Today we’d like to introduce you to Simone Stewart
Hi Simone, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I currently run a profitable freelance photography service, Shot By Simone, based in South Florida. I began working as a professional photographer when I was about 17 years old – my first paid gig was a wedding. Steadily, I developed a client list that helped to supplement the cost of my tuition and put me through college. I’ve worked on contract with major publications, private institutions, and with various non-profit organizations in the area. I also quite enjoyed working with my University’s newspaper and my experience in photojournalism. I offer my services in graphic design to local businesses and entrepreneurs. I also host a podcast, The Truth Podcast Series, available on Spotify.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most recently, I’ve struggled to earn in a post-COVID world. It is incredibly difficult to muster the inspiration and confidence that it takes to create meaningful work amidst the constant rejection of our times. I realize that photography and graphic design may not be a high priority of this region as we are all living in the worst economic crisis in contemporary U.S. history.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My podcast series is an interview based series of in-depth personal anecdotes and perspectives on the human condition. I studied Sociology, Communications, and Anthropology in school, and I’ve always been really fond of literature, films, storytelling of any kind. My degree lent me so much space to ponder why people do what they do, and given the opportunity, what they would have to say about the sum of their own lives. It was no accident that I studied this very topic at my university. If you pull apart all of the intersections that make a person whole, and really put a magnifying glass on them, there is just so much to say. About every individual, every microcosm of life, everything – there is so much to say. And I want to give the people that I find to be the most compelling a platform to do just that. I also work as a freelance photographer in South Florida. I work mostly with DSLRs and prefer portrait work and intimate sessions with private parties.
How do you think about luck?
The privileges I’ve been afforded are vast, none of which I earned. They exist just by virtue of my being alive. I feel lucky to have a large family, full of curious and supportive members, that never judged or hindered my creative pursuits. I was raised upper middle class, and was never denied my next meal, or a consistent bed to sleep on. My parents helped me to get my first car, which enabled me to accept jobs all over South Florida for the last six years. They also helped to put me through school and provided me with housing, a privilege that is not lost on me, especially now.
Contact Info:
- Email: thetruthpodcastseries@gmail.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/simone_little
- Instagram: @simone_little
Image Credits
Shot By Simone Photography, Simone Stewart
