Meet Megan O’Dell | Photographer, Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan O’Dell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, how do you think about risk?
I think about it like this:

When it comes to taking risks, you have to believe in yourself. You have to realize that feeling, that voice inside of you that’s pushing you to take this risk is there for a reason. You know that you deserve more, and in order to get it, you have to take the risk.

It takes a lot of courage to decide to start down a new path, but the fact that you have the vision and the feeling that you should take the risk is proof enough that you’re meant for more.

I have learned that other people who aren’t on your journey might not understand it, but you HAVE to trust the feeling inside you. It’s also important to remember that many people are going to project their ideas of what is possible onto you, so they’ll tell you you’re making a mistake, tell you you’re being too risky or that you’re crazy or whatever… but that’s just their own limiting beliefs talking and you should take their advice with a grain of salt. You have the vision, you have the gut feeling, you know deep down what’s meant for you, so ignore anyone else who doesn’t see what you see and DO YOU!

When I am feeling nervous about taking a risk, I like to remind myself of the saying “Fortune favors the brave.” If I want to make changes in my life and for exciting things to happen, I need to put myself out there and take chances. My entire career wouldn’t be where it is now if I hadn’t taken the risk to move to LA 2 years ago. At the time, I was taking a massive risk because I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have any industry connections, and I also hadn’t ever had a job as a photographer before. All I had was my blind instinct and creative passion to make things happen for myself!

I also overthink *a lot,* and reminding myself that in life there is no such thing as “right” or “wrong” decisions– only decisions– also helps remove the pressure of decision-making and eases my anxiety to know that the universe will simply adjust to whatever decision I make. At the end of the day, if you’re worried about taking a risk because “what if it doesn’t work out and I lose everything?”, I ask you to replace that thought with “what if it DOES work out and you gain everything and more?” There’s no way to know what will happen without taking the risk, and like I said, I choose to believe fortune favors the brave.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I have always found it hard to describe my art, it’s so personal and ever-evolving. How do you describe the way you express yourself? How I perceive my art might be different from how someone else sees it. Right now, I think my art is loud and colorful, and I have used photography as the medium for self-expression for a majority of my art so far, but I’m starting to experiment more with digital art as well, so I’m excited to see how those two can work together and evolve to communicate my perspective. Even though it’s ever-changing, there is one constant that I think really sets my art apart from others, and that’s ME. It’s my perspective, my voice, my vision, my ideas, that make my work unique.

I’m also working on separating my art from my career, or trying to figure out how they can both coexist harmoniously. Because as many artists will tell you, it can be difficult to stay fulfilled and excited about creating when you are only ever creating for someone else. I’m currently working on finding that sweet spot, and so my career path has been a bit non-traditional. I’ve faced a lot of difficulties along the way and have been brought to the breaking point quite a few times. What’s important though is that I never gave up and kept on pushing and following my dreams. Everything I have gone through has led me to where I am now, and I’m extremely proud of how far I have come. I still feel like I have so much more I want to do, and so much more I want to communicate and express with my art. I have been on this journey for a couple years, and while I have come a long way, I still feel like this is just the beginning of my journey and I’m so excited to see how far I will go and where my desire to create will take me next.

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?
Some scenic must-sees are Malibu Creek State park, Griffith Park at sunset, and Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens. For amazing dinners, I’d take them to Republique, Firefly, Bacari Silverlake, and then hit the rooftops of Perch, Mama Shelter & Desert 5 Spot for some scenic night-time views of the city. For brunch we can go to the Guest House in Los Feliz.

One of my favorite things about LA is the abundance of live music, so I’d have to take them to one of my favorite spots, Gold Diggers, for a fun show. If couldn’t leave LA without visiting LACMA, and if they’re into history we can check out the tar pits. We could end the week at the beach near the beautiful Venice Canals and a stroll down Abbott Kinney with dinner at Gjelina!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest supporter is my best friend, Rachel. She is my biggest cheerleader and has been a loving constant in my life. She has been there for me through the hardest times in my life, and is always there to talk me off the ledge when things get hard and I want to quit.

Bonnie Nichoalds has been a key mentor for me and has brought me on to some really cool projects that have been some favorite memories of my career so far. I am just really grateful that we met and for every opportunity I have gotten to be a part of with her.

Website: www.meganodell.com

Instagram: meganodellphoto

Image Credits
Models: Nayoung (One Management), Lily Jane & Makensey Werring (Freedom Models), Haley Halter (Vision LA), Sierra Lang (State Management) Makeup: Leslie de Jesus, Tatiyana Elias, Abigail Smith Style: Tatiana Isshac, Kaitlyn Lusk Hair: Jamie Lopez, Jennifer Mitchell