We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eric J. Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eric J. below.
Alright, Eric thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?
Like so many creative professionals, the Covid 19 pandemic upended my career. In 2020, I was an SVP of Content & Creative at a spinoff of the CBS Corporation with a focus on social good. I was traveling the world to document the work of dozens of nonprofits. It was exciting and fulfilling work to create video content and photo sets in places like Rwanda, Haiti and Peru. Within weeks, all travel ceased and within months, I no longer had a job. I’ve had career pain points before, when lean times forced a pivot or a reinvention, but no economic downturn could compare to the shock of the pandemic. After two and a half decades of being a w2 employee at creative agencies, I made the leap to open my own practice during a worldwide shutdown out of shear necessity. I am now the principal of E Smith Images LLC, helping organizations grow their brands through visual identity and content creation. The first two years of this endeavor have been nerve wracking, but ultimately very rewarding. My roster of clients has steadily grown and I’ve brought in trusted colleagues from my career to collaborate on projects. Most importantly, I now set my own schedule. This freedom has allowed be to grow my fine art photography and to see even more of the world.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As a kid from the Philly suburbs with a love for art, my goal was to be a graphic designer at one of the top agencies in New York. I was accepted the Rhode Island School of Design where I thrived on the challenge and rigor of the curriculum ultimately graduating summa cum loud from the graphic design department. I was offered a staff designer position at Carbone Smolan Associates on West 19th Street in Chelsea. It was a dream come true. CSA was known for creating the wayfinding and signage at the Louvre in conjunction with I.M Pei’s design of the famous glass Pyramid addition. I had the opportunity to work on amazing projects like the rebrand of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and marketing material for Ken Burns’ outstanding miniseries “Baseball.’
After this initial break, my career took many turns. I moved to LA to become an art director at the newly formed Imaginary Forces, creating design for film and television. IF had cornered the market on this new cottage industry and the projects were nonstop. I designed Oprah Winfrey’s original production company identity, and created the graphics for Peter Weir’s masterpiece “The Truman Show.” I was also a creative director at Trailer Park group, leading design for motion picture advertising campaigns. During this period, I began my career as a director.
In the mid 2000s I made the decision to focus my creativity on the environment and social good, becoming Chief Creative Officer at EcoMedia, a public private partnership that created corporate sponsorship of environmental improvement initiatives in municipalities across the country. EcoMedia was eventually purchased by CBS where I became an SVP.
Through these district career chapters I gathered a unique skill set, helping organizations tell their stories with cinematic content and world class branding. With diversity, equity and inclusion and well as environmental, social governance initiatives becoming front and center, I am well positioned to help organizations talk about them in compelling and dynamic ways.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Social good is in the forefront of everything I do. From helping nonprofits and corporations with social good initiatives tell their stories, to my fine art photography of wildlife and the natural world, mission driven work is my fuel. As we all know, profits are no longer enough for employees and investors. Shareholders are demanding good corporate citizenship and that is where I concentrate my creativity. From climate change and environmental issues, to LGBTQ rights, veterans and first responders wellness, my work sheds light on solutions to the many important issues that face us.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
For a few years I was Creative Director at Free Range Studios, a mission based design and content company that was based in Washington DC and Oakland, CA. Free Range co-founder Jonah Sachs wrote a great book called “Winning the Story Wars” that helps organizations tell stories that cut through with the basic tenants of the Hero’s Journey, a formula found in mythology and advanced by author Joseph Campbell. I use this book frequently as reference when I work with my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.esmithimages.com
- Instagram: @esmith_images
- Facebook: @esmithimagesofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-j-smith-2b0665139
- Twitter: @esmith_images
Image Credits
All photos ©Eric J. Smith