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

Hi V, what role has risk played in your life or career?
To take a risk is to take a chance on you. Taking a risk is absolutely terrifying and as someone who loves to know every possible outcome and to be secure in decisions sometimes you can’t. You can’t always plan things or have every detail in order. Taking a risk means that you trust yourself. It means you have confidence in yourself as a person. Your ability, knowledge, and resilience.

Every project I do is a risk. Not everything will do well or be received how I want it to be. Collaborating with other artist is a risk, I’m trusting these individuals with my time, money, and creative ideas which can be scary. But for me taking risks changed my life, I wouldn’t be where I am or where I’m heading if I didn’t get out of my comfort zone and take that first step of simply going to a shoot. Not every risk is life or death but you never which one will change your life forever.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Always trust and invest in yourself. I come from a city where there’s not much going on. My whole life I limited myself to the confines of what I had seen or been told I can be. When I started living for myself instead of looking to everyone for answers; that’s when I truly began to feel alive.

My art through my poetry, articles, photoshoots, I always want to inspire. I have a hard time being vulnerable so my art is like a window to my soul. I never want to tell people how to interpret my work, because people will take what resonates with them. But I hope the passion and dedication I pour into every project overwhelms the audience.

The journey is never easy. I’ve had to walk away from people and situations that I spent my whole life searching for, but when you allow yourself to grow and evolve you realize that what you wanted is not what you need. And it’ll take you even further. You look up and realize you were chasing the bare minimum. I’ve always been a self motivated person and I push myself to keep going even when it feels impossible because if I’ve come this far imagine how far I can go and all I can accomplish if I don’t stop now.

My biggest advice is to trust people. People aren’t inherently bad. Trust yourself. If you know who YOU are no one could ever tell you different. Depend on other people. Be open to learn. Keep your heart and mind open always. It will get better.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Pho Cuong. I usually gatekeep but they’re the best pho spot in OKC. Check out the thrift stores like SecondChance Thrift there’s so many great LOCAL places. Yes Goodwill is great but when you shop local it really highlights the beauty of our city.

Get involved in the art scene it’s beautiful! The Plaza Walls. Contemporary Art Museum. Go skate at Skate Galaxy. Check out the Farmer’s Market. And go have a great time and vibe with your friends at Palo Santo!

Scissortail Park is beautiful as well as Bricktown. I road the streetcar for the first time back in 2023 it was so much fun and there’s so much to see, especially Automobile Alley.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout my brother Ontario Byrd aka Wannabepeterparker for being such a rock in my life. I wanna shoutout my family especially my little brothers. I want them to see me on my path and realize it’s not easy but the journey is beautiful and they can be and do whatever they want. I would like to shoutout all my friends, Khiry and a Daishon especially for never letting me give up. They are probably the kindest people I know. Alex keep going man. The sky is the limit. And I just really wanna highlight the creative community in Oklahoma. We’re a bit smaller but we’re growing rapidly and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. I can proudly say I’m from Oklahoma. The things we’re doing and the spaces of love, acceptance, and support we’ve created can never be replicated.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vcassoooo?igsh=Y2h6cHF3cnQ4bXM4&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Dencil Rolle Jr. @bookofx
Ontario Byrd @Wannabepeterparker
Shola C. Sogunro @TheLoveGallery

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