By Leila Savina

My name is Leila Savina and I am twenty years old. I have been photographing for about four years now - specializing in Fashion, Music, and Conceptual photography.

I used to go to the University of Arizona where I studied Photography, Videography, and imagery until I decided that I needed to take a gap year to focus on how to make more money to be able to live a sustainable life as an independent person. Attending school & working a part-time job just wasn't cutting it for me financially - intuitively I knew what needed to happen.

Before I made this uneasy decision of taking a step back from the life of academia, I felt so discouraged about it. It's like I knew that this would be the best choice for me at hand but also a part of me felt like I was throwing so much away. I guess it's all about perspective and the experiences that we individually go through.

I found so much comfort in realizing though that there are plenty of successful photographers and artists that make it with or without a college degree. I think to keep myself afloat while I was dealing with unnecessary guilt for taking a step back from school, I coped in a way where I found myself confiding in artists who had done the same. Where they never attended college or they decided to step back during their time in college to focus on their artistry.

This was when Blondita became one of those inspirations for me. I hadn’t realized that the brand was created by an artist (Angela Ruis) who had a similar experience as me, until we shared our connection of learning how to develop creative careers for ourselves without college.

I also found inspiration in Sophia Wilson - a New York based fashion photographer that creates such stunning photographs. She has openly spoken online about her experience of being a college drop-out to pursue photography. This unique experience of hers has only proven to me that with consistent practice and determination anything can happen.

Although, it is important to consider that not all experiences are comparable. But there is an ease in knowing that I can still pursue photography with or without a college degree.

Someday last November (2025) I decided that I would trust my fortune cookie for the first time. It read:

"Trust the process and April will bring you great rewards."

I was clearly so desperate for words of encouragement. This was the semester that I knew would be my last for a while.

Fast forwarding to last January, it was a regular day at the cafe for me. I remember sitting down editing photos I had just taken of Kim (strangledstarr) in Hollywood the week before.

This day I remember feeling so excited and discouraged at the same time. I had just done an amazing shoot but I also recall feeling hopeless as I was barely just beginning to adapt to a life without school. I felt so free but it felt wrong to feel that way. Even though it wasn't.

While I am editing photos I usually keep my phone to DND. It is easy for me to get distracted. As always, I felt the need to pick up my phone. So I did.

I audibly gasped...

I had just received the most memorable text of my liiiiiiifeeeee from Aislinn of Glixen asking to photograph their upcoming tour that had occurred last April.

I immediately thought about the fortune cookie that I randomly chose to believe in. It feels so corny but it was literally a manifestation in itself.

Without a doubt I knew this was a universal sign so I of course took it on. Duhhhhh.

All in all, I think that learning to trust our intuition as artists is where gold is really struck. There are so many doubts within the process of waiting for opportunities to arise.

From experience I think that everything we could ever want for ourselves as artists truly comes from within.

Are we believing in ourselves hard enough in the way we believe in everyone else's process?