Corey Drayton has been a visual artist since he was 10-years-old. Cameras, Cinema and Still Photography have been his gateway to the world. He spent the past three years battling stage IV Cancer, facing a terminal diagnosis and beating the big C against grim odds. It was in the midst of radiation and chemotherapy that he encountered a singular clarity, “I just might make it,” he says at a hush, “if I did, I didn’t just want my _old_ life back, I wanted to come back even _better_.” This is his mission, changed. How to harness a harrowing experience and put it to work for _you_: the brand–big or small–seeking a deeper connection to the human experience?

Corey has been a cinematographer and a photographer for nearly 20 years. Cameras were his gateway to the world, taking him to nearly every continent, putting him face-to-face with some of the 20th century’s greatest luminaries, “Hunter S. Thompson, Anne Waldman, Chuck Klosterman,” most prolific brands, “Rolling Stone, Adidas, Intel. My relationship to the work, and to myself as a creator had to change fundamentally.”

Life’s accidents have a way of bringing us back to purpose, “In 2006 I landed in Taĳi, Japan seeking out a band of rookie filmmakers,” he shared, “They had gone into the film with abroad, sweeping take on the global problem of ocean conservation, but it wasn’t connecting.” Enter Ric O'Barry, a larger than life American activist who spent years exposing the horrors of dolphin hunting, “We knew immediately, this was our guy. He was so compelling, brimming with purpose and the urgency of a man possessed. Ric embodied that human element so vital to making the colossal personal.”

Weaving a compelling tale of ecology and redemption, The Cove, would win an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, "It was a mixed blessing," he muses, elaborating on attaining an Academy Award at such a young age, "it was sublime. It was also a catastrophe. I'm not so sure anyone should reach the apex of their success right out of the gate––it distorts one's relationship with expectation in that no subesequent success ever feels like that first high. The limelight launches you head-first into the Jungian shadow."

Corey found himself wondering what to do next, “I moved on to feature films, television and commercials,” He continues, “but something always compelled me to look back at the extraordinary stories of everyday people; beauty amidst the mundane.” Corey is passionate about bringing that vision to brand storytelling; helping your brand become essential to the lifestyles of millions. Corey is currently collaborating as the Executive Creative Director and General Manager of ICONIST LTD., with Artist and Writer Jamie Mustard.

Driven by his myriad interests: Motorcycles, Muscle Cars, hiking, fencing, surfing, travel, foreign languages, gourmet cooking, gardening, literature, history, philosophy, competitive chess, Dungeons & Dragons, cello, Piano and private aviation, he lives every moment hungry for more to savour.

A transplant from London, Corey lives in the Majestic Pacific Northwest, with his two rescued Australian Kelpies: Huck Finn and Luna.

When someone engages you to tell their story it’s a great responsibility. The Key to telling it well is to listen actively; to practice openness Storytelling is an act of discovery between creator and client-partner; like Indiana Jones returning the Sankara Stone; you’re finding a core value together, expressing it loudly and manifestly where it can do the most good.

One dog-day afternoon, Dad and I were washing the cars when he said, “Son, know how I’ve managed to keep this car for so long? Every 3,000 miles–like clockwork–I change the oil and rotate the tyres. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Have a thought for what gets the job done, be it the tools you use, or the people you collaborate with. Take them for granted and you’ll never have them to hand when it counts.” It’s true of Dad’s prized BMW, the tools of my trade and the creative process.

Every project is different. Different demands. Different challenges. Different paths to meaning. Creators must not only consistently deliver a quality vision, we must also be nimble and stay frosty when the zig inevitably zags. What’s the best way to play the game? Trust the process. Make it scalable. Do that homework. Flexibility isn’t just for gymnasts.

An old teacher of mine used to say, “in life we never make a decision, we take a decision.” Great content depends upon committing to the idea and following through on the execution–shouting your “yawp” over the rooftops of the world, even if you doubt the world will hear it. The great temptation is to second guess through analysis. Know when perfect is the enemy of damn good. Avoid analysis paralysis and take action!

A recipe for dynamite: show up. Commit to the vision. Add a pinch of danger. Do the work. Be accountable. Why settle for simply shuffling behind the trends of the culture when you can anticipate, and better yet nudge the culture? Just because it’s advertising doesn’t mean it can’t–or shouldn’t–have artistic integrity.