We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steven Mark Revland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steven Mark below.
Steven Mark, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Since I was a child, over 65 years ago, creativity was about all I had. Growing up with ADHD and dyslexia, I couldn’t pass any courses in school so I put all my energy into art and music, which for the last seven decades has served me well. Multiple appearances on HGTV and a best selling memoir are the results of hard work and tenacity. Never give up on yourself because you are all you have.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I grew up in a lower middle class family and probably would have been classified as a “special needs” child. As specified in my memoir, “simply revland” (how to succeed in life despite yourself) I struggled with schooling and if there had been a class called “hooky” I would have aced that lying down. However, after taking “woodshop” in high school in 1970 – 1971, I eventually decided that furniture making would be a rewarding, albeit risky career choice. I cut a record in 1974, so a career as an entertainer was also an option, but I’m grateful I made my decision as a craftsman. I have made thousands of funky, modern tables and chairs over the last 52 years, and at the age of 70, feel like I’m just getting started.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Early on as a child, my parents were acutely aware of my challenges, so they encouraged me to do projects in the backyard. Forts, treehouses, and snow slides were just a few projects they allowed to dabble in, so working with my hands was a key element in my development. I was born with a creative mind, so I just needed to meld those two skills together to create a career for myself, as further advanced education wasn’t in the cards for me. Ironically, I lecture at the Universities on entrepreneurship, with barely a high school diploma in my back pocket.,
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
Allowing me the freedom of independence without really looking over my shoulder. I always wondered as a child why they allowed me to roam free in the backyard as they did. They obviously knew the challenges I might face as an adult, and I’m so grateful they both lived long enough to witness my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: steverevland.com
- Instagram: @steverevland
- Facebook: steve revland / designer builder
Image Credits
All pictures were taken by myself
