Meet Ayden Reda

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayden Reda.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
So I’m currently 23, but I started my modeling career at around 16 years old. I knew my whole life that I wanted to be an artist and I thought modeling was the best way to get involved in the community. Slowly over the years I started building up a strong portfolio connecting with other artists and really making a name for myself in Chicago. I like to create moody, deep and intimate feeling art. I don’t know if it’s because my Venus is in Scorpio, but I’ve always felt things so deeply and intensely and being able to get creative was the only way I was able to let those intense feelings out.

I’m so blessed I was able to branch out and meet so many amazing people along my journey. Chicago is such a huge city but the creative community is tight-knit and we all know each other it seems. I always felt like an outcast as a kid, like I was too weird or never fit in and then all of a sudden, here I was, getting to showcase my talent and connect with others who were doing the same! Being a model in Chicago comes with its challenges, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s taught me tenacity, strength, integrity and how to love myself no matter who tells me otherwise. Getting to bring a vision to life, to flow, and move my body like a dance, like moving poetry is something that just feels so right. It feels divine and feminine and I love it – but I quickly fell in love with something even deeper than I loved modeling.

I think I have always had a camera, even since I was a kid. I really admired the small details of life that other people seemed to miss, and it made me appreciate the beauty of this earth and of its people so much more. I started taking photography seriously about three years ago. Many jobs I worked were in creative spaces where being good at photography brought many opportunities to me. I worked at Midnight Cinema for a while and getting to help and learn what goes on behind the scenes of such an incredible space was so eye-opening. I learned a lot about business, people and myself. Mostly what is most important to me, which is expression, honesty, community, mindfulness and self-love.

Almost two years ago I started working at Upscale Lofts. I had no idea what it would turn into but I’m incredibly grateful for meeting the owner Azeez (projectzeezy) and for inspiring me, pushing me and being there for me. He showed me how much blood, sweat and tears goes into being a creative in Chicago. He built an empire with his bare hands, and to be beside him while we pushed the studio to the #1 spot in Chicago was incredibly rewarding. While working there, I met so many loving, passionate and talented creatives almost every single day. I learned how much strength I possess, how deeply I love to create, and how important artists are to the world. We often don’t pay artists what they are worth, we don’t see how much sacrifice and how much struggle we go through just to make our dreams come true. My biggest goal is to open my own studio one day, to create music videos and visual art that are profound, poetic and empowering to both the artist and the women in the videos, and of course to continue growing my business to support myself and hopefully pay it back to all the incredible artists in Chicago.

Overall, I feel like I was made for this life. It’s incredible challenging, especially after 16-hour work days, but on other days I feel so full and alive I could cry.

I want my work to showcase more depth, more creativity and more beauty. I don’t want to be basic or do anything to receive praise or likes. I want to continue creating for myself and to make my little ten years old inner child proud and to inspire the people that feel the same way I do. I want to connect the world of music, dance, art, photography and video together into one and create my own space of artistic freedom.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I mean obviously, being a full-time artist is tough. There is often not much security, stability or clarity. You often are not financially stable for a few years and you have to deal with some pretty interesting people and strong personalities. Especially as a woman in this space, you often get overlooked, talked over or just downright ignored. I’ve had to work harder to get my stuff in front of people or for people to actually take me serious. I’ve had to overcome jealousy, disrespect and even assault by other creatives in Chicago. When I go on set it’s not likely I’m going to see other women in high-level positions, like being the director, but I want to change that. I want to push my voice as far as possible and give my viewpoint as a woman and make space and opportunity for more women creators to soar. Honestly, It’s not by any means a life that is easy or predictable but with strong faith and a strong moral compass you will go far.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, I still work with Upscale. But now I work on the film side of things. I do music video direction, photography, and occasionally when I’m feeling really inspired I’ll put together a shoot and model. (Or if someone hires me)

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think success is how you feel, hands down. Many days are going to be tough but if you look around and say “yeah I’m happy with what I’ve done, I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do” that’s all that matters. I have strived for internal peace and calm. The busy and chaotic world of being an artist sometimes makes it hard, but overall I know I CHOSE this life, and I am at peace with that, I think also being able to make a full-time living by yourself, with no company, 9-5 office job, or anyone bossing you around is a huge win for anyone!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/aydenreda

Image Credits
@wowitsomar @ricanfx @_kelsphotoo @nickfstop @filmsbyayden