Our creative work often gets trapped by hesitation. We enjoy working on a project, but it never feels quite good enough to show it to anyone. We tweak, second-guess, and imagine all the ways it might be judged or misunderstood. Self-doubt and fear stop us from realizing the full potential of our talent.

Release Day on May 29th is our collective deadline to finally share that special thing we’ve been working on.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Clarence Kitt is service designer, fashion photographer, and data artist. He crafts participatory experiences that invite people to see and feel ideas in new ways.

For Release Day 2025, he created a visual reflection on his journey in fashion photography that he released on his photography site.

^{Screenshot of the landing page on Clarence’s site.}

After stepping away from fashion photography for nearly a decade, Clarence wasn’t sure if he would ever return.

Release Day became the moment he reclaimed his complete creative identity without compromise. His project explored storytelling, vulnerability, and owning his unique point of view informed by his cultural background.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: Tell us about the project you released.

Clarence: It was a reintroduction of myself back into an industry that I decided to leave almost 10 years ago. I had told myself that I didn’t belong and that it was something that I failed at. I think there was a lot of shame and narratives that I set up for myself. But I realized over time that I still love fashion and I want to do something around it and create work again.

^{The opening spread of Clarence’s visual reflection.}

Interviewer: What led you to participate in Release Day?

Clarence: Before Release Day, I joined Creative Quests because I was experiencing creative fatigue and burnout.

I’m usually someone who gets a lot of joy and energy from creating, but last year I went through months where I couldn’t sketch anything. Ideas just weren’t coming naturally anymore.

It appealed to me because it reminded me of something simple: the joy of creating together. It felt like being back in an art class where everyone is making things side by side.

When Release Day was introduced, the idea clicked instantly. The idea that we could all release something imperfectly, candidly into the world felt exactly like what I needed.

^{For Clarence, sharing his story brought a sense of freedom.}

Interviewer: Did releasing your work alongside other people make it easier?

Clarence: Absolutely. Everyone was showing up with the intention of releasing something. That created a sense of lightness.

I also loved the name “Release Day.” It didn’t feel like “Portfolio Day” or “Showcase Day,” which can feel very performative. “Release” felt more like just letting something exist in the world.

Knowing there were others participating made it exciting. I couldn’t wait to see what everyone else would release.

Interviewer: Did having a deadline change how you approached the project?

Clarence: It was huge. I have perfectionistic tendencies. So, you start comparing your current work to your past work. But the deadline reminded me that it didn’t have to be perfect.

“It feels like as you get older, your standards for yourself get higher because you’re measuring yourself by your prior self. So, I think having a deadline was so important to me. Just to know that whatever I’ve got at that moment is enough.”

And just because something is released doesn’t mean you can’t revisit it later. Release Day became a moment to take a breath and let the work exist.

Interviewer: Did Release Day change how you think about sharing your work?

Clarence: Completely. Before Release Day, I had a difficult relationship with sharing my work publicly. It felt heavy; like each piece represented all of me.

Over the last year, that’s changed. Now sharing feels much lighter. It’s more like here’s what I made. I see myself like a bookstore tender. Like I just put something on a shelf.

^{Another Spread from Clarence’s story.}

Interviewer: What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?

Clarence: I realized that creativity, for me, comes from safety. When I was burned out, I thought creativity was something I had to force—like a muscle I needed to grind back into shape.

But what actually brought it back was feeling safe. Being around people who are open, curious, and supportive. Having a space where you can share ideas without judgment.

Release Day created that environment. And once that safety was there, ideas started flowing again.

“I can just do the damn thing. Just having an ease about setting up more photo shoots, meeting new people without this self-limitation anymore. It really represented a moment of challenging my own thoughts.”

Interviewer: What would you tell someone thinking about joining Release Day?

Clarence: You’ve got to experience it. It’s such a beautiful, shared experience to see people interpret release day in their own ways and so many different creative pieces all shared at the same time. It feels like a holiday, an exhibit, a moment, a ritual all in one.

“It felt like an album drop times 20.”

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us