Today we’d like to introduce you to Phoenix Storm.
Hi Phoenix, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started writing as a kid, always tucking away in corners to write out the various stories in my head. It was an escape for me. My happy place. Since I grew up in the arts world doing theatre, music, and dance, it was natural for me to choose an escape that allowed me to freely use my imagination and create something that was as big or small as I wanted it to be.
When I wasn’t writing, I was taking pictures. It didn’t really matter what the pictures were of, I just enjoyed having a camera in my hands and getting to see what fun photos I could take.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think any road is completely smooth. Mine has had its fair share of bumps and “road closed” signs that I had to work around.
The arts world can be unforgiving at times. You face rejection left and right, there are seasons of prolonged downtime, and the cloud of uncertainty is always looming around. Even when things are going well and you have back-to-back projects, they usually come with an expiration date, so it’s a fun little dance of trying to enjoy the moment while also preparing for the future.
The hardest question for any artist to answer is, “What’s next?” We don’t always know even though we might want to. During these times, I’m especially grateful for my writing and photography escapes. I can keep creating while working toward the next projects.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a photographer, I specialize in portraits and capturing candids at events. I love getting to work with different people because I get to highlight their unique qualities and celebrate fun moments with them.
As a writer, I thrive in realistic fiction. I write stories that pull from everyday life – whether it’s mine or someone else’s – and I throw them into a fictional world. I always say that my characters are never just one person. They’re always combinations of several people, myself included, and their stories can be as complex or vague as they see fit. I’m a big believer in writing what you love, so my stories are the kinds I would love to read.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I think everyone living in Kansas City has at least a shirt, hat, sticker, or something with the KC Heart on it. That speaks to the love and loyalty we have for our city. We can travel anywhere in the world, and we’ll still be repping our KC Royals or Chiefs, whether they win or lose, because we love them and we love our city. That’s what I like the most. KC is home and it’s comfortable. That comfort, however, can limit the want or sometimes even the possibility to branch out and go to new places and live lives outside of KC. When you want to leave but don’t feel like you can, it can be discouraging. On the other side of that, if you do leave, you know that Kansas City, no matter where you go, will always be home.
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