Meet Steven Seay

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

Hi Steven, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose by surviving the times I didn’t think I would. For a long while, I was lost in the dark—addiction, pain, trauma—just trying to numb what I couldn’t face. I had no roadmap, just this quiet, relentless ache that there had to be something more. Rock bottom wasn’t a singular moment for me—it was a slow, crumbling erosion of everything I thought I was.

But then came the shift. A choice. Sobriety. Something—or someone—planted the seed that I was worth saving. That decision cracked the shell of who I had been, and from there, I started building something real. Not perfect. Not easy. But real.

Sobriety didn’t give me a purpose—it helped me remember it. I realized I was here to create, to heal, to help others see the beauty and meaning in their own scars. Photography, storytelling, energy work—these became extensions of the same mission: to hold space for transformation.

My purpose isn’t some grand fixed destination—it’s a path I walk every day by choosing light, even when the darkness still whispers. And I don’t walk it alone anymore.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a storyteller at heart—whether it’s through the lens of my camera, the words I write, or the energy I bring into a space. Under the name SGCPhotography, branding work has become a growing part of what I do, especially for creatives, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who want their photos to actually feel like them. The right imagery can change how people perceive your brand, your worth, and your story. I take that seriously—and I have a damn good time doing it. At the end of the day, everything I create is part of the same intention: to honor the truth of who we are and remind people that transformation is always possible.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Resilience, an artistic spirit, and a healthy dose of stubbornness—those three things carried me through the fire.

Resilience kept me breathing when everything else wanted me to quit. It’s not about never falling—it’s about learning how to crawl through the ashes and still choose to stand back up.
An artistic spirit gave me a language for the things I couldn’t say out loud. Photography, music, creating—it all became a lifeline. Art made the pain make sense.
And stubbornness? That saved my life. It’s the part of me that refused to be buried by the weight of it all. It said, “No. Not like this.” And that mattered more than I ever realized.

For anyone just starting out—whether it’s sobriety, art, business, or just trying to figure out who the hell you are—my advice is this: Do no harm, but take no shit. Protect your peace, speak your truth, and don’t let the world convince you to shrink. Growth isn’t always pretty, and it sure as hell isn’t easy—but it’s worth it. And so are you.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I’d buy a camper van, load up my camera gear, and hit the road with no set destination—just a hunger to see everything this world has to offer. Mountains, deserts, forgotten towns, haunted places, coastlines, backroads—you name it. I’d chase light and shadow, sunrise to sunset, capturing the raw beauty of the land and the quiet stories hiding in plain sight.

I’d live simply and intentionally. Campfires over chaos. Connection over noise. I’d photograph not just landscapes, but people—their stories, their spirits, the moments that matter. I’d make art that feels. Maybe even publish a book or two along the way.

There’s a kind of magic in the idea of disappearing into the world and letting it shape you. If I only had ten years left, I’d spend every one of them wide open, lens in hand, heart on fire, refusing to waste a single breath.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sgcphotography.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556575247348

Image Credits

Photo taken by my mentor Chris Haynes