Meet Lee

I have invited some of my crafty acquaintances to answer some questions about themselves, here is the first one.  A very inspiring story, many thanks Lee.

What is your craft?

I have a passion for Graphic Design and Photography, that I am lucky enough to have been able to create a business from.

How did you get started and when?

My passion for being creative stems from dealing with bullying at school, I have written in some length about his subject on my website - you can find the article at http://www.elevatedby.co.uk/firestorm

Do you have a business name?  What is it and how did you choose it?

Ah now, This is the million dollar question, and many have asked me about how I came up with my business name ‘elevatedby’.  I definitely need to write about this on my own website, but to give a brief introduction here.   

Whilst some people may see my disability having a negative influence on my business, I believe (or at least I hope!) the truth is the total opposite, and that my disability has become part of my business's U.S.P (Unique Selling Point).   

The reason I believe this to be the case,  is that my creativity is what drives me to push the boundaries of my abilities, to reach goals that without a camera in my hand, I'd probably not even bother to aim for.  By allowing others to see my struggles to reach such goals, and then the achievement at the end of the struggle, I'd like to think that not only is it my own self belief and confidence that has been 'elevated by' my creativity, but also my customer's too.

What is your favourite part of your craft?

One time, when I delivered the photographs from a pet photography shoot to a customer. They were so emotionally connected to what I had just delivered, that it brought tears to her eyes,  I almost found myself joining in with the chorus. This is the favourite part of my craft. The ability to affect peoples mood, and, or lives, in such a positive way.  This is something that I will ever take for granted, and it is something that I don't think I will ever get used to.

What is your least favourite part?

Ha ha,  I’m definitely not a morning person, I think the least favourite part is actually the getting out of bed bit of the day in a morning to start on my craft.  I'm told that some people get up before 8:00am. How do you people do it?

Do you have a favourite thing that you make?  Do you have a picture of it?

Ah! You got me! I really do have to think hard about it now.  It's so difficult to pick a favourite part of what I do, If I have to choose, it would have to be the photography side of things.  A camera provides me with the ability to capture that lasting memory of something beautiful, be it something in nature, something man made, or something abstract. Memories that quite often have the ability to live on longer than the creator themselves. That, I think is quite a powerful motivator that gets me out of bed in a morning to go and do something creative.

Do you have a website or Facebook page?  If so what is the URL?

My website is www.elevatedby.co.uk, my facebook page is www.facebook.com/elevatedby and my twitter page is www.twitter.com/elevatedby

Do you sell your makes?  If so, how and where?

I sell my photograph at craft fairs around Yorkshire, and I also provide pet photography, graphic design, and website design services that can be found on my website.

What is your favourite craft product?

My favourite product has to be the panoramic photograph of London that I took on the roof of St. Pauls's Cathedral. It is made up of  16 photographs taken in succession of each other, and stitched together to create a huge panoramic view of the River Thames and some of London's famous landmarks.  It is a view that due to the shear amount of endurance and physical stress that I put myself through to get such photo, I will never ever again climb. I have this photograph printed across my six-foot banner that I take with me to put on the front of my stalls at craft fairs.  It serves as a reminder to me that no matter what! If you put your mind to it, anything is possible!

What is your favourite craft supplier?

No weather pattern is ever the same, no cloud formations are ever repeated. The sky provides me with an endless supply of unique backdrops for my photographs, and the last  light of the day provides me with some of the most amazing colours and patterns created by nature to photograph.  The sky also provides the space in which aircraft fly. Aviation Photography is a favourite pastime of mine, therefore I'd have to say that the sky is my favourite supplier for my craft.

Personal Details

Name

Lee

Age 

31

Location

Leeds, West Yorkshire