We recently had the chance to connect with Hailey Birchfield-Callahan and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Hailey, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
For many years I avoided creating art that was “too dark” or “too creepy”. Lately, however, I’ve realized that more people want to see that from me. More importantly, I want to see that from myself.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hailey Birchfield-Callahan and I’m an Ohio-based photographer and graphic artist! My work is very conceptual and dark. I like to create thought provoking images that lean into the darker subjects of life. I started creating these types of images in my parent’s garage when I was in high school. It has taken me years to return to the macabre, but I’m happy to be creating things again that are so genuine to me.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband. Thankfully, he let me travel this journey at my own pace while supporting me the whole way. He was never surprised when I told him what type of things I’d like to create. He knew it was there. He knew who I was when we met. He just waited for me to figure it out too. He’s always been my biggest supporter.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. There was a time when I thought I had to create for other people. I thought I had to mold myself into the photographer that blended in. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t genuine. I took a step back for a year. I realized that I just hadn’t found my people yet. Now that I have, I feel reignited to create what speaks to me most.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Honestly, yes. It hasn’t always been that way though. When I was finding out who I was, I hid behind this facade. I felt that being my genuine self would be “bad for business”. What it really did was suck the joy out of my biggest passion. Now, however, I am very genuinely myself. I share the weird things, the failures, the funny things. I’m letting more people see me for who I am as a person and artist.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think people will misunderstand that my work isn’t meant to be just weird or depressing. It’s deeper than that. There are hidden meanings in all of my work, you just have to find them. Although the images may appear dark, sometimes there is a hopeful message. It’s just how I portray it. I want people to understand that I was not fearful of the dark, but rather embraced it in its own beauty. We cannot have light without dark.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haileybirchfield.com
- Instagram: @haileybirchfield
- Other: TikTok: @hailey.birchfield
Image Credits
Solomon, Samantha Rothe, Kaya Rossey, Sydney Jordan, Terra Masumoto
