Creativity is a free-flowing emotion that helps humans pursue activities that may eventually lead them to great fulfillment. Since the perfect time to 'create' or think out of the box is often unpredictable, many self-labeled artists and even entrepreneurs struggle to capitalize on the big dreams they always have swirling in their heads.
Kylie River, a young entrepreneur with a strong interest in sports, entertainment, and music, has encountered this problem herself. Due to her mother's health complications, Kylie found herself pressed with time, to ensure she could care for her. This made for a difficult entry into extracurriculars and other creative endeavors.
This didn't keep her from using entertainment as her escape and dabbling in sports like volleyball. However, Kylie never really knew how to take her dreams and make them a reality, especially because her interests involved fields that were difficult to enter. Thankfully, with the right amount of serendipity and self-confidence, she is now building her creative and entrepreneurial career.
Kylie River was raised in Ohio for half of her childhood before moving to Kentucky. Throughout her formative years, her mother's medical issues limited her ability to explore various activities. Kylie and her brother spent much time watching television and movies, fostering a love for entertainment. For Kylie, this later developed into a curiosity for acting and performing arts in general.
On her path to practicing sports like parkour, Kylie faced many setbacks mentally. She was confused about what path to follow because her passions weren't conventional careers that people encouraged her to follow. Kylie also made some self-sabotaging decisions that put her in a very dark situation that she had to work hard to overcome. She was able to work through these obstacles as she first began exploring her natural athleticism through parkour and later stunt training. These activities granted Kylie a sense of community both at the extreme sports gym she used to work at, and during the ESPN women's World Chase Tag competition.
Although parkour training was fulfilling for Kylie, she felt like something was still missing from her life. She always knew acting was for her, but had no idea how to break into the industry. By chance, she met an acting coach and began taking classes. She was surprised at how affordable they were and how quickly she was signed with an agent for acting and modeling. Things in this area of Kylie's life have moved rapidly. In a very short time, she has already modeled for numerous brands and is even walking in the Miami Swim Week runway show later this year. On the acting side, Kylie has played several supporting roles and a few lead ones too for indie films.
As Kylie has continued sharpening her skills in acting, modeling, and extreme sports, she has found new interests in stunt performance and horror films. Throughout this time, she has also relocated to Atlanta to have access to more creative opportunities.
While Kylie's story is full of many positives, the emerging creative has also learned the importance of handling negative situations. When she began exploring songwriting and music production recently, Kylie felt unsure about her talents.
"I love investing in multiple creative and athletic pursuits, but I have also learned that my mindset is key to what I can accomplish," Kylie says. "When I was focusing heavily on parkour and sports, I put too much pressure on myself. I tried to be perfect and I had a hard time justifying to myself why I was committing time and money to a hobby that has fewer financial opportunities. However, I've been able to move through these dark moments and realize that it is possible to balance the culture of entertainment and sports. I just have to give myself the time and space necessary to reflect on why I am doing this work and what goals I want to achieve."
Kylie River's story of courageousness, mental health challenges, and the joy of creativity inspires all budding entrepreneurs and creators. Her experience as an actress, athlete, content creator, and musician highlights the fluidity of human expression and showcases how critical it is to let yourself live freely.
