We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steffani Angel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steffani below.
Steffani, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?
Inclusivity is something that should always be kept in mind. It’s important to observe who is around and who is not around, and ask: why? It will never feel that important of an issue to those who are already represented, in fact, they might not even realize that their comfortability has something to do with representation. However, those who are not represented are constantly faced with awareness of their outsider status, creating discomfort and doubt.
Being a femme skateboarder I am constantly made very aware of my status as an outsider to the culture. From lack of representation in media to day-to-day exclusion, the constant experience of being reminded that you are not welcome or do not belong or are seen as inferior follows you. It’s something that can be hard to pinpoint at times because someone’s seemingly harmless comment could be the last straw for you. Someone talking over you could be an honest mistake, but could also be a pattern where this is the tenth time you have had this experience in a singe day. When constantly dealing with this, you can’t help but notice that an experience like this is unique to you as a femme in a predominantly male space. These small micro-aggressions are an important factor in what makes a space unwelcoming for a minority group.
As a femme, these experiences seem to permeate every aspect of my life and lead me to more and more questions… What about POC? Indigenous people? People with mental or physical disabilities? LBGT+ folks? How do we incorporate everyone collectively to create an inclusive world? What is my role as a white person in ensuring to lift up BIPOC voices? How can I accommodate people’s disabilities?
You have to be willing to ask questions, be curious and open, and work towards growth. Calls for inclusivity must not be seen as an attack, but an invitation to do better. This will always be a work in progress, but it is well-worth it and creates a more equitable world for everyone when we take steps to promote inclusivity.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a multi-disciplinary artist living in Long Beach, CA. My primary focuses are in photography, design, and organizing.
I grew up in ballet which launched me into the art scene. I was a full-time freelance model for about 2 years, but when I picked up a film camera I found my love for being on the other side of the lens. Ever since I decided to no longer pursue an engineering degree, I have been focused on art and community. I found a love for working with other creatives and realized that I was capable of making a positive impact through collaboration and collective work.
I’ve worked in photography for about 7 years now, and have recently shifted from solely film photography to both film and digital, as well as started taking on video projects. My niche is doing abstract portraits, usually at my home studio and experimenting with creative lighting to create images that feel dreamy and intense. I also really enjoy generally assisting, doing lighting, and BTS for shoots. My background in ballet, modeling, and photography all give me a keen eye for what works and what does not, and how to bring a vision to life. I love working with other creatives to see a project through, and watching as the pieces come together.
I have always been drawn to design but started really taking it more seriously in the last year. I started doing graphic design for my book club, working with friends to help create flyers for local shows and events, and helping friends format their zines. It was definitely a bit of a learning curve, figuring out programs like Figma and photoshop, but I am lucky to have many inspirations and mentors along the way who have helped me tremendously. After putting in hours on hours of work, I finally feel proud of my portfolio and landed my first paid design gig in September of this year, and it feels like everything is paying off.
My passion for activism and community organizing is something that has always and will always remain a central focus to my life. Bringing people together is beautiful, helping your community is so rewarding, and watching your work go towards making a positive impact is so powerful. I am a member of Care Culture Collaborative, a Long Beach-based community organization that operates through an anarchist/abolitionist framework. We coordinate a book club, trash clean-up, local progressive voters guides, and various events such as book swaps and open mics. I really believe that the most radical thing you can do is organize with your community, get to know the people around you, love each other. I am so grateful for every opportunity to uplift those around me, educate and radicalize, and bring people together.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was in college for aerospace engineering a when I decided to drop out to pursue art and organizing. This was not the easiest decision to make, and for a long time I wasn’t sure if it was the right one. I had been really interested in math and science since I was a little kid, it always clicked with me and left me wanting to dive deeper.
I had started organizing with a local art-ivism collective at the same time that I was in college, I was mainly in charge of logistics: organizing, planning, promoting, and staffing shows and events. The ast-ivism group was growing rapidly and I became completely swamped between organizing and pursuing an engineering degree. At a certain point in my academic journey I realized I couldn’t do both full-time, and I had to take a step back and think about what I wanted my future to look like… I didn’t want my passion for math and science to lead me to work for a horrible, soulless company like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Raytheon, I didn’t want to manufacture aerospace systems that only lead to destruction. The stability seemed appealing, but I found that I would much rather live as a struggling artist that be involved with the Military Industrial Complex.
I have been out of college for 8 years now, and it feels like I am just now finding my niche in art, organizing, and design. I see others who went to school have a certain level of stability that I have never come close to and sometimes I envy that, but when I think about the path I’ve chosen and all the experiences and opportunities I have had, I couldn’t be more grateful to be living a little more unconventionally. I often find myself leaning into the discomfort: quitting a day job with no new prospects, working in the gig economy, 12-15 hour shifts at times, doing whatever it takes to stay afloat, but always prioritizing myself, my art, and my freedom.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being a creative is the process. It is really cool to view a completed piece or event, and very rewarding to see a physical manifestation of something that was once just an idea, but it is truly the process that brought it to life that is the most fulfilling part of it all. Every process looks different, whether its figuring out how to design something using a new software, coordinating with others to bring an event to life, or storyboarding for a photo or video shoot. It’s full of twists and turns and problem solving as you go, innovating, and often discovering new ways of thinking as you work towards your end goal. I love the opportunity to experiment and learn through trial and error, sometimes mistakes even lead us to new ideas. I also love working with others and incorporating everyone’s strengths and talents in a way that allows us to all lift each other up and work towards our shared goal. I also love watching people discover new talents, work to hone in on their existing ones, or helping someone learn more about the creative process through sharing knowledge gained through experience. When I reflect on my life, some of my sweetest memories are during the creative process of projects, and I will always continue to seek out projects that help me grow and connect with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://steffaniangel.wixsite.com/steffaniangel
- Instagram: @steffani.angel
Image Credits
Personal photo: Jon Rza
1: Teah
2: Luci
3-5: Riley Counihan
6: –
7: Diana
8: Abdulina