We recently had the chance to connect with Chie Endo and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
My journey has been a little of both wandering and finding a path. For a long time, I allowed myself to explore: different creative outlets, different styles, and even different industries. That wandering gave me perspective, flexibility, and a sense of curiosity that still shows up in my work today. But over time, I began to see a clear path that I’m meant to create, to tell stories visually, and to build something that reflects not just my talent but my values.
That’s how Eani Creative was born. What started as experimentation and exploration slowly became a path I wanted to walk with intention. And honestly, I think the best part of being a creative entrepreneur is that you never have to choose just one. You can be grounded on your path while still giving yourself permission to wander, because wandering is where fresh inspiration always comes from. And I know myself. I’ll probably be fully wandering again one day, because life really is a mix of paths and wanders if you allow it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chie, and I’m the co-founder of Eani Creative, a photography and visual creative agency based here in Austin. I started Eani as a way to bring together my love of storytelling and my eye for style — capturing people, brands, and moments in a way that feels both beautiful and true.
What drives me is creating images that don’t just look polished, but that also carry a sense of authenticity. I’ve always been fascinated by how visual language shapes how we see ourselves and how we connect with others. That’s why I approach every project with curiosity, warmth, and an emphasis on collaboration.
Eani Creative is more than just visuals; it’s about helping people and brands show up confidently, whether that’s through e-commerce shoots, lifestyle campaigns, or creative portraits. Austin has such a vibrant, diverse creative community, and being able to add to that energy while building something of my own has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Growing up, I often felt misunderstood by my family. In that space, I took on a lot of labels that didn’t really belong to me. I accepted them as part of my identity. And over time, I developed a very negative way of seeing myself. I became the person who made jokes about myself first, a way to deflect before anyone else could. A way of protecting myself.
In my early twenties, I met a friend who saw me in a different light — a version of me without any of the labels I carried around. I remember one night, we were sitting at the kitchen table talking, and I made one of those jokes — something negative about myself that I had learned to shrug off. They stopped me and said, ‘Why do you say that about yourself?” I shrugged and said, “It’s fine, my friends and family say that about me all the time.” They replied, “Why are you surrounding yourself with people who make you feel small? And you still call those people your friends?”
These simple questions hit me harder than I expected. Over the course of our friendship, I began to realize I had been carrying everyone else’s versions of me as if they were my truth. I was always “too emotional, too loud, too much.” For so long, I didn’t think I deserved to take up space or to be supported, so I never allowed myself to. I could never imagine that being emotional, loud, and expressive could actually be my strengths.
That friend’s patience and persistence helped me start peeling those layers back, and slowly, I began to see myself more clearly. It was a huge turning point in my life — not just personally, but creatively. Once I believed I was worthy of being seen and supported, I was able to live and create from a place of strength rather than self-doubt. That shift still guides me today, and it’s something I try to reflect back to others through my work and my actions.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be: You deserve to take up space exactly as you are. For so long, I thought I had to shrink myself to fit labels, to meet expectations, to keep the peace. But the truth is, there was never anything wrong with being seen, with asking for support, or with believing in my own worth.
I would tell her that her creativity is not a distraction; it’s her gift. And that the very things she thinks make her ‘different’ are the things that will one day give her strength. Most of all, I’d tell her that she doesn’t have to earn her right to belong. She already does.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
To a certain extent, yes — the public version of me is real, but it’s only one facet. I’m intentional about what I show. The part that’s curious, professional, and generous in collaboration. But there’s also a quieter inner life: the doubts, the private rituals, and the messy experiments that I keep for myself and a small circle. I think both parts matter. The public self is how I show up for clients and for Eani Creative, but the private self is where the work is born and healed. Neither is fake. They are simply different rooms in the same house.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What false labels are you still carrying?
I still struggle with making jokes about myself as a defense mechanism. On the surface, it looks like humor, but I know it can be a way of keeping people at a safe distance. I do carry an innate confidence, but sometimes I can’t tell if it’s my real soul’s confidence or a facade I’ve learned to put on to feel stronger.
I also still wrestle with the labels of being ‘too emotional’ or ‘selfish.’ Growing up moving around a lot, I became an expert at code-switching and navigating different environments. That skill helped me survive, but it also left me questioning: am I being truly authentic, or am I just adapting?
I think the truth is that authenticity is never one fixed thing. It’s layered, it shifts, and it deepens as you let go of old labels. I’m still in that process, and maybe I always will be, but the difference now is that I notice when I’m hiding, and I try to return to myself more quickly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eanicreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chie_endo
Image Credits
Valeria Romualdo, Nina Corso, Chie Endo/Eani Creative
