Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephen Blackmon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Stephen, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
How did you learn to do what you do?
Everything I have learned has stemmed from the need for creative and technical outlets to make use of what goes on in my head. Starting with photography, I knew before leaving high school and having spent time experimenting between my art courses and journalism class that it would be something I would pursue creatively. I started with disposable cameras and simply took pictures around the areas near our family farm and then around our quaint mainstreet areas. I was also involved with our high school yearbook dealing with photos and book design which solidified my want to learn more following graduation. The majority of what I have learned was self taught through inspirations and immersion through multimedia resources.
Photography actually led me into my next role of being a technical professional within the world of Information Technology. Due to my understanding of the creative and technical side of working with computers, specifically Apple based products, I landed a position working for Apple and then Art Institute of Charleston, and later Charleston Wine + Food where I would continue to use and build my skill sets to better those places. Today I continue that journey with Garden & Gun Magazine as a “tamer of technology” where I ensure that the company is able to produce the amazing piece of art and literature you see on magazine stands everywhere.
Another need for bringing my thoughts to fruition emerged within the world of bartending and creating meaningful and delicious modern cocktails. I began this self learning adventure following my role with Charleston Wine + Food where I sparked a great respect and love for the food and beverage community. Starting from the floor-mat up so to speak and gaining experience through bar-backing with some of Charleston’s best bars, I acquired the speed and processes for how to get things done quickly, with precision, and while maintaining quality. I moved into the role of actual bartending very swiftly with this knowledge and passion to do much more. Currently, I create cocktails for one of…if not the best cocktail bars in Charleston, SC, Doar Bros.
Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?
I do not think the skillsets I possess today come with any great acceleration path. In fact, all of them still require ongoing learning everyday due to environmental and societal trending factors. I think my way of learning things “hands on” and “thrown to the wolves” has been more beneficial than fast tracking any of those very involved paths.
I think the most essential skill for anything I involve myself with would be the ability to analyze and apply physical processes and combine them with their technical or creative counterparts to produce working and usable outcomes.
What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Sometimes obstacles would manifest in human form, financial, or just a lack of resources in general. As an old saying goes “it’s always something”. I think it’s how you find a possible workaround to succeed that matters most.
Stephen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
In a nutshell, I am a small town-move to the big city kinda guy. It’s like if the character roles were reversed in Green Acres, but maybe not quite as fancy as Lisa. I was in fact raised on a small farm with a need for the bigger city lifestyle, considering myself something of an “old soul” with a new mindset. I stepped into my various industries by way of inspiration and self exploration along with an open mind for learning hands on with others within these industry related gigs. I currently have a diverse clientele in which I consistently provide services like photography and video, bartending and beverage creation, technical assistance and management, as well as social media content curation and management. Due to these various outlets, I am able to provide the service to meet a need or an answer to a problem for many people I meet or that come to me by way of online connection or word of mouth. I believe the one thing that sets me apart is this ability to provide multiple resolutions while maintaining a relatable state of being. I feel a sense of pride and fulfillment just being able to work within these different realms and be what I like to call a “Multi-Verse Creative”.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I believe the goal in my creative journey is being fulfilled with the knowledge that I have brought something into the world and my community that is creatively recognized or even necessary depending on the role.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Now into the second part of my timeline, I have pivoted in many aspects between personal life, careers, and business alike. In terms of careers, I thought I was going to be a Graphic Designer, but ended up starting my business as a Professional Photographer instead. The pivot didn’t end there though. While still maintaining the business of photography, I took on the role of being an information technology professional. This ended up happening due to the change in the wedding photography industry that Charleston is very well known to have. Early in that part of my business there were not nearly as many people providing the service as there are today. Seeing that trend of industry saturation, I put myself into the tech industry knowing it’s financial security and already having a deep understanding of it anyway. This was the biggest pivot for me between being a career business owner and also having a career in the world of technology. Today, I still am heavily involved with my photography business, only less weddings and more brand content related. Throwing into the mix becoming a bartender due to a creative want and a need for another income stream because of personal life growth like marriage, home ownership and so forth, the pivoting just continued naturally. Currently, I have taken an even greater life pivot into becoming a “bonus dad” in an awesome relationship to an amazing woman and my now two children.
Contact Info:
- Website: stephenblackmon.com
- Instagram: @stephenblackmon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenrblackmon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenblackmon
Image Credits
Stephen Blackmon