Today we’d like to introduce you to Braeden Ayub.
Hi Braeden, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawn to telling stories, whether through a camera lens, a video timeline, or a blank page. That curiosity started early with photography and filmmaking, and over time it grew into a career in video production and post-production. I’ve spent years editing and producing educational and marketing content, most notably with LinkedIn Learning, where I helped bring more than a thousand courses to life and developed a deep appreciation for the craft of visual storytelling.
Outside of my professional work, I’ve always been creating. Photography has taken me to incredible places and taught me to look for moments that others might overlook. Writing became a natural extension of that. What began as screenplays eventually expanded into novels, culminating in my debut book, *The Island at the Edge of Time*. Whether I’m writing fiction, shooting photos, or editing video, I’m driven by the same goal: creating stories that connect with people and leave them thinking long after they’re finished.
Like many creative careers, mine hasn’t followed a perfectly straight path. There have been career transitions, freelance work, personal projects, and plenty of moments where I had to bet on myself. Those experiences taught me resilience and reinforced that creativity isn’t just about inspiration—it’s about consistency, adaptability, and continuing to create even when the path forward isn’t completely clear.
Today, I continue to balance professional video production with writing and photography, always looking for the next story worth telling. Every project has helped shape how I see the world, and I’m excited to keep building a career centered around creativity, exploration, and meaningful storytelling.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
have been periods where I felt like I was making incredible progress, followed by unexpected layoffs, contract work, and the uncertainty that comes with working in creative industries. Learning to navigate those ups and downs has probably been one of the biggest challenges of my career.
Another struggle has been balancing creative passion with financial reality. Photography, writing, and filmmaking are all things I genuinely love, but turning creative work into a sustainable career takes persistence. There were times when personal projects had to take a back seat to paying the bills, and times when I questioned whether I was moving in the right direction.
I’ve also learned that rejection is simply part of the process. Whether it’s job applications that go nowhere, scripts that don’t get made, or ideas that don’t land the way you hoped, creative work requires a thick skin. Instead of seeing those moments as failures, I’ve tried to treat them as opportunities to improve and keep creating.
Looking back, I think those challenges have made me a better storyteller. They’ve taught me resilience, adaptability, and empathy—qualities that show up in everything I create, whether it’s a photograph, a film, or a novel. The road hasn’t been smooth, but I wouldn’t trade the lessons that came with it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At my core, I’m a storyteller. Whether I’m behind a camera, in an editing suite, or writing a novel, my work is about capturing moments that make people feel something. I work across photography, video production, and writing, and I love that each medium allows me to tell stories in a different way.
Professionally, I’ve spent years in video production and post-production, helping create educational and digital content that reaches audiences around the world. I enjoy the challenge of taking hundreds of individual pieces—footage, audio, graphics, music—and shaping them into something that feels effortless. Good editing often goes unnoticed, and I take pride in creating work where the story always comes first.
Outside of that, photography has become one of my greatest creative passions. I gravitate toward travel, street, and landscape photography because I love documenting places as they truly feel, not just as they look. I’m always chasing authentic moments—the light before sunrise, an empty street after the rain, or a fleeting expression that lasts only a second.
Writing has become another important part of my creative life. After years of writing screenplays, I recently published my debut novel, *The Island at the Edge of Time*, which challenged me to grow as a storyteller in entirely new ways. Completing and publishing a novel is probably the accomplishment I’m most proud of. It’s the result of years of persistence, countless revisions, and believing in a story enough to see it through to the end.
If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I don’t think in terms of mediums—I think in terms of stories. The camera, the keyboard, and the editing timeline are simply different tools for the same purpose. I love finding the emotional thread that connects with people, regardless of whether it’s told in a single photograph, a five-minute film, or a 300-page book. That curiosity keeps me learning, experimenting, and creating every chance I get.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m always consuming stories and looking for inspiration, even when it doesn’t feel like “research.” Books, films, photography, and travel all influence the way I create.
When it comes to books, I love reading both fiction and nonfiction. Fiction reminds me what great storytelling feels like, while books on craft help me better understand how stories are built. On the screenwriting side, Robert McKee’s *Story* has been especially influential in how I think about structure, character arcs, and emotional payoff. I also find myself returning to *On Writing* by Stephen King—not because it’s a rulebook, but because it’s an honest reminder that consistency and curiosity matter just as much as talent.
In fiction, I’m drawn to a wide range of voices. Haruki Murakami’s work has always stood out to me for the way it blends the surreal with the deeply personal, often in a quiet, reflective way. More recently, I’ve been inspired by authors like R.F. Kuang, whose books balance sharp social commentary with compelling, fast-moving narratives, and Sarah J. Maas, who has an incredible ability to build immersive worlds and keep readers emotionally invested across long-form storytelling.
Photography has become one of my biggest sources of inspiration. I’ll spend time studying the work of other photographers, exploring new places with my camera, or simply observing how light changes throughout the day. Some of my best ideas have come while walking through a new city or hiking somewhere without a destination in mind.
I also rely on tools that help me bring ideas to life. Adobe Creative Cloud is at the center of my creative workflow, whether I’m editing videos, retouching photographs, or designing graphics. And, of course, ChatGPT has become a surprisingly useful creative partner for brainstorming, outlining, editing, and pushing past creative blocks.
More than any single app or book, though, I think the best resource is staying curious. The more places I visit, people I meet, and stories I experience, the more I have to draw from when I sit down to create. I try to approach every project with the mindset that there’s always something new to learn.
Pricing:
- “The Island at the Edge of Time” $12.00 on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snapsbybraeden
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braedenayub/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMWLPMW6
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me, Braeden Ayub.
