Kate Devine, an American Photographer in Paris, on Freelancing and her Evolving Idea of Success
“...perhaps many of us have this sense of multiple identities that we have to contend with...”
Here at IVC, we strive to always show that career “success” comes in many different forms. For some, it is the achievement of very clear goals on the road to entrepreneurship or a big corporate job - the culmination of a life spent strategizing and planning. But for others, “success” is a life of new experiences, continued learning and room for creativity - an undefined and evolving future, preceded by a vibrant and engaged present. It can also be every and any thing in between the two.
American born, Paris-based writer/photographer Kate Devine’s life is currently the opposite of what she had always imaged. She thought that by now she would be Dr. Kathryn E. Devine, married and beginning a promising career in academia in the US. Instead, she finds herself divorced, studying in Paris, on a “cobbled together” career path and still, the happiest she’s ever been. Her journey is not without moments of self-doubt and uncertainty, but it’s unfolding on her own schedule and according to her own needs. She’s finding purpose and joy, creating beauty along the way. I had been a quiet follower of her gorgeous and soulful instagram account, where she shares her arresting photographs of Paris supported by thoughtful captions, until one particular post compelled me to reach out to her about sharing her story. She had just renewed her carte de séjour (French resident permit) and was pondering her years in Paris. In her words:
“As I wandered, I remembered how, before moving to France, I would sometimes wonder if any of the decisions I made were actually my own. I’d felt like a character in the b-list movie of my life, every choice preordained, [as if] arrangements were made en absentia, with only lip-service forks in the road.”
That idea of navigating life, living not out of conscious choice but going through the motions, only doing things because it was the natural next step, really resonated with me as I had once felt the same. The amount of feedback I had received on my story of leaving my career and life in NY, made it very clear to me that many women were thirsty for more examples of women who drastically changed their lives, were challenging the generally accepted idea of what “success” looks like and finding happiness on their own terms. I’m certain that Kate’s journey and decision making will guide and inspire others. The natural creative, whose work has appeared in Epicurious, Saveur and Food 52, gives us a raw and honest take on freelancing, challenging our ideas of ourselves, the importance of female friendships and adjusting to life’s curveballs.
Here is Kate’s beautiful and continuously evolving story. All of the photography used in this article are her own work unless explicitly stated.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Portsmouth Virginia, but because my dad was in the military, I never quite know how to answer the question “where are you from?” I moved to Paris from Nashville, Tennessee but I grew up in Alaska, Virginia, Colorado and Kentucky.
Your education background?
I got an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and am currently finishing my dual PhD at Vanderbilt University and Université Paris 8 here in Paris. My path to get here has been a bit unorthodox: I started my PhD at Vanderbilt in 2014 and my intent was to teach. I really did picture myself as a successful professor writing books and going to conferences with a room full of students anxious to learn.
What are you doing instead?
What I’m currently doing often feels a bit “cobbled together” – writing, photography, styling work, photography assistant work, and even videography sometimes – but the truth is that I love how everything blends together to keep me feeling continually inspired.
Can you take us through your career and education journey leading up to how you ended up in Paris?
This is a challenging question for me because I’m still finishing my degree and, as such, I remain somewhat unsure of where my career will lead me. In 2015 I was newly married and had received a grant to do a research project in Paris on the French artist Camille Claudel. I found a cheap place to stay in the 19th arrondissement and with some of the money left over from the grant, I bought a camera. At the time, I knew almost no one in the city and was constantly studying for exams and researching, so walking around with my camera was a way to force myself to take breaks. My mental health had suffered because of the stress of the PhD program and I turned to photography as a form of self-care. It helped me see the beauty in the world that I’d been ignoring, to appreciate the day to day, and also helped me dedicate a bit of time each day to just being present. That was the start of Dear Everest, a photography project originally intended to evoke the act of reaching for things that feel unattainable. I suppose you could say that was the beginning of it all. Within a year I’d finagled a visa through a very low-paid teaching position at the Sorbonne, gotten a divorce, and moved permanently to Paris. The first few years here were a constant battle with my American university in order to stay but eventually I started a dual PhD with Université Paris 8 and that justified my being here. While working on my thesis, I was simultaneously doing more and more photography and really finding my visual voice. I slowly (and somewhat accidentally at first) began to get professional photography jobs. As of about a year ago, I’ve been working pretty consistently with a Canadian photographer who is a real idol of mine, Joann Pai (@sliceofpai). Her mentorship and friendship have really helped me come into my own. This year I’ve worked under her on three books, shot multiple restaurants, as well as a variety of other projects on my own.
How was the adjustment to moving to Paris? How did you learn the language, make friends?
My love-affair with France is longstanding. I actually won a scholarship to be an exchange student in high school and that was when I learned French. I lived abroad for a semester in college and then I spent a year and a half working in Normandy through a sister-city commission between my masters and my PhD. Fortunately, that has meant that my language skills have been pretty solid for a while which has also made it easier for me to make friends (and in fact I still have some dear friends here dating back to high school that I manage to see from time to time). My partner is also French and since we’ve spoken French together since we met this has made it easy for me to keep progressing. I’m really fortunate in that respect. When I first moved here I remember stubbornly wanting to stay away from the anglophone community -- I thought I’d only be in Paris for a year and wanted to really improve my language skills before going back to the US. It wasn’t until I’d been here for 2 years that this began to change. I sort of stumbled into a friend-group of anglophones (through Instagram incidentally) and I can’t say what a beautifully fulfilling experience the love and support of these women has been for me. They’ve truly altered my perspective of what friendship can be -- we support each other, we promote each other, we console each other, we are truly a family. I count myself extremely lucky to have them.
“Life is constantly telling us “no.” The trick is to figure out when to accept that and when to keep trying.”
Are you generally where you expected to be in life?
Absolutely not. I was supposed to be Dr. Kathryn E. Devine by now (though this should still be happening covid-permitting early this year). I thought I’d have been starting a stable career in academia and living in the US. I’m doing none of these things and honestly as scary as it is to face the prospect of having gone to school for all these years for “nothing,” I’m fine with the choices I’ve made. With that said, it has definitely been psychologically somewhat challenging. For example, when people ask me what I do, I still find myself hesitating. For a long time, I’ve grappled with this sentiment that my two selves didn’t quite align. On the one hand, there’s Kate the photographer and writer, on the other there’s Kate the PhD student and would-be professor. Only recently have I been more at peace with the idea that I am all of these things. And perhaps many of us have this sense of multiple identities that we have to contend with. As I’ve gotten used to this, I’ve learned to let myself wear whatever “self” I feel like on any given day, like changing outfits. The important thing has been the process I think, the steps I’ve taken towards coming to terms with and appreciating this hybridity and owning the idea that I am what I am, in whatever weird and complicated way that takes its shape.
What are some projects you’re excited about and where can we find your work?
After having been contacted multiple times by people wanting to know if I sell prints, I have begun (informally) selling my work. I’m also available as a travel, lifestyle and food photographer and am looking to do more work with brands in the future, especially small brands with similar ethical values to my own. Currently I’m very excited to be working on the next issue of Voyage Voyage Magazine (spring 2021) as well as for some upcoming projects with brands like La Chambre and d’still. It’s been really exciting to see how things are beginning to come together.
Are you generally where you expected to be in life?
Absolutely not. I was supposed to be Dr. Kathryn E. Devine by now (though this should still be happening covid-permitting early this year). I thought I’d have been starting a stable career in academia and living in the US. I’m doing none of these things and honestly as scary as it is to face the prospect of having gone to school for all these years for “nothing,” I’m fine with the choices I’ve made. With that said, it has definitely been psychologically somewhat challenging. For example, when people ask me what I do, I still find myself hesitating. For a long time, I’ve grappled with this sentiment that my two selves didn’t quite align. On the one hand, there’s Kate the photographer and writer, on the other there’s Kate the PhD student and would-be professor. Only recently have I been more at peace with the idea that I am all of these things. And perhaps many of us have this sense of multiple identities that we have to contend with. As I’ve gotten used to this, I’ve learned to let myself wear whatever “self” I feel like on any given day, like changing outfits. The important thing has been the process I think, the steps I’ve taken towards coming to terms with and appreciating this hybridity and owning the idea that I am what I am, in whatever weird and complicated way that takes its shape.
What are some projects you’re excited about and where can we find your work?
After having been contacted multiple times by people wanting to know if I sell prints, I have begun (informally) selling my work. I’m also available as a travel, lifestyle and food photographer and am looking to do more work with brands in the future, especially small brands with similar ethical values to my own. Currently I’m very excited to be working on the next issue of Voyage Voyage Magazine (spring 2021) as well as for some upcoming projects with brands like La Chambre and d’still. It’s been really exciting to see how things are beginning to come together.
“I wish money and finances were talked about more openly, not only because this would make it a lot easier for us all to get what we need and to navigate the freelance world but because it would show us for what and who we are – just humans trying to get by while contributing meaningfully to our communities.”
What does “success” look like to you?
For me, success looks like happiness and the feeling of contributing something meaningful to my community. Above all, this has meant accepting that I probably will never have the life I’d once imagined for myself (and the ideal of success that life entailed). The truth is, I would rather embrace the flux. If I can continue to find a way to live with fluctuating income, doing the many things I adore instead of having a stable career where I feel only limited joy and creativity, I consider that success.
What character traits have contributed to any success you have achieved?
I am one of the most stubborn people I know and, incidentally, this is also one of the traits I admire most in others. My family actually jokes about this all the time -- I can call them devastated over some major set-back or another and they just say to me “you always find a way.” Life is constantly telling us “no.” The trick is to figure out when to accept that and when to keep trying. And it’s true, I don’t take “no” for an answer when it comes to what I want for myself. I suppose you could say I’m extremely “débrouillarde,” a French word that means resourceful or crafty but also has the connotation of being ready to roll up your sleeves to make things happen.
What are your biggest challenges or obstacles and how do you deal with them? How do you manage self-doubt?
I think finding a way to make a sustainable living is the biggest obstacle I’m facing at the moment and something that has certainly been complicated by the pandemic. Instagram has contributed to a situation where brands want things for free (and, to be fair, they can often get them for free), so they contact photographers hoping to exchange products for photos. I absolutely love the idea of a barter economy and I know that creators are definitely not the only ones having to tighten the proverbial belt right now. But the sad truth is landlords won’t accept trades. This sort of leads into the next question because this does create a lot of self-doubt and even guilt. I sometimes get contacted by small brands with beautiful products that I want to work with, and I almost feel bad about negotiating with them given the circumstances. Unfortunately, I have to make a living too. For now, with certain clients, I am trying to remain flexible where I can. But with the current situation I do have some fears about sustainability over the long-term. I think this is an extremely important thing to discuss openly because social media tends to create an image of success and prosperity and it’s important to acknowledge that that’s just what this is : a story. I wish money and finances were talked about more openly, not only because this would make it a lot easier for us all to get what we need and to navigate the freelance world but because it would show us for what and who we are – just humans trying to get by while contributing meaningfully to our communities. For now, I’m supplementing my income with savings and reminding myself that this struggle is normal, first because of the pandemic and also because I have not been able to dedicate myself 100% to building my career since I’ve always been simultaneously dedicated to finishing my PhD.
What makes you smile or brings you joy?
Linen sheets fresh out of the dryer, the moment when the shadows are long and golden and Paris makes a little nod to the cliché, waking up to 5 memes my sister’s sent me in the middle of the night, my cat purring on my knees, light hitting the wall next to my fireplace, sentences that pop into your brain while you’re half asleep, steam rising from black coffee, a blank page…
What is something about yourself that would surprise people?
I’d say probably the fact that I am concurrently finishing my PhD. I don’t consider myself fitting neatly into the box that one might imagine when they think of an academic, and yet, I am one. I am truly proud of the work I’ve done (and continue to do) on my thesis and hope to find ways to meld this academic background, especially with respect to my degree in Women & Gender Studies, with my work in the future.
What is a negative experience you went through and how did it shape or impact you?
Going through the process of learning how to negotiate with brands has been a complicated one and somewhat anxiety ridden at times. I specifically remember the first time I lost out on a project because I was honest about what I could do with the constraints the brand had given. That moment was a real eye-opener to me because I initially felt like I’d made a big mistake and should have just said yes no matter what. Now, however, I’ve realized that my best work is created when I feel good about what I’m working on and like my work is being valued by the client. That was a really important lesson.
A wonderful moment you would like to re-live?
I would transport myself back to an amazing vacation I took in August 2018 in Italy. I had just gotten my first professional camera and my partner and I decided to stretch our money as far as it would go. Instead of taking a shorter vacation further afield, we went to Italy where we found an amazing Airbnb in a tiny seaside town (Massa) with the sweetest Italian family and then went to see a dear friend (@thetravellinglight) who had just left Paris to make a new life in the Marche region of Italy. It was the most beautiful month, I’m still dreaming of it. We ate so much pasta, we sunbathed on rocks by the ocean, we swam in the river with Italian locals, we wandered the streets of little towns and we drank bottles of wine while counting shooting stars (on my life, it was that perfect). I can’t wait to go back again when the pandemic is over. Besides visiting my family, that will undoubtedly be the first thing we do when it’s safe to travel again.
A time when not getting what you wanted worked in your favor?
I recently got a rejection after applying for a full-time job that felt like a meeting point between my PhD and my creative side. After reading their (very kind) email and feeling the initial thud of disappointment, I immediately started trying to convince myself this would be one of those stories where I would look back one day and say “thank goodness I didn’t get that or I wouldn’t be doing X now!” But I’m not a motivational speaker, this isn’t a Ted talk, and frankly, failure burns. With that said, there is nevertheless some truth to that idea since, had I gotten that job, I would have had to push my photography/personal writing to the side and I would never have known if this path was going to “work” for me or not. And I do I feel strongly that this is something I need to bring to term.
Advice to your younger self?
Don’t let other people’s notions of success impact your self-worth. Don’t impose a timeline on your life, it will just cause you grief. Some people know what they want from age 10, you’re not one of them.
Above Image courtesy of Ula Blocksage
A quote that exemplifies your outlook on life?
“In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.” - Patti Smith (Early Work, 1970-1979)
Above Image courtesy of Ula Blocksage
You can find Kate at:
Instagram: @deareverest
Website: www.DearEverest.com
Email: hellodeareverest@gmail.com
