Location: Upstate

  • Rhodes Farrell

    Rhodes Farrell

    “Do 1% better every time.”

    Rhodes Farrell, a videographer based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, offers healthy habits to generate inspiration and build skills that are beneficial not only to filmmakers, but to any creative. 

    Interview

    Transcript

    Lexi 00:00

    My name is Lexi, so I’ll be interviewing you today for the Athenaeum Press for a little project we’re doing called Uncharted. And basically it’ll be professional creatives giving advice to students. And yeah, so first, just give us a little introduction of yourself. What do you do for work, and where are you currently working from? 

    Rhodes Farrell 00:27

    Yeah, I’m a videographer, and I do that full time. I came from, like, audio world, and then a AV and then video kind of took hold of me, and I fell in love with that. So I didn’t go through school for that. Particularly. I was in audio, but we moved out here in 2018, and that’s when I went full time, and it’s been great. But I’m in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and loving it. It’s a really great town. 

    Lexi 00:59

    So, yeah, okay, awesome. So how long have you been working like doing this creatively? Are you doing this full time or part time? 

    Rhodes Farrell 01:14

    Yeah, so full time, I tried to make it part of my job. I was technical director at a couple different churches and other jobs before that, so I always tried to include videography, yes, but when we moved in here in 2018 from Atlanta, I just went full time into it, and haven’t looked back. And so I guess full time was it now close to seven years, six or seven years, but I’ve been doing videos since high school, so 20, yeah, ish years. 

    Lexi 01:47

    So you said you moved to South Carolina in 2018 is there anything that you love, like, specifically about working in South Carolina as a videographer? 

    Rhodes Farrell 02:06

    I’m kind of grateful I moved away from Atlanta, because this is, you know, I didn’t feel like a small fish in a big pond kind of thing out here I could, you know, stretch my wings a little bit More, or be the the decent size fish and the decent sized pond, I really want to put it, but yeah, so it’s it’s worked out really well. I wasn’t 100% sure that Spartanburg would support filmmaking full time, but surprisingly, it has been. And even more so. 

    Lexi 02:39

    That’s amazing. So what does South Carolina like bring to your work, and what is its unique influences on you, if it has? 

    Rhodes Farrell 02:51  

    My people are here. I guess Spartanburg coming into it. They’ve just got arts all over the place. Same thing with Greenville, I’ve been able to set up a community called Film Bar, and that’s just filled with hundreds of people in the upstate that are just in filmmaking, whether they’re acting or voiceover, or they just do sound, or they just do lights or whatever. They have some role in filmmaking, and I’ve gotten to know not all of them, but a pretty good number of them. So it’s been really great to have that connection where it might have been more cutthroat in other areas. Yeah, that’s awesome, because there’s a it just seems like there’s a clear ladder to climb here, if that makes any sense, but yeah. 

    Lexi 03:40

    So I actually never knew that Greenville and the Spartanburg area were such big areas for filmmaking, but I’ve actually heard a lot about Greenville and that area, so I feel like that’s awesome. Yeah. So how would you describe the local community? 

    Rhodes Farrell 04:05

    Well, I mean, with film bar, I mean, that’s kind of my wheelhouse. Is we started it three years ago, and it’s technically 1700 people on Facebook, but I’ve only met 400 or so of them, which is still a good number, and they’re just constantly working on different projects and doing things and trying different things. And so it’s great that we have that community, that people can, you know, because it’s, it’s a very collaborative artwork for, you know, narrative short films, or even for commercials, you have to have more than just one person generally. So it’s good to have those connections there, but it’s just really diverse. I mean, like I was saying all the different roles that you have in filmmaking, yes, you get a large collection of brains and smarts and creatives. 

    Lexi 04:55

    I feel like it’s also so special that you’ve been really a big person in bringing everybody together with film bar. So that’s amazing. So how would you define professional versus personal success in your creative endeavors? 

    Rhodes Farrell 05:15

    Well, I my slogan or quote or whatever. It’s a Disney quote, but “Keep moving forward.” There’s just so many things to be creative with. You just keep moving on to the next project. And some people like to stick with the project and do a festival run and stuff like that. But I’m always keen to work on the next thing. I don’t know why, but, but also just 1% better. That’s another one. If I did 10 podcasts last year, I want to do 11 this year. So I want to just incrementally get better and better and do more and more and and find more success that way. 

    Lexi 05:52

    Yeah, that’s awesome. It’s always good to be looking for something to grow. So what was your biggest fear when you decided to pursue filmmaking professionally? 

    Rhodes Farrell 06:04

    Like I said, the Spartanburg being a small town, I wasn’t sure it could, if I would get enough work or whatever, but it took a while to get there. But it’s, it’s definitely proven itself. 

    Lexi 06:21

    Yeah, that’s awesome.  Okay, and then can you please describe like a defining moment in your creative journey? Like, was there a particular project that made a significant impact on you, or was something that, like you produced that you believe really showed your creativity? 

    Rhodes Farrell  06:39

    I did win the indie grants, which is through the film commission for a short film last year. So we got $30,000 to shoot a short film that’s amazing. Partnered with my friend who wrote it and directed it, I was a producer on it, pulled in a bunch of people on a project. We had 40 people most days, and I think we had a bunch of background one day. So we had up to 60 or 70 people one day, and just just pulling all that together was a ton of fun to do, and it’s actually gonna show at Beaver Film Festival first, and then the Greenville Reels Film Festival second. But they’re not announcing the name, so we can save our premier status for festival. We end up going to so exciting. And so that was a big one, that was a really fun project to be awarded and get to do. And then film bar really has been a huge turning point for me. I started it just because I wanted a few friends, and then it’s huge, grown so much so, and that’s just changed, a lot of access points for me to be able to have that weight behind me, to talk to people and stuff like that. 

    Lexi 07:54

    So on your whole journey, what has been the best and worst advice that you’ve ever received? 

    Rhodes Farrell 08:03

    Oh gosh, I have like, hundreds of little slogans or nuggets or whatever from all kinds of various places. Some of the ones I really love are from the Imagineering workbooks, stuff like that, the Disney theme of things. But one, I would say, pretend you’re an expert. That’s a great one. Kind of fake a team make it, so to speak, and then don’t use your head as a filing cabinet. That’s a really good one too. Yeah, I write stuff down now way more than I used to. It’s like, Oh, y’all remember that note doesn’t work? Yeah, when the worst one was probably just sign it. Don’t just sign a contract. You get in sticky situations. Technically, I heard that first with our house, when we’re trying to buy a house out here and they’re like, oh, just sign the contracts, like, but I don’t know what this means. Yeah, so, but I’ve heard it from other times, for other places. 

    Lexi 09:08

    I feel like that is some good advice. Just like all around you don’t want to get into anything without knowing… 

    Rhodes Farrell 09:15

    Well, you just forget the bad and the bad advice. 

    Lexi 09:19

    I think that’s good on its, I think that’s a good piece of advice, like on its own, because I feel like if you are remembering all this bad advice and negative comments, you’re just gonna get bogged down by it. So okay, so can you walk me through like a typical workday for you, what does your process look like, and what do you kind of like expect from yourself on a daily basis? 

    Rhodes Farrell 09:48

    There’s not really a typical day in filmmaking as a freelancer, maybe, if you’re in a corporate world, you might have more of a typical day. But there’s a typical process, which is kind of like, you know, you’re doing cold emails, you’re finding the client, and then you they call you back, you do all the pre production stuff, the brainstorming, and then you set some dates for finding talent, locations you know, to film whenever you get all your footage. Then you have two to four weeks of editing, depending on the project. Social media turns around a lot faster and present them with that, and hopefully they do the next video. So that’s that’s kind of just the process, but in a typical day, I’ll answer a lot of feedback from different things. I’m on a lot of the reading reels, Film Festival board. I do film bar, and I do YouTube and podcasts, and then there’s marketing myself and work. So there’s a lot of different variables that go in. 

    Lexi 10:57

    That sounds like a lot to juggle. 

    Rhodes Farrell 11:01

    Yeah, I’m actually working on doing an AV install, which is throwback to what I used to do, but I’m helping the museum install stuff. So it’s a very different than my normal day, but it’s just what it is to be freelance, I suppose. 

    Lexi 11:15

    Yeah, so with freelance, how do you how do you create, like, a good work life balance, where you’re able to, like, maintain everything? 

    Rhodes Farrell 11:29

    The biggest answer for that is probably my wife. She is a teacher, and she takes care of so much, takes care of me and allows me to be able to do this. So that’s, that’s a big part of it. So shout out to Emmy. I love her. But being encouraging to clients to kind of take a creative step, not a leap. You don’t want to push them too far, too fast. Some of them are all up for it, but just, you know, slowly, give them a little bit of nudge to hey, let’s do try something a little edgy that you may not be totally comfortable with. Getting out of that comfort zone is a great spot to be. And then the other thing I’d say is, like, learn public speaking. How to start a conversation in conversation, small talk, doing that with film. Barb to go from person to person, kind of have those conversations you and editing. You kind of learn how to narrow down your communication to the most useful nuggets and be quick about things. Yeah, last one is learn business and marketing and keep things simple. Because it’s if you don’t know how to do that for yourself, then you’re stuck.  

    Lexi 12:44

    Yeah, yeah. I feel like, I feel like that is very good advice. I feel like that there’s a lot of moving aspects in every part of a creative career. So you’ve kind of already described some of them, but what are some habits that you think would be beneficial to others wanting to get into videography, filmmaking and stuff in that realm. 

    Rhodes Farrell 13:18

    Just like any artist will tell you, who can go out and practice your thing, I would say, find a community. If you can find people to do this with, whether it’s just you and your siblings or you and your best friend just go out and start doing stuff together. And there’s so many stories of filmmakers that have say, Oh, I’ve got these YouTube videos of I guess, in this day of age, YouTube videos, you know that no one sees anymore because I took them down, but they’re just silly little things that people went out and did, but that that’s what made them fall in love with it. So keep doing those things that make you fall in love with it, and just find your community. 

    Lexi 14:02

    That’s, I think that’s really beautiful, because I feel like fear holds so many people back from what they really want to do. 

    Rhodes Farrell 14:12

    But, yeah, I have a great quote for that too. 

    Lexi 14:15

    Yeah, go ahead. 

    Rhodes Farrell 14:19  

    Let me find it. It’s from, it’s from Walt Disney. Sometimes I wonder if common sense isn’t just another way of saying fear, and fear, too often, spells failure, Walt Disney. 

    Lexi 14:32

    I think that’s really fitting. That’s a good one for sure. So do you have any questions that you wish that you were asked. 

    Rhodes Farrell 14:46

    I do lots of interviews myself, doing videos, stuff like that, so I like to ask the question like: What are your other hobbies do you have? Or if you had a TED talk, what would be what would it be about? 

    Lexi 14:59

    So, if you had a TED talk, what would yours be about? 

    Rhodes Farrell 15:05

    Public speaking? Probably for one, just being able to get out there and talk and how to hold a microphone. I don’t know why that gets me, but,yeah, that would probably be one of and then my other hobbies, I do leather working, just because my hobby was filmmaking and then became a job, so I needed something else, so I do leather working for fun. My wife is an art teacher, so we do crafts all the time. She does ceramics. And then we recently got our scuba license, so I’m trying to do more of that. That’s very fun. Incorporate that in my videography as well. 

    Lexi 15:50

    Yeah, I feel like that opens up a lot of, like, good shots that you could have that’s super cool. 

    Rhodes Farrell 15:56

    And just wildlife in general, if I can film wildlife, that’s a good day. 

  • Rhodes Farrell

    Rhodes Farrell

    “Do 1% better every time.”

    Rhodes Farrell, a videographer based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, offers healthy habits to generate inspiration and build skills that are beneficial not only to filmmakers, but to any creative.

    About

    Farrell describes the South Carolina filmmaking community with warmth, explaining that moving to South Carolina from Atlanta, Georgia has allowed him to “stretch [his] wings”. Despite still being competitive, the filmmaking community in South Carolina genuinely wishes each other well and Farrell says that “it’s been really great to have that connection where it might have been more cutthroat in other areas.” Farrell has also gotten to know many people in the business in South Carolina and believes that they are good people.

    Farrell draws on many Disney quotes for inspiration but also gives good advice himself. Farrell emphasizes the importance of fully reading contracts so that a person can know with one percent certainty what they are signing up for and says “don’t just sign a contract. You get in sticky situations.” Farrell is also a strong believer in the “fake it until you make it” rationale, as he believes it instills a certain amount of confidence in a person.

    A final piece of advice that Farrell gives is the importance of learning the skill of public speaking. Public speaking and small talk are a huge proponent of networking and being able to understand those around you, including potential clients: “you kind of learn how to narrow down your communication to the most useful nuggets and be quick about things”

  • David Estrada

    David Estrada

    “I would define my creative success; I think it’s that I try to be as chaotically scheduled as possible.”

    David Estrada is the Director of Content Production at Cargo, a marketing firm based in Greenville, South Carolina. With degrees in both film and advertising from the University of Texas, Estrada blends creative direction with strategic thinking. He founded his own production company in Austin before transitioning into agency work, where he now leads cross-disciplinary teams. Passionate about film, media, and collaboration, Estrada emphasizes the importance of creative chaos and community in South Carolina’s upstate marketing scene. 

    About

    David Estrada is the director of content production at Cargo, a marketing firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, where he’s worked since 2016. He holds degrees in both film and advertising from the University of Texas, a combination that prepared him well for his multifaceted role. 

    Estrada values the creative community in upstate South Carolina, noting its strong network of professionals. “I like that there is a base, a very good baseline, of creative professionals and strategic professionals in upstate South Carolina… everybody kind of knows each other.” He began his career as a project manager, a role that gave him broad exposure to different disciplines and helped shape his collaborative approach. 

    A pivotal moment in Estrada’s creative journey came not on set but in a college advisor’s office. After taking two years off and considering a switch from film to advertising, a conversation with a career counselor convinced him to pursue both, an insight that set the course for his future. 

    Estrada defines creative success as being “undefinable,” embracing chaos and originality. But he’s also candid about the challenges. Financial instability is an unfortunate reality in the creative field, and he emphasizes the importance of understanding to market creatives as a business, talent alone isn’t enough. 

    The worst advice he ever received? “Don’t be so idealistic.” For Estrada, idealism is essential. Without hope, he says, there’s no point in doing creative work at all. 

  • Sam Sokolow

    Sam Sokolow

    “Make something. Follow your gut. And remember, everything, success or failure, is a learning experience.” 

    Sam Sokolow is a two-time Emmy-nominated film and television producer who recently relocated to Greenville, South Carolina after 23 years in Los Angeles and a childhood in New York City. Now focused on building a slate of independent films from the South, Sokolow is also helping develop the Clemson Film School and working on global workforce training for emerging film markets. His mission is to empower storytellers and creatives through mentorship, opportunity, and industry experience. 

    About

    After decades of producing major television and film projects in New York and Los Angeles, Sam Sokolow now calls Greenville, South Carolina home. With roots in big cities but a heart that is grounded in authentic storytelling, Sokolow brings a wealth of experience to the South’s emerging film industry. He’s not only producing independent films from Greenville but also working to build a foundation for the next generation through the Clemson Film School and a global workforce development initiative for training production crews. 

    “I feel like I’m in the middle of a Hallmark movie most days,” Sokolow says, describing Greenville’s charm and creative energy. For him, the big move was inspired by love, his wife is from nearby Gaffney, and it has led to a sense of purpose. “When you move for the right reasons, miracles happen around you.” 

    With a career spanning from indie features to large-scale studio productions, Sokolow understands the full life cycle of a project. But he defines his role as: “I put creative people in a position to do their best work.” Whether this is through cultivating local talent or producing globally relevant stories, he’s driven by a passion for storytelling and a determination for persistence. “My biggest fear was not getting to do this work,” he shares. “That fear kept me going.” 

    Sokolow is now committed to helping others take that same leap. “Don’t wait to be chosen,” he advises. “Make something. Follow your gut. And remember, everything, success or failure, is a learning experience.” 

  • Megan Koon

    Megan Koon

    “Everything I produce could only come from me, and so it is a personal contribution.” 

    Megan Koon is an editor, coach, and author Megan Koon is on a mission to help others tell the stories only they can write. 

    About

    Megan Koon, who lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, is a writer, editor, and writing coach passionate about turning her love for writing into a full-time gig. After spending 20 years teaching high school English, she took the plunge into freelance writing in 2023 and hasn’t looked back. With a sharp eye for detail and a love for storytelling, Megan spends her days writing novels, coaching new authors, and helping students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. 

    “Since I was teeny tiny, I have known that I am a writer, it is what I am supposed to do,” she says. “I’m supposed to help other people write.” For her, it’s all about connection, whether she’s working with a client to tweak their manuscript, creating a podcast, or jotting down her own ideas at a coffee shop. She gets a real kick out of seeing others grow through storytelling: “When I’m helping someone with their writing, they come back with a revision, and they’re so excited, because they really have accomplished this big thing, and that is success to me.” 

    Even though she admits it can be scary to leave a traditional job, Megan truly believes in the importance and value of creative careers. She gives a shoutout to her local writing community and her teaching years for boosting her ability to support others while also developing her own writing skills. 

  • Angela Yemi Gibson

    Angela Yemi Gibson

    “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. You gotta ask.”

    Angela Yemi Gibson is a medical biller by day and an arts visionary by night: founder of a nonprofit African Dance Company in Spartanburg, SC.

    About

    Angela Yemi Gibson seamlessly bridges her dual passions: healthcare administration and African cultural arts. Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she works full-time as a medical biller while managing her nonprofit, an African Dance Company she founded over 20 years ago.

    Angela’s days are long and varied claim filing and patient communication by day, choreography and performance prep by evening. Her recent highlight: successfully leading an artist residency in Monks Corner, where she and her team taught African dance to local elementary students. “It was way out of the comfort zone, but it was successful,” she recalled.

    Angela measures success differently depending on the hat she’s wearing. In billing, it’s financial stability. In dance, it’s audience engagement and community response. Her nonprofit recently secured grants that allowed her to offer free community classes while ensuring her team is compensated.

    Angela believes in transparency and resilience. “Sometimes it’s okay to ask for help,” she says. She encourages aspiring creatives to surround themselves with trustworthy collaborators, remain positive, and keep showing up. Her advice is simple and clear: “Keep swimming.”

    Contact

  • Kelly Moran

    Kelly Moran

    “Don’t give up. A reader can’t read a blank page and rejection is just a step toward the story you’re meant to share.”

    Kelly Moran is a hybrid author, small press publisher, and international bestseller living in York, South Carolina. Through her company, Rowan Prose Publishing, she champions emerging writers and tells stories that resonate globally.

    About

    Kelly Moran is a seasoned author and founder of Rowan Prose Publishing, a small press that uplifts underrepresented voices in the literary world. Based in York, South Carolina, Kelly began her professional journey in 2005 as a novelist, publishing over 30 titles in paranormal and contemporary romance, and even light horror. She is a hybrid author having published both independently and through major houses like Penguin/Berkeley and her books have earned international acclaim, particularly in Germany, where she is a household name.

    In 2023, Kelly launched Rowan Prose to support debut authors often overlooked by large publishers. Her goal is to provide a welcoming, professionally rigorous publishing experience that balances author freedom with editorial excellence. With over 50 authors on her roster, she works daily to edit, market, and nurture literary careers from her home office complete with the “commute” past two dogs and a pot of coffee.

    For Kelly, success isn’t measured solely in sales or bestseller status, though she’s achieved both. It’s found in the emotional connection readers form with her work readers who write to say her characters made them laugh, cry, or feel seen. She champions inclusive storytelling, often weaving in themes of disability, anxiety, and social justice into her romance novels.

    Her advice to aspiring creatives is simple but powerful: follow your dream. Whether you’re writing at 5 a.m. before work or querying your 80th agent, keep going. “Rejection will come,” she says, “but so will the right readers and maybe even your dream contract.”

  • Carol Baker

    Carol Baker

    “I gotta do the right fit for me, because ultimately I’m the one who’s got to show up and do it every day.” 

    Carol Baker is the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. An experienced arts administrator and educator, she has worked since 2012 to build statewide programs that empower creative youth through education, storytelling, and trust.  

    About

    Since 2012, she has served as the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, where she has developed programs that connect young people across the state with powerful, creative learning experiences.  Carol Baker didn’t set out with a roadmap, but she followed her passion and it led her exactly where she needed to be. With a background in arts management and teaching artistry, Carol understands that traditional paths don’t always suit every artist or every learner. Her work is built on trust and access, meeting students and educators where they are. One of her hallmark programs, Spark, blends theater and literacy to help students engage with language and story in a dynamic, embodied way. 

    Carol’s outreach isn’t just about exposure to the arts:  it’s about long-term transformation. She builds relationships across school districts, supports teachers with arts-integrated resources, and fosters spaces where creativity is not only welcomed but required. Her work reflects her core belief: that the arts are for everyone, and that there are many valid, beautiful ways to belong in creative spaces. 

  • Walter Curry

    Walter Curry

    “Stay in your lane. Don’t try to ride somebody else’s, because if you do, you’ll get run over.” 

    Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr. is an award-winning author, educator, and historian based in Columbia, South Carolina. Through Renaissance Publications, he documents African American family and local history, connecting ancestral narratives to broader historical themes. 

    About

    Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr. is the founder of Renaissance Publications and a dedicated historian and author focused on preserving African American heritage in South Carolina. A Columbia native, Curry began writing in 2018 and has since published multiple award-winning books that blend family ancestry with local history. His works, such as The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past and The Awakening, trace powerful intergenerational narratives rooted in Orangeburg and Aiken counties. 

    With a background in education and business, Dr. Curry transitioned from teaching to a full-time literary career, driven by a deep calling to uncover hidden histories and share them through exhibitions, books, and public presentations. He also serves as author-in-residence with Aiken Center for the Arts and is a speaker with South Carolina Humanities. 

    Among his proudest moments is the 2020 debut of his first historical exhibition, which drew record-breaking crowds at the Aiken County Historical Museum. Dr. Curry encourages young creatives to guard their minds, focus on growth, and honor their calling with discipline and integrity. His motto: reflect, refine, and remain rooted in purpose. 

    Dr. Walter B. Curry, Jr. is deeply committed to uncovering and sharing the hidden history of South Carolina’s African American communities, especially through ancestral narratives. He believes that growth both personal and professional, is the most important measure of success for creatives, not awards or recognition alone. His grandmother’s wisdom, urging him to “stay in your lane,” shaped his path and continues to guide his approach to writing, teaching, and collaboration. For Curry, storytelling is not only about the past but also about building community, cultivating purpose, and helping others discover their gifts through history. 

    Contact

  • Jim Craft

    “The importance of learning the craft, learning the principles and elements of art and design and really understanding how to apply them, cannot be overstated. Design theory ends up being the currency of whether or not you can develop a particular visual way of expressing yourself, whether it’s sculpture, ceramics, architecture or another field.” 

    Jim Craft, who lives in Greenville, was a studio artist for ten years and then transitioned to academia. He was a professor of art at North Greenville University for 16 years and then moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., teaching at Palm Beach Atlantic University for 10 years. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from Bob Jones University and his MFA at Clemson University. 

    Interview

    Transcript

    Jim Craft

    I’m Jim Craft, and I was a studio artist for 10 years self-supporting. And then I had three kids and a wife. And you know, I think the statistic is less than half a percent of people who actually get degrees in visual art actually ended up being artists; I think it might even be less than that by now. It’s a pretty narrow field, actually. But, you end up doing a lot of other things, you know, you can go into Applied Arts, graphic design, and stage design, and you know.

    Haley Hansen

    What did your path look like? What did you go into?

    Jim Craft

    Well, I had my degrees in painting and ceramics, and… but I also had education, degrees in education. So, which was fortunate, I guess, because then I, I got a job as a professor. Well, as an instructor, and then worked my way. And then, when I retired just a few years ago, five years ago, I was a full professor and was granted Professor Emeritus, which just means I can come back and teach if ever I want to. So that’s, that’s what I’ve, what I’ve done. I’ve actually spent most of my life in academia. When you teach, it demands all your time, way too much of your time, and your energy and resources. And…

    Haley Hansen

    Where were you a professor at?

    Jim Craft

    Well, I started out, well, first, I started out in public schools and taught two years of Elementary, two years of middle school, and two years of high school, and then I got a job at a little Baptist College in Upstate South Carolina. I just turned…

    Haley Hansen

    Which kind of Baptist College, I’m guessing Bob Jones.

    Jim Craft

    Now, actually, I got my undergraduate degree from Bob Jones and a Master’s, an M.A., from Bob Jones. And then I finished my graduate work at Clemson, but I got my first job as a professor at North Greenville University and taught there for 16 years. And then, I took a position down in West Palm Beach, Florida, for 10 years a little longer, actually, at Palm Beach Atlantic University, and sort of headed up the visual art program down there, department down there. And it was kind of a blast, you know, being down in Florida in mind that at all, but it was really fun having a studio and being an artist, you know, getting up every day and making stuff and doing exhibitions, shows, and things like that.

    Haley Hansen

    Was there ever one specific moment that made you realize you wanted to be a professional studio artist?

    Jim Craft

    Well, that was always, you know, the goal to be an artist, but it’s just not a realistic goal. I mean, even my friends who were wildly successful had to actually supplement their income with other things. And it’s good to have those kinds of things in your pocket. So, I wouldn’t ever discourage anybody from, you know, getting a degree in, you know, graphic design or advertising or any of the design areas, just because, well, you know, Andy Warhol was a graphic designer and musicians and composers actually did other things. But, it was always the goal to be just an artist. And that was kind of a blast. But it didn’t really take care of everything. Kids were getting bigger. And you know, everybody knows three kids and my wife. So, it was really four against, well, not against, but it was four votes against one vote. And so, I had to go get a job teaching. It’s not terrible. I didn’t mind teaching. It actually turned out, I was okay at it. All of my evaluations were good. It was always in the top percentile and got a number of awards and so on for teaching, because I didn’t mind teaching. I liked people. I like students, and interacting with them, and telling them the truth. And they didn’t always like me, but that’s okay. I guess my evaluations were…. had a big gap in the middle. There were those who really liked me and said I was the best professor they ever had. And there was a big gap in the middle. And then there were those that said, I was awful, and don’t ever take any courses from this man, because he’ll, he’ll make you work.

    Haley Hansen

    I had a couple of professors like that. Yeah.

    Jim Craft

    Yeah. Yeah, that’s actually a pretty good, you know, way too, like, let your evaluations fall. You don’t want a bunch in the middle, that just isn’t so great. That way, you kind of, like, you get students that maybe are a little more serious. Are you an art student?

    Haley Hansen

    I’m an English major.

    Jim Craft

    Well, and of course, I would always tell people, students, that you know, minor in education or English, because English is good. Because writing is always a valuable skill, it’s always a valuable skill no matter what you do, if you can write, and put together good, you know, sentences and presentations, and if you can read if you can know how to do research, if you actually understand what real research looks like, that will help you it really well, I taught a lot of art history. And a lot of our pre; I had to teach a lot of sections or at a pre all the time, but you know, I don’t miss grading all the, all the research papers, oh, my goodness. When they’d come in, I would have, I’d be gone for a week and a half. I just have to go through them all. And I can never give a student a bad grade, or even a good grade without telling them why, you know, I wanted them to know why they’re getting what they’re getting. Yeah, English is a good, a good minor. And I suppose there’s a number of other areas where you could minor and and that would be well advised. I think it’s probably healthy for students to know that being, being a learning the craft learning the, you know, the principles and elements of art and design. And really understanding how to apply them and not be understated design theory was always something that I think that it can’t really be undervalued. Because, that really ends up being the currency of, of whether or not you can develop a particular visual way of expressing yourself, whether it’s in, you know, sculpture, ceramics or architecture, whatever. They all, they all apply. All those principles and elements. They apply to every one of the arts. Whether, even if, you go into dance or theater, or any of that, it really doesn’t matter. They’re all very similar.

    Jim Craft

    In fact, I taught a number of courses on the integration of the principles and elements in… and it was teamed up with a dance and theater major, music professor and myself. And it’s all the same language. So all those, I think that’s really valuable because then I’ve had students that have ended up because they heard me, they ended up in, you know, retail and, and um, you know, selling in galleries or auction houses. Traveling internationally, even if you don’t necessarily have to end up in the studio to stay in the arts; I even had a student who ended up being a buyer internationally of fine rugs, and all over the Europe and North Africa, and the Middle East. And she was a painting person she was I mean, she learned the principles and now, so they all fit, it’s all still the same, whether you’re looking at a Persian rug, or if you’re looking at a really nice ceramic vessel, it’s all the same. And I never could quite figure that out. You know, people will say, Oh, this Van Gogh is, real art. But, this Song Dynasty bowl is just a craft? Well, if it’s if it’s well made, well designed, and has beautiful line and balance and unity, and you know, all that, to me, it’s just as breathtaking. And, of course, that’s… that would that always would make for a good discussion. It’s good to be able to tell why each is good. And, I’ve had students end up in stage design, and you know, theater design, and even going into product design. And it’s very much all kind of related.

    Haley Hansen

    Very, broadly applicable skill set.

    Jim Craft

    Sure. It really…

    Haley Hansen

    Sort of like English.

    Jim Craft

    Yeah, like English. And the the kind of core I would say in English is hopefully that you can read well, and understand what good research and a real you know what a good sentence is, and good paper is, and good presentations, all those kinds of things are incredibly widely applicable.

    Haley Hansen

    Are there any specific programs or organizations around the state that you would recommend for someone interested in pursuing a career in the arts?

    Jim Craft

    Well, there’s certainly, you know, you can become members of, you know, artists and crafts societies or artists.

    Haley Hansen

    I think I’ve seen a couple of galleries run by like artists and guilds and stuff like that.

    Jim Craft

    Yeah. And then members of both, like um, Co-ops and just commercial galleries, and there’s upsides to both, you know, they, it’s nice to be able to keep, you know, 75-80% of your sales prices. It’s also nice not to have to worry about advertising and promotion, not having to coordinate an exhibition, it’s all done for you. But then they, you know, they keep 50 or 60 or 70 present in a gallery, but that’s what they do. Of course, galleries are gone now. I mean, galleries are not completely gone, but just about it’s, it’s just a completely changed situation because you have online galleries and, you know digital media and promotion, all that kind of thing. And that’s a completely different kind of thing, now.

    Haley Hansen

    At least in Greenville, there’s still plenty of physical ones to wander into.

    Jim Craft

    Oh, yeah, it’s true. It’s it, you know, I just, I just, I’ve done I’ve done those. And I’ve done I’ve made production type runs and things like that, for commercial entities, design houses that make accessories and things like that, that would be called Object art, you know. And I’ve produced for them, and then I’ve also done sub wholesaling for houses that, you know, they like I have sold to the furniture market, in High Point North Planet, and selling to especially tabletop accessories, and lamp companies and things like that. It’s all very fashion-oriented, and you go, you know, you submit a bunch of pieces to put in a furniture market twice a year. And then you might get $20,000 of orders selling your stuff suppose sale, but with minimum quantity. And that was that I felt like, Whoa, I might be able to make it doing this. But everything is always changing; it was always very fashion-oriented. And then, as soon as you would start selling something successfully, they would, you know, find another supplier, usually out of Asia, and then all of a sudden they discontinue that item. And that’s that’s kind of brutal. But that’s, that was that. I didn’t mind being a teacher, though. It was okay. It’s not a; it’s not a… I mean, it’s an honorable profession.

    Haley Hansen

    You have a very big impact in a lot of people’s lives that way.

    Jim Craft

    Well, some would say, you know, some, some, some, some would say that. The best thing about teaching is it gets easier. I mean, I don’t know if anybody’s told you that. But it’s it’s when you teach it gets easier. Because you learn your stuff. You always have to keep up and stay abreast of important improvements and changes in contributions. But it does get easier. I mean, toward the end there, I wasn’t using my notes hardly at all; I would just go into lecture and just go for a couple of hours at a time and not… and it just gets easier, which is which was nice.

    Haley Hansen

    As we’re wrapping up. Do you have any final advice for students who are pursuing a creative career?

    Jim Craft

    I would say keep your alternatives lined up and be realistic about a career in the arts. Don’t fall in love with the idea that you must be just a studio person only. But you know, you can focus on that and keep that. It’s not like you lose that, but, you know, keep keep a number. A number of alternatives in your pocket just to be more widely marketable.