Okay, that served its purpose, now I’m out.
Feeling stuck, sacrificing true happiness because of a job, or relationship, or being afraid of the unknown, are feelings that most of us have felt at least once. Maybe to spice things up you do something new to your hair, try out a new diet, or pick up a new hobby or two. Or, you decide to follow your passions and do something really big, like moving away from your hometown of Charlotte to New York City! The epicenter of creativity and hustle where you’re now a small player, in one of America’s biggest games. That’s exactly what 23-year-old Kylee Morgan did. Growing up in Charlotte and attending school in Greensboro at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; North Carolina, for the most part, has always been Kylee’s home. Even so, in 2020, after graduating college with a degree in new media and design, amidst a global pandemic, Kylee was ready to break the cycle of just getting by, and doing what she felt others expected her to do.
After graduating from college, Kylee found herself living the life of many recent grads. She landed a good job in Charlotte working as a UX designer while living at home with her parents to save money. She also started her own business, KY Designed, a digital marketing creative agency. “With KY Designed, I was freelancing. It was cool, but between that and my job I quickly came to realize that I don’t really like graphic design that much.” Going through the motions and feeling disconnected from her most authentic self, Kylee was hungry for some type of change. She grew up being a creative child, dressing up and taking pictures, being one of her favorite activities in her youth. Now, in her early twenties, there was a part of her that knew she wanted to access that side of herself again, and in 2021, she did.
With enough money saved up from living with her parents, along with having a stable, remote job, Kylee and a friend decided to rent a long-term stay at an Airbnb in Brooklyn. Within days Kylee says, she started meeting people who were on similar artistic and spiritual journeys as her. People, just like Kylee, who are actively making a path towards their dreams. “I got to New York and started meeting creative people immediately. Literally the same day. Creatives in New York are more open than what I experienced in Charlotte,” Kylee says. In that openness, Kylee has collaborated with an array of photographers, stylists, and creative directors within the Big Apple, slowly making a name for herself in the modeling and styling industry. Already have done some model work in Charlotte, Kylee’s creative journey in New York has allowed her to step into her modeling bag once again. One of her first collaborations in NYC titled, “Outside,” is an ode to old money seaside luxury aesthetics. “Chris [photographer] was one of the first people I met in New York. So he hits me up and told me he wanted to do something on the beach, and tells me he needs it to feel luxurious and beachy, and I had an outfit in mind. He sent some inspiration and based on that I was able to add my own personal twists. One of my signatures is a silk scarf.”
Less than a year into this leap of faith journey and Kylee has already signed with a creative agency, MultiiMedia, allowing her modeling and styling talents to be showcased on an even bigger scale. She credits most of her success to her mentality of “I don’t have a plan, but I have faith.” “In the past 2 years, I’ve had such spiritual enlightenment,” she says. “We think life is going to go a certain way, and it never does.” This mindset helped give Kylee the confidence to recently let go of her UX designing job to pursue her passions more intensely. “Coming here, you feel energized to create. It’s the most creative place in the US,” Kylee tells us. “It made me feel confident in quitting my job. I would have never quit my job if I was in Charlotte, but since being here, I am confident because I’ve already been presented with so many opportunities already,” she says. The confidence, even though it is self-taught like most of Kylee’s interests, allows her to keep her head on a swivel for the next opportunity.
Where some people panic at not having a full-scale and detailed calculated plan for their lives, Kylee is treading forward on a personal journey toward her own self-fulfillment. “I’m still trying to figure out what I really want to do. But I’ve noticed the things I truly enjoy doing are things I did as a child. Like fashion, even as a child, I was a really “eclectic” dresser. I’ve also always enjoyed videos. It’s all about going with your roots”, she tells us. We asked her what she wants us and others to know about the highs and lows of moving away from your hometown and finding yourself again. “This sounds cliche, but, moving, getting away from home, you really discover yourself. When you’re not in an environment that’s super familiar, you’re forced to be your own friend and get to know yourself. 2022 taught me I can do whatever I want. I can quit my job and move to New York. Just do whatever you want” she says.
