We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian McHugh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.

Brian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One deeply underappreciated facet of being an entrepreneur or creative is the kind of crazy stuff that happens from time to time. It could be anything from a disgruntled client attacking an employee or waking up to find out a celebrity gave you a shoutout on TikTok – the sudden, unexpected hits (both positive and negative) make the profession both exhilarating and exhausting. Can you share one of your craziest stories?

As a street photographer, you never know what to expect when you go out to shoot. A friend came to town for a visit. Since he’s also a photographer, I took him to downtown San Diego, where I used to shoot a great deal of photography. We were walking down Broadway, when a huge man started walking along with us. It’s not uncommon for people experiencing homelessness to be interested in what I do, and sometimes follow along. However, this was different. This man (we nicknamed him Tiny) leaned in and told us he was going to kill us. I took it with a grain of salt. My friend was a little more concerned. We had trouble shaking off Tiny, as he kept mumbling how he was going to kill us. We walked past a crossfit gym, you know the ones with all the garage doors open, so passersby could see how ripped the clientele are. We decided to go into the gym, where Tiny followed us in. The staff must be very experienced with this type of situation. Several burly bros descended on Tiny, as we escaped out a different door. We decided to move on to Ocean Beach, another favorite place to watch people. I spotted a woman with really unique hair. She had her back to me, so I asked her if I could take her photo. She turned around, and I could see she had been crying. She agreed to let me take her photo, but of course I couldn’t take it once I saw how upset she was. She went on to say she had experienced multiple difficult challenges recently and was considering suicide. I have no experience as a therapist, but I felt like I met her for a reason. All I could think to do was to hug her, so I asked her if that was ok. She agreed, so I just held her and told her to breathe and everything would be ok. When we said goodbye, I had no idea if I helped her change her mind, but I did the best I knew how. This was one day in the life of a street photographer.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Brian McHugh, Owner of Brian McHugh Productions. I describe myself as a storyteller and introvert, which sometimes makes it difficult to engage with others. However, I feel my ability to listen more and talk less allows me to get a better understanding for what my client wants for any given project. After they explain their goals for the project, I suggest ways to accomplish those goals for a successful collaboration.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I do research on a subject , business or concept to have a better understanding of how to be prepared to convey the message of my client. I do the same in my personal work. However, I try to not be too rigid in my direction of a story, so I can follow it wherever it takes me organically. Sometimes during the interview, a subject may talk about something that really contributes to their story. I love following that story. Often, the new direction exceeds my vision for the project.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

If we do our job right, non-creatives never know how much thought, dedication and work went into effectively telling a story or conveying a message. They do not understand that creatives work and think differently. Creativity does not adhere to 9-5 business hours.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brianmchughproductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojovideo/
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/mojovideo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmchughproductions/
• Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/brianmchughproductions

Image Credits
Headshot photo: @Brett Engle Photography