weren’t for him. Showing him what’s possible is a big part of my motivation. I want him to know he can do whatever he wants, even if it’s a bit crazy and takes a lot of figuring out. I also want to give a shout-out to Betsy Schneider who has been a wonderful source of support and an invaluable second set of eyes so many times. Finally, thanks to Shawn Smith who presented me with this opportunity.

Instagram: @ksguyot

Facebook: Katie.Guyot

Other: Also currently working on a non-profit the Living Earth Initiative @ www.livingearthinitiative.org