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

Hi Lewis, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Back in the summer of 2021, I was working as a camp counselor between college semesters. The kids were great to be around, but I felt unfulfilled while waiting to hear back about a position more aligned with my field.

That, combined with early-stage doomscrolling, led me to create an Instagram account on a whim and a spark of inspiration. I had been following similar pages for a while and figured it’d be a fun hobby. Sumfiji was born. Fast forward four years, and it’s grown into a meaningful online brand and community. A space for like-minded individuals to appreciate design in all its forms, from interiors and cars to nature.

But somewhere along the way, it became something deeper than curating aesthetics. It evolved into a reflection of a “dream life” defined not by materialism, but by emotion, introspection, and the pursuit of genuine happiness and peace. That is the dream. “Find paradise” started as a catchy bio, but I soon realized there was real meaning behind it. Sumfiji, or “Peak Paradise,” as I like to break it down, is about discovering and obtaining your version of nirvana. The page is simply my expression of that journey.

Just as I was once inspired to create and curate by other pages, I hope I can do the same for others. It’s been an incredible journey. The Instagram page recently hit 10k followers: a goal I set for myself from day one. Yet even with that milestone, it was never truly about the metrics, but about the creative expression and freedom I’m privileged to explore each day. It’s changed how I appreciate art in all forms, as I continue to grow through photography, film, and other mediums. When I finally began writing captions, they became a way to tell stories that motivated and healed my own mental and spiritual self.

This isn’t a project that’s one and done. Now it’s about bringing Sumfiji from the digital into tangible form. There’s a lot of thinking involved, and even more trial and error, but the process is exciting to watch unfold. This is truly a lifelong pursuit.

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?

Hey, I’m Lewis! I’m Nashville-born and raised, though Miami’s tropical metropolis deeply shaped the last four years of my life. I could list my titles as creative director and curator, but I feel that doesn’t capture my full story. I’m an artist at heart.

Between summer programs at the Frist Art Museum and making stop-motion videos with my favorite LEGOs and action figures, I’ve been obsessed with telling stories since childhood. My love for film comes from the countless movies I watched with my Dad and Nana. Our popcorn nights included Stand By Me, Memento, Howl’s Moving Castle, and many, many more. They raised me in movie theaters and taught me to truly appreciate the power that storytelling can hold. In an age of binge-watching and digital releases, I’m still faithful to appointment viewings and matinees.

What I love most about art, regardless of the medium, is its ability to evoke emotion and spark conversation. The visuals on screen or canvas are only half the magic; the other half lies in the interactions that complete it, whether experienced alone or shared with family, a friend, a lover, or even a stranger.

Today, I have my hand in a few creative pots: social media manager, podcast producer, video captioning specialist, and freelance photographer. That last one is a rediscovered love that gave birth to one of my favorite projects, City of Chrome, a photography book captured and curated in the heart of Miami.

The project explores the inevitable decay of even the shiniest gems, especially in a city built on luxury. It’s a meditation on life, death, and rebirth, with Wynwood and Coral Gables serving as the perfect backdrops. It pushed me creatively and personally, forcing me to embrace solitude and trust my artistic instincts from start to finish.

In many ways, City of Chrome and my brainchild, Sumfiji, share the common thread of examining beauty, transience, and meaning. Each photo I create or curate is an extension of that pursuit in finding paradise not as a destination, but as a state of being.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

From the start, building Sumfiji was an organic process. I posted every single day on Instagram and reached out to other accounts, whether well-established or upcoming, to build my network and digital village. Moodboards from the “archive community,” as it’s often called, were extremely active and growing fast during that time. We were doing collab posts before it was even an official feature on the app. And yes, it was just as confusing and headache-inducing as you’d imagine. But it was worth it. There are still a handful of people from those early days I stay in touch with regularly.

One of my favorite aspects of Sumfiji, and arguably one of its greatest strengths, is the emphasis on community. It’s empowering to take back social media and use it the way it was first envisioned, as a means of connection. Responding to comments, DMs, and reshares played a huge role in bringing me closer to my audience. It removes that barrier of metrics and reminds me that these are real people, genuinely moved by what I’m sharing. That’s largely overwhelming but deeply humbling.

Where I see many new pages fail is in rebranding too often. When one visual direction doesn’t work, they quickly abandon it and pivot to another. I absolutely believe in adapting, but losing faith in your vision too quickly does far more damage than one or two “bad posts” ever could.

If there’s one piece of advice I’d pass on, it’s to stay committed to your project, even when others haven’t caught on yet. That, and consistency. Not in posting every day, but in the quality of what you share. Let your work reflect your genuine passions, and that message will shine through to your audience. Authenticity is as infectious as it is magnetic.

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

The pursuit of perfection. Saying “nobody’s perfect” is much easier than truly believing it. It’s a lesson I’ve applied to my artistry, but one I first had to learn in my personal life.

We all crave control in some form, and chasing perfection is really, just trying to control outcomes. That’s impossible and kind of silly when you think about it. I’ve learned that real growth and strength lie in the effort itself. That’s the only part we ever truly have control over.

It doesn’t take away our agency; it reframes it. It empowers us to make conscious choices and put our best into each day, whether in life or in our craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lewiswlk.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumfiji/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewiswlk/