Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steven Golliday. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Steven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

There are two projects that I consider to be most meaningful to my dual careers as a film editor and musician. The first came in 2017 when I was hired as an editor on the HBO documentary “King in the Wilderness”, which chronicles the relatively seldom-discussed––and arguably most radical-–last three years of Dr. King’s life and career. This work was revelatory to me on a personal level, because it made me realize how much Dr. King’s work has been sanitized and packaged for banal education and celebration once a year on MLK Day. In terms of my career, this project was momentous because it was my first real position as a lead editor, after having worked my way up over several years as an assistant to seasoned professionals. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary. That first project has lead to many other fulfilling and award-winning editing opportunities.

As a musician, my most meaningful project has been my debut solo EP “Funhouse Horizon” which was released in early-2024. Leading up to this record, I had been honing my craft as a musician, composer and producer for a many years. However, even though I had played in various bands and made very small-scale releases, I hadn’t felt that I fully actualized a cohesive statement as a musician. I was self-conscious that I hadn’t done much formal study of music and was primarily self-taught. Even though I had amassed a hard drive worth of demos and fragments that really excited me (some of which made their way onto my records), I knew that I needed a group of like-minded collaborators to truly give the music life. When I moved to Portland in 2021, I began to make connections in the music community. Finally, I took the vulnerable steps of approaching the fabulous musicians who have helped me make two EPs that I’m extremely proud of. This work has garnered attention through various radio spins, interviews and availability of my vinyl and CDs in numerous record stores. Most importantly, I have made lasting friendships and connections with folks who I love to work with.

Steven, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

From my earliest years as a kid in Los Angeles, I had an affinity for the arts. I started with drawing and early experiences with music, eventually winding my way through graphic design, animation, eventually solidifying into an interest with filmmaking and music production. In my last year of college at CalArts, I began to focus more thoroughly on experimental video and documentary. When I graduated with my BFA in 2007 I received an arts fellowship that allowed me to live in Panama for nearly a year, where I created my first feature documentary project, and collaborated with an amazing community of Panama-based artists. In 2008 I returned to the United States just in time for the beginning of the Global Financial Crisis. I worked various barista and entry-level jobs, struggling to pay student loans and rent, trying to continue developing as an artist through it all. Eventually, around 2009 my partner (also a filmmaker) and I decided to relocate to New York City, where it seemed like we’d have better chances to find work as creatives. We interned and worked odd jobs to make ends meet and eventually worked our way up into better positions as we grew, and the economic landscape slowly improved. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to relocate from NYC to Portland, OR in order to be closer to family and to have more physical and mental space. Currently, my main work is as an editor and consultant on feature documentary films and series. I have also had the honor of speaking on filmmaking panels and serving as an advisor at the prestigious Sundance Documentary Editing and Story Labs. Simultaneously, I compose and record music, which is often inspired by the themes of my films. For example, I have an upcoming commission for a piece that will be performed by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble during the PDX Jazz Festival in February 2025. The composition is an homage to the nonviolent activist and theorist Reverend James Lawson, who is the subject of a recent film that I edited.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

In my experience, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I get to engage in constant study. There is always something new to learn, which can be an exponential process; one thing expanding on another, and fueling continual curiosity. Another important thing I have gained from being an artist is discipline, and the knowledge that work breeds motivation and inspiration, not the other way around. Sometimes the muse comes mysteriously, and I remain open to that, but more often than not the process brings it into focus. I believe that extends into other aspects of life beyond the arts.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe that societal support for artists begins at the individual level, by really trying to cultivate our own curiosity and taste. In doing this, I think that we resist the dominant paradigm of being passive consumers of culture, funneled into the most economically profitable alleys of powerful and self-interested corporate entities. If we do this, I think we will likely broaden our interests to include a wider range of art and artists, enhancing the odds that people will be drawn to more independent creatives, whom I believe to be the real drivers of the rich and boundary pushing work that is often co-opted and made banal by big-money companies and institutions. On a wider societal level––particularly in the United States where I live––I think the biggest support for artists would be the thing that would make life better for everyone; an increased support for the basic social safety net of things like education, health care, childcare, housing, and equitable pay. Without these things, it is near impossible to have a solid life as a person, let alone an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stevengolliday.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevengolliday/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StevenGolliday
• Other: https://stevengolliday.bandcamp.com

Image Credits

Images courtesy of Steven Golliday, except the King in the Wilderness image, courtesy of HBO Documentary Films