One of my dreams for Gather is to celebrate the creativity of local artists, and to encourage shoppers to buy local goods. When local photographer Lindsey Burnett approached me about selling her prints in store, I knew I wanted to display the creative perspective of Lindsey's eye and design. Her style is unique and her prints capture the beauty of Waco and its history.
Lindsey started taking photos in 9th grade when her Dad gifted her with a new camera. Photography became a hobby early on, but she started gaining more experience after graduating college when she realized she enjoyed taking photos so much more than her PR desk job. "After shooting a few weddings with a friend, I realized that a talented photographer doesn't need to be in 'beautiful locations' or have 'dream clients' to be successful and produce amazing art; instead, they can use any event, location or group of people to present it how they want," Lindsey explains. Lindsey challenged herself to see and capture the beauty around her and began excelling as an upcoming photographer.
More than simply taking photos, Lindsey claims she is motivated by a mission to see new perspectives. "I think having a freelance business really challenges me to have a mission, because if you don't, you will definitely want to quit and do something more concrete," writes Lindsey. "With my work I hope people see a new perspective." I admire Lindsey's intentionality to identify and promote her vision through her photography business, and speaking from experience, mission really does change everything in small business.
We are thrilled to carry some of Lindsey's beautiful Waco prints in our store and hope they inspire you to love our little city just a little bit more. So much of our mission at Gather begins with community and we are honored to welcome Lindsey into ours. "Working as a freelancer can sometimes feel isolating, so it's cool to have a place where creatives can sell their products in a community," Lindsey replied after being asked about her partnership with our store. "People want to buy local goods, but the process to find and buy them can feel complicated and impossible. I love that Gather makes local goods easy to access and buy year-round!"
To shop Lindsey's prints, stay tuned for our local pop-up shops and follow us on Instagram to get updates on our building progress!