We’re looking forward to introducing you to Steven Visualz. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Steven, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
One recent moment that I’d say made me proud was getting the chance to edit and do VFX on a music video for a Detroit artist named Jaiswan. I was brought on at the last minute and was able to get the video done in a day; now the video has 63,000 views on YouTube. I’m not only happy that I was able to work on the video, but I’m also proud of the fact that I was able to put together that entire video with that turnaround. I feel like that video reflects my progression as a creative, as I don’t think that I would be able to make a video of that quality that quickly before this year.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Steven Johnson Jr., and I am a 20-year-old director and creative from Detroit, MI. I’ve been creating music videos for three years and also produce concert recaps for artists. I’ve worked with artists both locally and across the country, and through this, I have been able to garner over 250,000 views on my work. I would say that my editing is what makes my videos unique, thanks to the various different effects I use and how I incorporate them into my videos; that is something that has been my focus since the beginning and that I continue to work towards improving everyday. I also work in sports, shooting and editing videos for Michigan State football that are used on social media and internally. Currently, I’m working on a lot of new videos that I’m very excited to show off, and that I feel is my best work so far
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
One huge thing I used to believe when I was younger was that I wasn’t creative. The reason I used to think this way was because, to a younger me, being creative involved knowing how to draw, paint, or create stories. I wasn’t very good at any of these things, so I always assumed I wasn’t creative, not realizing that those were skills you could gain over time, just like anything else. I thought this same way until I was around 16, when I really started getting into editing YouTube videos, and then I realized there are so many different ways to express creativity and to be creative. Since then, I have only gotten more confident in my creativity and it’s now an aspect of me that I embrace.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yeah, I’ve had a few of those moments, one of them being earlier this year. I would say it was caused by self-doubt and my comparing myself to other people. It’s easy to look at other people doing similar things that you’re doing and start to compare and feel like you aren’t doing enough, and that’s something I was doing a lot during that time. One lesson that experience taught me though, was that everyone has their own race, and comparing yourself doesn’t help you in any way. The best way to work towards any goal is to improve and work on your craft every day, regardless of what anyone else is doing.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would like to think so; I do my best to be my authentic self in every aspect of my life, including publicly. I feel that trying to maintain an image for other people is a waste of time and, in the long run, always fails. I won’t say I’m the most public with every action I do in terms of posting on social media, but I do think what I do post and the way I come across is very authentic to my actual self.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people describe me as someone who brought a new, fun style to the Detroit rap scene and as someone who made an impact on the music world in general. I want to be a pioneer of how music videos look and are made in the future, creating something new and unique for the next wave of music. Above that, however, I want to be known as someone who always did good business and who created an experience with everyone I worked with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @StevenVisualz
- Youtube: Steven Visualz
Image Credits
Will Shoots
Photographedbykim
Visuals.faith
Bthecameraman
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
