We were lucky to catch up with Steven Fage recently and have shared our conversation below.

Steven, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

For most of my life, I lived in the tension between technical success and creative suppression.

Growing up, I was trained in jazz, tap, and ballet, but I quit around fifth grade after being teased at school. From that point forward, creative expression felt like something that wasn’t “safe” or “acceptable.” So, I turned toward what made sense—what the world valued. I became an engineer.

I trained in robotics engineering and worked for large companies before launching my own business. For the past 12+ years, I’ve run a company selling robotics, automation, and equipment—a structured, logical career that was financially rewarding and socially respected. But something always felt incomplete.

In 2018, nearly 25 years after walking away from creative expression, I found my way back—first through improv, then acting, and now stand-up. At first, these were just explorations, but I started realizing something deeper: I had spent my entire life performing in an “acceptable” way, but never truly expressing myself.

Now, I’m actively transitioning toward a creative life—finding ways to make storytelling, performance, and writing sustainable. I’ve come to understand that creativity isn’t just a passion—it’s an essential part of who I am.

Of course, I still wonder about the security of a traditional career. The creative path is uncertain. It doesn’t come with a benefits package or a predictable paycheck. But I’ve learned that certainty isn’t the same as fulfillment.

And for the first time in my life, I’m choosing fulfillment.

These days, I spend a lot of time exploring the intersections of mental health, masculinity, identity, and the interplay between psychology, philosophy, and performance art—topics that have shaped my journey and continue to influence my work.

Steven, 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?

I’ve always been fascinated by systems—whether in technology, human behavior, or creative expression. My journey has taken me from robotics engineering and business ownership to performance, storytelling, and exploring the deeper layers of masculinity and mental health.

For over a decade, I ran a business in robotics, automation, and equipment sales, working with manufacturers to improve efficiency and production. While this gave me financial autonomy, it also gave me the freedom to explore a deeper passion: understanding human nature.

My creative journey started in 2018, when I found improv. That opened the door to acting, and more recently, stand-up comedy. I realized that what I was truly drawn to wasn’t just performance—but the art of storytelling, human psychology, and how creative expression helps us understand ourselves.

Now, I focus on building a bridge between deep thinking and creative expression. I write, perform, and create content centered around:

Masculinity & Identity – How men can embrace their full spectrum of emotions and experiences.
Mental Health & Self-Discovery – Lessons from my own journey, including overcoming limiting beliefs and exploring new ways of being.
The Interconnection of Psychology, Philosophy, and Performance – How we can use storytelling, humor, and introspection to navigate life.
This all comes together in my Substack, A Man’s Mind, where I explore these topics and invite others into the conversation. What sets me apart is that I’m not just theorizing about these ideas—I’m living them, experimenting with them, and breaking my own patterns in real time.

I believe that the best work comes from a raw, honest place, and that’s what I bring to my writing, performances, and every conversation I have.

What I’m Most Proud Of:
Taking the leap back into creativity after 25 years.
Building a space where men can openly explore self-improvement and identity.
Finding the courage to pursue a life that aligns with who I truly am.

Ultimately, I want my work to help others see themselves more clearly, challenge old narratives, and embrace a more expansive, fulfilling life.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

At the core of my creative journey is a mission to help men break free from limiting narratives, embrace self-expression, and redefine what it means to be whole.

For most of my life, I leaned into what was practical—engineering, business, and structured success—because it was safe, accepted, and paid the bills. But deep down, I knew there was more to me than logic and productivity. Creativity had always been a part of me, but it took decades to reclaim it.

Now, I use writing, stand-up, and storytelling to explore masculinity, mental health, human behavior, and identity—not just for myself, but for others who feel the same tension between who they are and who the world expects them to be.

I believe that psychology, philosophy, and performance art are deeply connected, and I want to bridge those worlds—taking complex ideas and turning them into something people can relate to, laugh at, and see themselves in.

My goal isn’t just to create—it’s to start conversations, shift perspectives, and build a space where men feel permission to think differently, express themselves more freely, and navigate life with greater awareness. Whether through writing, performance, or storytelling, my mission is to share the stories I wish I had heard earlier in life and help others see new possibilities for themselves.

For any other creatives or entrepreneurs reading this—your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You can blend disciplines, evolve over time, and build a life that feels like yours. That’s what I’m doing now, and I hope my journey can inspire others to do the same.

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

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the Nice Guy Syndrome narrative—the belief that being agreeable, self-sacrificing, and avoiding conflict would earn me love, respect, and fulfillment.

For most of my life, I operated under the assumption that if I just did the right things, pleased the right people, and never rocked the boat, life would reward me. I thought that putting others first—whether in relationships, business, or friendships—would naturally lead to reciprocity. But instead, I found myself resentful, overlooked, and constantly frustrated that life wasn’t playing out the way I thought it was supposed to.

The backstory of this unlearning runs deep. Growing up, I absorbed the idea that strength meant being accommodating, that love was something earned through selflessness, and that avoiding tension meant maintaining peace. As a result, I spent years suppressing my own wants, avoiding directness, and struggling with a fear of rejection. I wasn’t fully expressing myself—not in my relationships, not in my work, and definitely not in my creativity.

But the more I explored psychology, philosophy, and performance, the more I started to see the pattern: I was living my life reactively, rather than deliberately. Creativity—through acting, improv, and eventually stand-up—became a mirror. You can’t be a great performer if you’re still waiting for permission to take up space. You can’t be a great storyteller if you’re censoring yourself to keep people comfortable.

I realized that authenticity doesn’t come from pleasing others—it comes from standing in who you truly are, even when it’s uncomfortable. I started making small shifts—setting boundaries, being more direct, and embracing discomfort instead of avoiding it. And as I did, I felt an incredible sense of freedom—not just in my personal life, but in my creative work.

This shift has directly shaped my creative mission. In my writing, storytelling, and performances, I explore what it means to shed old identities, to challenge social conditioning, and to redefine masculinity beyond outdated expectations. For years, I thought I had to choose between being liked and being real. Now, I know the only path forward is truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amansmind.substack.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenfage/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenhfage/