As we do each month, the staff at Steven James shares individuals' favorites. We find it an interesting way to reveal to our clients and potential clients a little bit of our personal side that may inform our professional roles. It also is an opportunity to learn more about each other, and -- we believe -- help us discover a capability or area of knowledge a colleague may possess that ties to our work. This month's area of focus is our hobbies or pastimes.
Jess,Social Media Intern: "My favorite pastime is definitely songwriting. I love when I have extra time, nowhere to be and no one to meet, because there is something magical that comes out of not being rushed. When I have extra time, I love to get in the zone, play my guitar, play some of my favorite songs, and then work off of certain ideas I have written down that I saved for later. When I'm not rushed, and I have time to relax my mind, I get the best material. I love experimenting with new strumming and picking patterns to make my guitar playing more versatile, but I always focus on the songwriting and melody the most." :)
Chris, Lead Cinematographer: "My hobby since childhood has been woodworking. It was my father's pastime, too, and he brought me into it. Over the years, I've made everything from chairs to tables to toys to picture frames. It's a relaxing and fulfilling hobby."
Brianna, Social & Branding Strategist: "Although I love all things art, I would have to say that nothing is quite as therapeutic as drawing in a pencil medium. Ever since I was little, I always had a knack for arts and crafts (something I have carried into my adulthood with a side gig making custom signs). When I started taking my love of art more seriously in high school, I found that I could spend countless hours at a desk with a set of pencils and a blank sketchbook. More specifically, I love perspective drawing and replicating photography into drawing."
Nick, Creative Consultant: "I consider myself fortunate that my hobby and pastime developed into my passion and career. I started creating short films years ago. I worked for Kodak at the time, and I developed my craft enough to leave there and earn a living making movies. Kodak hired me to do creative work to help them demonstrate new film stocks, and I have continued to make my own movies -- from shorts to feature-length -- for the past thirty years."
Sharon, Creative Director: "I am a word nerd. I just love words and stories and talking. It wasn’t a shock to my mother when I was voted Most Talkative in my high school class of 292 students. #GiftofGab I love to read and write and listen. Sometimes, even the sound of a word can bring joy like “chipotle” and “juxtaposition.” (extra credit for use of the letter “x”.) Add music to the words and it’s joy unspeakable. With that said, I find the English language quite baffling because “i” comes before “e” but not always and some letters are silent (Psalms) and then loud at other times. (plethora) For this very reason, I have saved my Warriner’s Guide to Grammar from the 8th grade, just in case I need it. Despite being a member of the grammar police, I have been known to spice up my vocabulary with bootleg words like jazz-festing” and “fantabulous,” which are two recent examples. I make new words up all the time. So much hinges on how we use words, so I always try to choose them carefully."
Jeremy, Video Production Specialist: "My favorite hobby is going to see live music. I went to my first concert at the War Memorial (Blue Cross Arena) when I was 18; it was Green Day and after that I was hooked. I've seen hundreds of shows since. My favorite concerts are Ska shows, with Reel Big Fish being my favorite. I've seen them 9 times so far."
Abbey,Marketing & Graphics Strategist: "When I was a senior in college, I wanted to try something new so I decided to take horseback riding as a wellness elective. As I was no longer playing sports, I was missing that extra something in my life. I absolutely fell in love with it, and what started as a once-a-week stress reliever turned into a full-blown hobby with two lessons a week and the occasional weekend show. Now I can't imagine my life without it! "
Hayley, Social Media Specialist: "I know it doesn't sound like much of a hobby, but going to the gym is my absolute favorite thing to do. Ever since I was in high school I was hooked on the gym bug. From running to weights, getting out some afternoon stress at the gym is the best way to end the day (or at least to me it is.)"
Brian C., Creative Consultant: "Fishing is my pastime. I have a place on Conesus Lake and every morning and evening when I'm there in the spring through autumn, I'll go out to the dock and cast a line. I'll cast a couple times every minute for an hour or so. There's a rhythm to it that I really enjoy -- probably tied to the fact that I'm a musician, too. But it's not about casting the line or catching the fish -- it's about collecting my thoughts and being connected to the beauty of the world."
Paul,Content Developer: "I have numerous passions, but my pastime stems from one of my earliest loves in life: sports. I think the money side of it and the extreme way sports can dominate many lives is somewhere between ridiculous and pathetic, but I do love watching the best of the best compete at the highest level. I actually am a rare breed with my top three sports being 3 Bs: Baseball, Basketball, and Boxing. I still enjoy football, too, and am going to see the Browns-Bills preseason game in Cleveland tomorrow (which will be yesterday when this is posted.) I attended LeBron's last game as a Cavalier in C-Town, and now will be there for the first home game of the city's next potential superstar in quarterback Baker Mayfield -- not to mention the Bills' possible future star QB Josh Allen!"Whether you have a business, a hobby, a pastime, or a passion that you would like to take to another level, Steven James is ready to help you with whatever multimedia needs that transformation may entail! From website design to social media management to video to consulting, contact us today and let's talk!
