We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Flanagan Brassfield a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Flanagan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Growing up in the theatrical world at a young age shaped my love for performing, & being in front of cameras and audiences gave me a lot of confidence to feel like I could take my talent and charisma anywhere and be successful. A large portion of my acting knowledge comes from AMDA, where I graduated and received my BFA in Acting for Television & Film in two and a half years, studying in both New York and Los Angeles. Modeling-wise, I’ve had mentoring and been developing my style and aesthetics to evoke a different type of emotion through that work as well. Along the journey thus far, I’ve found techniques on and off the camera that have worked for me. Knowing what I know now, when it comes to learning and growing as an artist, putting yourself and your work out into the world is the biggest service you can do for yourself & your audience, and I feel I held myself back due to what judgments or preconceived biases people might think of me, when in reality it was quite the oppsoite. I found an audience that thought similarly to me, and was inspired by the work I was putting out. Authenticity is rare nowadays, so applying yourself and putting yourself out there can never hold you back, and frankly, the world needs it.

I’ve always held myself with the utmost composure and professionalism when it came to my career, and it’s taken me a long way. I also pride myself on always being genuine, kindness costs nothing, and I find it essential to living not only a fulfilling career, but also life. I’ve developed many skills along the journey thus far, and one of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome is advocating for myself. In both career and everyday life, especially being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I’m constantly bringing awareness to the adversity that I’m facing and many others are as well. It’s really important to not sell yourself short & fully embody who you are unapologetically. My work is a reflection of this.

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

My name is Flanagan Brassfield. I am 21 years old and was born in Worthington, MN, but primarily raised in a small town in WI. I was always enamoured by the confidence and art of theater, being able to express oneself through makeup, costuming, singing, etc. I embodied many roles, such as Ryan from “High School Musical” & Warner from “Legally Blonde”. I found it interesting being able to tell stories through the lenses of other people while still adding my personality to the roles. As I got older, I shifted gears to the film world, and after graduating straight out of Chilton High at eighteen, I flew to New York to begin getting my BFA in Acting for Television and Film. Growing up as a queer lean kid in various conservative towns created a lot adversity. Things like skinny shaming and homophobia were constants throughout my life that honestly taught me the value of generosity and composure. So when I moved to New York, I found a demographic that wasn’t afraid to be themselves, and it opened my eyes to the importance of confidence, which sparked my modeling career. Soon after, I flew to the West Coast, where I solidified my degree and continued to do the things I said I would. Such as, connect with agents in both the modeling & film industry that help me be the best that I can be. To this day, I’m creating my work and continuing to use my life experiences to tell meaningful stories that people can relate to and ultimately learn from. The most recent project I worked on was called. “When Pride Becomes Prejudice”. Directed by Nicolas Wendl, Produced by Igor Corbe, & co-produced by Isaac J. It is a documentary that touches on LGBTQIA+ culture and the adversity still being faced on a daily basis.. While I didn’t act in it directly, I partook in a Q&A for the recent screening, telling my story and growing awareness,

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist & creative is connecting with people in and out of the industry who also value storytelling as a means of resonating on a more personal level. While it’s fullfilling posting on social media and updating people through my acting work and modeling, nothing means more to me than getting to talk face to face and share ideas and concepts with people who might want to collaborate or talk about the creative parts of the industry, such as my work which im so greatful to be able to have the audience that I have and continue to grow with.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Many independent artists and filmmakers are constantly releasing content of their own, and with such a competitive and highly marketed field, they aren’t being given the spotlight they deserve. While it’s important to learn from the mainstream media and highly anticipated films it’s just as crucial to watch the indie films because they offer a unique perspective with diverse voices to push societal norms and inspire with the hard-work & dedication put in. In addition creating positive spaces can never be a bad thing and being more open minded to different ideas and projects being presented might suprise and even inspire you. Which we need more of, young creatives using their crafts as a means of voicing their opinions and feelings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flanaganbrassfield.org
• Instagram: flanii.brass
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flanagan.brassfield.7

Image Credits

@reyesbobby
@whatafuckingbitch