We recently connected with Brandon Lee and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brandon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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.

I firmly believe that learning any craft is a lifelong endeavor, and I currently have two that I’m passionate about: photography and specialty coffee brewing. I discovered the craft of capturing images ten years ago in college, and I still feel like a student of it. The formal training jumpstarted the passion, but photography is all about discovering what resonates with your human experience and honing your eye for aesthetics and emotions so that you can share that. As for coffee brewing, I just got into that craft one year ago, and making delicious coffee everyday has been such a joy.

Both crafts are similar in that I don’t think the result is what is important. It’s the pride in one’s growth, the people you meet, and the fun you have that is important. I’m in no rush to be the best and speed up the learning process because as cliche as it sounds, I truly enjoy the journey. As long as I have the genuine curiosity and drive to be better, I trust I’ll improve through the process. I think the biggest obstacle is created by yourself when you compare yourself and your journey to others and their journeys. There is a simple pleasure in learning a craft, seeing progress, and having fun. Being recognized is nice but not what to strive for when it comes to a craft.

Brandon, 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?

Hello! My name is Brandon, and I’m a photographer, cinematographer, and home coffee brewer. I currently work full-time at a fashion/beauty photography studio in FiDi in Manhattan, NY. Some of our in-house clients include Victoria’s Secret, Kate Spade, Clinique, MAC Cosmetics, and Maybelline. Before working here, I used to freelance in the film industry. Throughout my career, I’ve shot and lit numerous short films, feature films, and commercials. Working long days on set means drinking a lot of coffee, so I’ve always had a relationship with coffee. I used to see coffee as a vehicle for caffeine, but last year I discovered the endless possibilities of how one can make coffee and how the taste changes with every micro adjustment. I studied and explored, and I became the National AeroPress Champion. For those who don’t know what an AeroPress is, it’s a simple coffee brewer with only three parts that has the potential to brew amazing coffee. As the National Champion, I represented the United States at the World AeroPress Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the community that comes with it. I love meeting and working with people from all walks of life, hearing their stories and connecting with their experiences. Being a creative shapes your perception on many things and fosters a sense of camaraderie amongst everyone who “sees”/thinks similarly. I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with some cool and kind people.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Something I had to unlearn is comparing my progress and accomplishments to others, especially others with objectively similar skills and backgrounds. It’s easy to compare yourself to others as a metric for how fast or slow your progress is going, but personally, I think that idea can be poisonous to actual growth and fulfillment. Everyone has their own creative journey and motivations for what they want to do. And I now realize that it is essential for any artist or creative to figure out what their craft means to them. I burnt out when I was hustling and freelancing, and Covid-19 gave me the chance to reevaluate who I was as a creative and what being a creative looks like sustainably for the rest of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brandonlee.work/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonleedp/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-lee-843071aa/