Daily Inspiration: Meet Hayden Lynch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayden Lynch.

Hi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story of becoming an artist starts with quitting my job in 2018. I worked as a Data Analyst for an advertising agency in Boston for three years. I felt my curiosity for life slowly fade as the monotony of my routine controlled my life. I knew I needed a change; so I quit. I took my savings and backpacked around the world for over a year. The experience changed me: it showed me that there was so much more out there to learn and, if I wanted to grow as a person, I was going to have to take risks.

When I returned home from my travels I was driven to find a career that allowed me to continue to travel an have experiences around the world. I started to write down my stories and sell articles to magazines. After six months of writing, an editor asked me if I had any high-resoluiton photos to go with my article. I said no. She recommended I pick up a camera and learn photography, emphasizing it would make me more valuable as a creator if I could write and capture photos. I bought my first camera the next day.

I immediately fell in love with photography. I realized I could tell a story with one click of a button. Photography was more engaging and interactive than writing. I found myself surrounded with people, taking their photos, sharing their memories; I soon realized this was a career I wanted to pursue.

In 2020, I move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was drawn by the mountains and stayed from the community. That year, the same year I first picked up a camera, I decided the only way to learn photograpy was to practice; so I went out for every sunrise and sunset for the first six months I lived in Jackson – and I mean every sunrise and sunset. I made mistakes, missed hundreds of shots, but slowly, I learned. I remember that summer of 2020 when I sold my first print. I remember in the fall of 2020 when I received my first commercial client. I remember that winter when I first had my work featured by a major magazine. All of those little moments proved possible by the daily work to improve, to be ok failing, and patient with the process.

Now, almost 3 years into this new chapter of my life, I’ve been able to work with dream clients, had my work featured by Outside Magazine, and have worked with companies from around the world. My dream of finding a way to travel turned into my passion. I’m so happy to be here now, writing this, knowing that the work I’ve put in every day has led me to realize my dreams. And though those dreams have grown and changed, I know that me three years ago saw this moment right now as the dream; I try not to forget that.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course there have been challenges. Mostly in the form of self-doubt. Was this really the right choice for me? Was it smart to quit my stable job and leave behind a 6-figure salary for a job that had me losing money daily? Was I good enough? I always had these questions floating in the back of my mind, but through everything, I knew that if I just continued to work hard it would be inevitable that I would find success. I knew I may not be the best photographer out there, but that I would be able to live comfortably off my work and that was good enough for me.

I think the most challenging part though was learning the business side of the industry. How to make money, how to correctly price your work, etc. It took time and failure to learn. I consistently lowered my rates to get work, not realizing that I was hurting myself in doing this. But that is all part of the journey. Overtime I’ve found mentors in the industry that have helped teach me about how to run my own business. I am forever grateful to them.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been lucky enough to cross my photography work with my interests. For example, skiing and climbing are huge passions for me – now I work with pro skiers in Jackson and athletes around the world, telling their stories through my photos and videos. I am grateful to have been able to intersect these two parts of my life: the adventure and travel with my artist and storytelling. It is where I will continue to focus my work for the foreseeable future as it brings me so much joy to be out in nature with likeminded individuals and tell their stories of triumph and failure.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
It doesn’t take much to make me happy. I’ve found joy in the smallest and most inconceivable places because I am most happy when I am surrounded by people. I realized that it does not matter as much where I live or where my work takes me, what matters most is who is with me. The people in my life bring me joy, regardless of the experience. We as humans strive to tell stories, and we do so through our emotions. My emotions are brought out by the people I meet along my travels, by the friends that join me on my crazy adventures, and from my family who always is supportive of me and loves to hear me tell stories from my trips.

Happiness comes from others; building relationships with people will always be the core of my goals in life. I’ve found some of the kindest and most genuine people in some of the most remote parts of the world. I’ve found strong relationships with people who don’t speak the same language as me, people I can barley communicate with but somehow can feel peace by merely sitting next to them and helping them cook dinner over an open fire. I have friends in countries all around the world, people I’ve bumped into on the road that have had significant impacts on my life without even knowing it. I cherish these moments and they will always bring me joy. It is where I find my happiness.

• Instagram: @haydlynch
• Youtube: youtube.com/@haydlynch
• Twitter: @haydlynch
• Facebook: @haydlynch
• TikTok: @haydlynch
• Website: haydenlynch.com
• Print Store: haydenlynch.darkroom.tech

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