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

Simon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I was born and raised in Southeast San Diego. Growing up there weren’t accessible creative pathways or opportunities for individuals to explore themselves and their talents. Now, that is why I’m passionate about utilizing photography and videography as a means to capture individuals’ life stories and experiences. We’re all similar, yet different as humans.

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?

My name is Simon Hagos, and I’m a San Diego-based film director. Growing up in Southeast San Diego, I was always surrounded by diversity and culture, which translated into my passion for the arts. However, in my first semester of college, when I took an introductory film course, my love for film was solidified and developed. I’m most fascinated with the intricate processes and details of creating a film or music video. Much of my inspiration comes from everyday life, interactions, and conversations. It ultimately led me to establish Almaz Playground, a multicultural creative agency that aims to tell the stories and experiences of individuals everywhere. Specifically highlighting the talent within my Southeast San Diego community and challenging local media’s narratives about lower-income communities of color. In the future, I hope to take on larger-scale productions and continue sharing my passion with others while learning and growing

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I work full-time and support myself and my creative projects through that income. However, as I’ve started expanding and taking on larger productions, accessing and affording the necessary training and equipment has become difficult and costly. However, I make it work and find feasible solutions as needed.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist or creative is seeing what was once an idea expand into a full-scale project through collective efforts and ideas. I constantly brainstorm, edit, revise, and remove details when working on a film. It’s a beautiful experience; share the fruits of your labor with the rest of the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: almazplayground.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almazplayground/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/102944151332346/posts/102944671332294/?d=n&substory_index=0
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Almazplayground

Image Credits
@110visuals