Brighton, United Kingdom–based photographer Joe Puxley describes his best work as “colorful, balanced and imperfect,” as he says, noting that he looks for the inspiration in the experience. “Enjoying the process allows us to be more experimental because there’s less pressure on the final outcome; pressure makes us rely on what we already know works,” he describes. “The results of a creative project are never guaranteed, but having a memorable and beautiful experience is something we can control.” Growing up with dyslexia, Puxley discovered photography was something he enjoyed doing from an early age, and with the support of his parents, he got on-set experience and went on to study film and media production at The BRIT School in Selhurst. “I’m still making photography into my job—that’s the hard part—but weirdly, it has also never felt like a hobby,” he says. “Taking photos [feels] like a backstage pass to everything in the world, a way to create transcendence from reality.” Influenced by the energy of photographer Deana Lawson, filmmaker Hiro Murai, and musical artists Gorillaz and Frank Ocean, Puxley finds inspiration from the art he enjoys and the beauty and ephemerality of everyday life. “There are two quotes I always hold close to my chest when making work: Mark Rothko says he became a painter ‘to make paintings as poignant as music and poetry,’ and Juergan Teller once said ‘there’s always something to photograph when you’re excited about life,’” he says. “I believe the best photos I’ll ever make will be something right in front of me, in my world, and I dream of that work being as devastating, awe-inspiring and perspective-altering as music can be.”