Meet Journey Esposito

We had the good fortune of connecting with Journey Esposito and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Journey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I was just 5 years old I begged my parents for a camera. I still remember that blue film camera in my hands. I had this desire to capture the world around me. As I grew older I kept adding new mediums to my toolbox: A video camera in third grade, paper and paint, a digital camera in middle school which I upgrading to this day. In high school I took a creative writing class that changed my life. All of sudden painting and my cameras where not the only way for me to tell stories, but my words could as well. I was living in Nicaragua at the time and all I wanted to do was write down everyone’s stories. I wanted people’s gold to be shared.

I originally went to college to be a middle school teacher. Throughout my time there I switched between many majors. I wanted to study art, writing, ministry, and psychology. Half way through college a dream started forming. I wanted to start a business where I could combine art, photography, and writing. A storyteller’s true outlet. The focus: humanity and the depths that each human shows i the simplicity of their living.

I spent many years holding on to this dream and increasing my skill set. I had friends “hire” me so I could gain experience and test the waters to see if this was something I wanted to do. In January this year I finally launched my business. I am releasing it phases. Right now I only offer digital art pieces, wedding stationary/art, and photography services. But I’m exited for the next phase of writing that is coming.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am heart person. I feel other’s people’s hearts deeply. Whether that be in celebration or grief. I create digital art pieces that people can use on special occasions like their wedding day or birthdays to remember and memorialize their life and love. I pour my heart into each art piece no matter how simple it is. Because with each line art I do, or wedding map, or watercolor house I try to capture that feeling of home in it. The feeling of “I know this isn’t actually that person, but it makes me remember the smell of their cologne or the feeling rubbing their lipstick off my cheek.” And that feeling, while called nostalgia, is also packaged with gratitude and love. If a loved one passed away and wasn’t able to make it to your wedding, you would send me pictures of them and a picture of the wedding dress and the groom even if all people are separate. I then create an art piece that shows all of you together, the bride in her wedding gown and the groom in his tux with the lost loved ones. A real picture couldn’t happen that day, but an art piece from me could. That’s just one of the types of art pieces I do.

I am also a photographer. To be honest, there are so many incredible photographers out there, especially now that we live in a world where anyone with a phone can practice photography. But, being a heart person, I actually specifically try to capture the heart of a person in every one of my photos I deliver. From the capture of it to the editing part of it. I can edit it to be more film-like, antique or vibrant and modern. It depends on who the person is and what story of theirs I am trying to draw out. Before every photoshoot I actually pray over my time photographing. I pray that I would see what is not so easy to see and that I could capture the heart of the people in front of me that even when they see those photos they would be in wonder as well.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a coffee shop and park kind of girlie. I would take them to Hands and Rose at Upperroom for some coffee then we would trek over to White Rock Lake to walk around. For lunch I’d take them to Rodeo Goat cause they have the BEST goat cheese burgers and amazing sweet potato fries. There are so many fun coffeeshops I love going to like Wayward and Ascension Coffee.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This might be a cliché, but I truly want to shoutout my parents. They have been my biggest advocates throughout this whole journey. They believed in my business even when so many thought me starting this was foolish timing. They invested so much time in mentoring and encouraging me, as well as covering me in prayer to get me to where I am today. I mean they were the ones who bought me that first little blue camera.

Website: www.ofthresholdsandwonders.com

Instagram: of_thresholds_and_wonders

Image Credits
Of Thresholds and Wonders