July 2006 | Feature
Love What You Do
A closer look at the photographer-artist Mikki Willis
By Sarika Chawla
Are you willing to make sacrifices to safeguard your vision? Most artists face that question multiple times in the course of a career, and the decision rarely gets any easier. For 39-year-old photographer, writer and filmmaker Mikki Willis, the tragedy of 9/11 catalyzed an inner awakening, both in his personal life and his work. “I volunteered with Search and Rescue at Ground Zero,” he explains. “I was struck by what’s possible when humans drop their egos and fight for one goal. That’s when I made the decision that I would continue my work, but I was going to do it in a meaningful way.”
The former fashion model now endeavors to imbue each project with a deeper message, even if it means occasionally walking away from lucrative studio contracts that could be put towards more personally significant projects. And, as karma would have it, it’s all coming back to him. “Now I get to share my life and work with the best yoga teachers, authors of powerful books, gurus and spiritual healers. I feel like I’m detached from Hollywood but I still get to function in it.” Of course, this kind of success doesn’t come without a fight: “Oh, I struggled for years—finding the next job, paying that month’s rent... But if you really love what you do, that passion pays off. I truly believe that. As artists, we have the power of the media; a tool to communicate and educate and to take responsibility.”
Whether it’s capturing a subject’s essence on camera, screenwriting, or producing a film festival designed to elevate community consciousness, Mikki is steadfastly driven by spirit—and a drive to highlight the truth. “In everything that I do, I find myself unveiling the real truth behind what people want to show. People often say that they see a real beauty and sadness in my work, and I think that [combination is] what we are. There’s a human side that will forever suffer, and a spiritual side that knows no suffering.”
Mikki Willis photograped this month’s cover image at the 2005 Burningman Festival in Nevada. Look for Mikki’s work in future issues, and at www.mikkiwillis.com.
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