Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Powell
Hi Whitney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Nashville, TN – the best city in the world – and as a young girl, I was always creating – painting in my room, making ‘music videos’ with my friends, or putting on fashion shows at home. Fashion especially was a way I loved expressing myself, and I remember begging my mom to let me walk in the Dillard’s store fashion show at the Cool Springs mall when I was 7. I got to pick out my own yellow tutu outfit, and I was hooked. But at 8 years old I found a passion for running, taking after my mom, and started running track competitively. The next 10 years of my life were largely dedicated to traveling for meets and training year-round physically and mentally as an athlete. Those years were foundational for me and taught me so much about myself.
At 15 I started modeling when I was scouted through my agency here in Nashville. I fell in love with the creative process, and loved meeting new people and working with brands I loved. I enjoyed the running and modeling dual life I had for a minute, but my plan was always to go to college and run track. Around the same time a back injury ended my running dream, I signed with True Model Management in New York and saw myself heading more in that direction. That year I started serving in ministry and led a women’s community in Nashville where I got to pour into and walk alongside other young women. It was really important to me to create a community where young women could find a place to belong and be empowered by hearing other women’s stories. Then I tripped and fell into pageantry which became another way to advocate for women and causes that mattered to me. Those years heavily shaped my trajectory and is the most purposeful thing I feel I’ve done in my life so far. Then when the pandemic caused me to pivot the modeling dream temporarily, I moved to LA to study film and production at Pepperdine University. Since then, I bounce back and forth between Nashville and LA.
But at my core, and why I got to where I am now, was my dream to just tell stories – it’s the through-line in my story. I come from a town full of storytellers, and at a young age, I think I understood the impact storytelling could have. I don’t come from a musical family but living in Nashville, you grow up in close proximity with kids whose parents were hit songwriters which gives you a degree of familiarity with it. I remember as a young girl I would watch the CMT music video countdown with my mom on Saturday mornings, and all of the sudden these songs I listened to had an entirely new life and meaning because of a film, and it was the most magical thing to me. Fast forward to my 20’s, I knew I wanted to enter the film space, and when I started booking modeling jobs for different country music videos, I found myself on sets learning from amazing directors in Nashville and saw my path naturally start to merge in that direction. I started assisting on different projects for artists in town including Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina, and eventually began freelance producing and directing music videos for artists and content for other brands, which is what I’m currently focused on.
In my free time, I love painting in my studio and working on a new collection. I’m also excited to direct some of my own projects this year, and share more about a new fashion-based project centered on women’s advocacy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has come with it’s battles. Like everyone, I’ve been through seasons hearing “no” or “almost” plenty of times, dreams and goals not turning out as expected, and navigating broken relationships. I think disappointment, as earth-shattering and shocking as it can be, is redirection and a gift in hindsight. It’s helped me get more clear on who I am and what I’m here to do.
But my hardest battle to date that I haven’t been open about much yet would be my diagnosis with a Lyme disease co-infection called Bartonella, and PANDAS, a neuropsychiatric autoimmune disorder, that started when I was about 11 years old. It is something that was always in the background of my life, but it never had a name until a doctor diagnosed me with Bartonella at 19, and PANDAS in my early 20’s. Getting the diagnosis itself after years of this silent suffering felt like a relief and something to grieve at the same time. I really describe my healing journey as an unraveling, and the timing of the diagnosis even though came late, felt so intentional.
I think one of the hardest parts of chronic illness is that you don’t necessarily look sick, but inside you’re fighting an invisible battle that nobody knows about. I was a really active kid but as I got older, I kept on as long as I could until things really started to wear. It took a toll on me in ways that’s hard to explain. Periods of stress affected me more, and with the neurological symptoms from PANDAS, I couldn’t perform the same way anymore. It sent my nervous system into somewhat of a spiral that took years of ups and downs before I could get it under control. I think when you’re living with a condition you don’t fully understand, especially for a long period of time, it can really mess with your self perception. It became harder for me to feel connected to my “why” at that point, and I stepped back to let myself start healing in the ways I needed.
Up until that point, I felt like I had been in a long season of enduring. I remember feeling this invitation to slow down and give myself the grace to let go of some of the expectations and timelines I had for myself, and to just be where I was for a while, and that’s when I started to heal from the inside out. Stepping away from some of the things I was doing allowed me to start laying down some of the armor that helped me survive through the years and gave me a chance to decide how I wanted to move forward differently. It is the hardest, most refining thing I’ve ever been through, and healing is a ongoing process, but I’m so grateful to God to be at this part of the story. It set me on this journey of trusting Him in a completely new way and learning to live more in tune with my body and heart, and I’m feeling so much more grounded and connected to myself.
Getting to do the things I loved as a kid and express my creativity while healing from these chronic illnesses in my adulthood, feels full circle. I feel like I’m becoming who I was always meant to be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a film director and producer who helps artists translate their stories to screen. Whether I’m shooting a music video, album concept, or branded content, I love helping artists hone their unique story and find new angles to connect to their message. As a director, I spend a lot of time studying the artist’s world so that each project represents who and where they are, and what they love most authentically. When we do what we love it means so much more.
I believe my multifaceted approach to storytelling is part of what defines me as a director and creative. My modeling background makes me a better director and communicator on set, while modeling and my art background are both predominately visual storytelling mediums which definitely lend to the aesthetic and poetic undertones of my directing style. My journey to directing never felt conventional, and has always been an extension of my other creative paths, and that’s something I’m learning to lean more into as I grow in my career.
I think as storytellers, our job is all about people: to relate to people, to move people, to put language to our experiences. It’s a role I don’t take lightly and consider it an honor to serve in that way.
My journey is what inspires me, and it’s taught me how to carry myself with strength. So I think that’s what I’m most proud of. Strength to me has meant a lot of different things throughout my life. Sometimes it was about enduring, and sometimes it was about letting go. It used to be about how much I could carry at once, but now I think the greatest strength is the ability to stay soft and to see the beauty in pain – to take your experiences and turn them into something beautiful. Right now, that’s the kind of person I hope to be.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The people! Nashvillians are some of the best people walking earth. I’ve always known it to be a generous town of people who give back and help those around them succeed. People are there for each other through thick and thin. Even with it growing as fast as it is right now, its roots are the same. It’s definitely a big small town.
Nashville is home and will always be the place I come back to. My cat stays here when I’m in LA, so if we’re being serious, he’s the main reason I can’t stay away for long.
I think my least favorite part is probably the slight lack of healthy food options……. but I heard they just opened a Sunlife in Nashville which is my favorite smoothie spot in LA. I had nothing to do with that but will totally take credit for it. Contact Info:
- Website: https://whitneygracepowell.wixsite.com/my-site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneygracepowell/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneygpowell/
Image Credits
Oleksandr Kovalchuk
Ale Poveda
Kris Rae
Giulia Violante
