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

Nevin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Ever since I was a child, I knew that art and creativity would be a part of my life in some form. I would spend hours building massive LEGO creations in my basement with my brothers and I loved to draw things from the world around me or from my imagination. I spent time after school painting along with Bob Ross and I found joy in building models or crafting things with wood.

As I grew older, the creative bug led me to acting, and I spent years in drama class from elementary up into middle school and I reveled in bringing characters to life on stage. As I grew older, I found myself spending the majority of my school days hanging out in the art wing of my high school, honing my craft and creating pieces of art that brought me joy. It was in these classes that I first discovered computer-based design programs like Photoshop and I was hooked. It was then that I decided to attend college for Graphic Design.

Fast forward 20 years, and while my focus has evolved and expanded to include voice acting and even producing, I find joy in helping clients bring their ideas to life.

Nevin, 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?

After choosing my life path, I attended Penn State University for Graphic Design and have been working as a freelancer off and on for the last 20 years, while also working in the food service industry managing restaurants. Around 2018, my heart led me back to acting and I started easing my way into the film industry in Portland, OR. I started with some background work in locally produced shows like Grimm and The Librarians as well as some indie films. I made connections with some local film professionals and got involved in some pretty amazing projects. Then came the pandemic…

As with many industries, everything came to a screeching halt. Luckily, I had already been looking into voice acting and quickly re-focused my efforts there and began learning everything I could about VO, building an in-home studio, and had my first client by the end of 2020.

I have spent the last five years learning and growing each and every day and I now regularly lend my voice to e-learning programs, corporate videos, commercials, animated projects, audio dramas, commercials, and video games. With a quirky guy-next-door sound, I am able to convey a client’s message or story in a relatable, and shall I say, conversational way. I have a broadcast quality in-home studio, from where I’m able to deliver high quality audio files within 24 hours

Additionally, I continue to provide design services helping clients with their brand identity creating logos and websites as well as being a producer on Fogtown, a Portland based indie project, loosely based on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, that follows the square headed puppet characters Sherblock and Blockson as they solve mysteries in a 3D rendered world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I wish society would understand the true worth of creatives. Parents are too quick to steer their children from the arts because they “can’t make a living from it”, and schools are cutting funding to the arts across the country. The vast majority of creatives struggle to make a living because what they create is not appreciated, especially monetarily.

Even worse, it’s rapidly being replaced by work that is spat out by generative AI. Creatives put years of knowledge as well as their heart, soul, and experiences into the things we create, and they make the world a better place. Imagine, for a moment, a world without art, theater, music, or any other creative field. I know I wouldn’t want to live there.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

While I have always worked freelance as a creative, it has never supported me completely. I spent most of my adult life working in food service managing restaurants, often working six or seven days a week, fifty or sixty hours a week. I finally made a promise to myself seven years ago that I would finally pursue my dreams and pour my heart into creativity. One thing we learn in voiceover is that it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It takes hard work and dedication. And while I may still be working long days, at least it’s in the pursuit of my dreams and not for someone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nevinstoltz.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/nevinstoltz
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/nevinstoltz
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevin-stoltz/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/nevinstoltz
• Other: https://linqapp.com/nevin_stoltz?r=link

Image Credits

Downen Photograpy & Zachary Deloach