Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Hancock.
Hi Steven, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hi! I’m Steven Hancock or ‘Don Esteban’ or even simply and fondly, Esteban. So, basically, I was born and raised in the great city of Louisville, KY. I attended undergrad at Western Kentucky University where I majored in Broadcast – Television/Film Production. I originally wanted to major in Film however, it was too theory-based and with being a Taurus, I needed something tangible and hands-on to really fuel my creativity and passion.
I grew up with the desire for creativity – It is my passion. When someone would ask me at a very young age “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would, without hesitation, always say, “I want to be a painter” or “I want to do art” and that’s all I wanted to be. As a child, I drew all of the time and painted. I would escape to worlds in my head and write stories and movie scripts but what I loved the most was having some kind of camera in my hand. I loved having that creative control over what someone will view and how they’ll view it. I was highly imaginative and so creatively driven. I grew up with an equally creatively driven older brother, Chris. From a young age I can remember running around with a camera or camcorder with the actual VHS tapes in them (so vintage! haha) and we would re-create The Exorcist, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St, and so many more. I always imagined releasing films and sitting on talk shows explaining the intricate camera work and the incredible depth of this story that I had created that eventually turned into a blockbuster film – probably a result of ADD or some Dissociative Disorder. TikTok tells me something new every day with my algorithm, but I like to say that I was just highly imaginative.
Growing up with this deep need to create lead me to later on making my own home movies and film trailers with friends in high school. I remember taking scenes from Catcher in the Rye for a class project and filming them, scripting the story for on-screen purposes, editing, etc. this is when it struck me that I HAD to go to college for film or I had to figure out a way to do this professionally. I had never been so sure of my life path before. I got into college, moved away from home and created a new life for myself. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time having fun instead of consistently chasing that dream. I wouldn’t say I regret anything as I loved my experience, but I had a clearer path before. While in college I learned everything from pre-to-post production work in live television, film, TV, commercials, etc. I created fake reality shows centered on my friends and I’s life at Western Kentucky University, a “live” psychic medium show that hearkened back to Miss Cleo. I even linked up with my now really good friend and Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Cheyhawwt in her earlier days to do music videos and other work for her. We bounced off of each other so well and with the right budget, we could’ve really created exceptional work and we did in fact make magic together. All of this experience just reinforced my deep desire to create. I eventually took up photography on the side as a result of this.
I love film and creating video work but there’s something so raw, intimate, and difficult about photography that makes it so interesting. There’s so much you could say in a photo and if you do it wrong you might not say anything at all, the feelings just not there, or it simply doesn’t resonate. I do a lot of portrait work because my subject – a human – their face – it’s beautiful! It says so much. I do other work as well, cityscape/architecture and what I consider digital mixed media. I’m heavily inspired by unbelievable works from photographers and creatives like Joshua Teplitz, Connor Cunningham, Kelby Reck, and Jeremiah Hunnus.
Though I find it great, I don’t typically do traditional portraits. With my photography work, I strive to portray a story, emotion, or idea through this small and condensed space that is a face or body. I see what I do as digital art, in the same way, that I take a blank canvas or in this case a photo and I let it tell me what I need to do. I have a vision always but far too many times have I not budged and let it constrain me to the point of burnout. So, I choose to let it flow and I choose to do what lights me up. I am currently working a full-time 9-to-5 like most average Americans so honestly, it can be a struggle to find the time to produce work but the desire to create is instinctual and no matter what, I will let it consume me. I’m sitting on a lot of work that I haven’t released yet so be on the lookout as I’m going to be posting more of it and experimenting just as much in 2023. It feels like the perfect year for it, no?
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s not always a smooth road when you’re a creative person. Most of the time I feel like I’m screaming into the void just hoping that someone notices me notices that what I’m doing is worthwhile or at the very least, good. I say I never want validation but it’s crucial to hear when you work so hard to produce a piece of work that is an extension of you in many ways.
A lot of the obstacles that I have struggled with were put in place by me. The fear of rejection, perfectionism causing me to be stuck, fear of exposure and being perceived, and fear of not being understood. This all comes up anytime I am sitting in front of my computer ready to export my work and post it. It’s a train of thought that I always have to jump off of – it’s not conducive and it’s not fair to my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of these answers can be taken from the ‘Your Story’ question.
– What sets me apart from others and what I am most proud of is my creative eye, I’m not afraid to experiment and I’m not afraid of doing things differently. I feel like there’s been times in the past where I wanted to do non-traditional work, take a different approach, etc. and people wanted it to be typical, traditional, or exactly in the way THEY viewed it. Unfortunately, my work came out like crap with no soul so when I let my creative eye take over, I find myself succeeding and creating work that resonates me.
– I specialize in non-traditional portrait photography, cityscape/architecture, and self-proclaimed digital mixed media photography. I strive to create work that gives the viewer the space to draw their own conclusions or feel something.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice is don’t let the fear of being perceived stop you from sharing your authentic self with others and through your work. It’s okay to be afraid and when an opportunity or creative idea arises – don’t let it go, it’s not yours forever.
Let your intuition guide you and let your mind show you how to do it. But most importantly, even if you feel like what you’re doing is pointless or like me, feel like you’re screaming into the void most of the time – you are still creating and that’s absolutely enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sphancock6.wixsite.com/stevenhancock/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shotbydonesteban/
Image Credits
Steven Hancock
Cheyhawwt
Scarlett Wheeler
Taryn Mitchell
Dana Shaw
