More Than Society Wants From You w/ Corey Hayes

On the latest episode of Authenticated, Kate spends a Saturday morning down with Corey Hayes, photographer and creative director at a nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness, to explore what it actually means to see someone.Corey's work exists in two worlds: behind the lens capturing people whose stories not often offered the space to be told, and on the streets meeting people society has written off. But these worlds are the same world. They're both about witnessing. About creating space for someone to be seen, fully, without condition.They lean into the why's of society not wanting the entirety of our human dimensionality, why men are typically raised to keep their emotions down but bring their force, while women are asked for softness without strength. The themes of living with half of one self, the difference between focusing on what makes us different (fear-based, disqualifying patterns) versus what makes us similar (expansive, requiring opting into growth) laces the whole captured conversation. Their line of exploration examine their shared desire to meet someone exactly where they are, and not where you want them to be.Corey shares stories from his nonprofit work that will break your heart and restore your faith in the same breath. He talks about accepting people while they're actively struggling, the power of believing in someone when they can't believe in themselves, and why curiosity and creative thinking might be the most generous things you can offer another human. Show NotesCorey Hayes WebsiteCorey Hayes InstagramKate McLeod WebsiteAuthenticated All Access