Ansel Adams once said, “No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create, or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.”
It’s clear Adams had an appreciation of the fundamental individuality of every human being.
Put simply, everyone has a unique voice.
Growing as a creative means putting in the work to refine your experiences and perspectives into a distinct, original style.
The second part of Adams’s quote, “...all should be encouraged to reveal themselves...to build confidence in the creative spirit,” is equally as important as the first.
Yes, creatives have a voice, but it’s the expression of that voice through the confidence we build that lets us transcend superficial understandings and truly communicate through our work.
In this episode of the Keep Creating Podcast, we sat down with Lee Steffen and discussed the habits he developed and the work he put in to find his voice as a professional creative and artist.
Lee is an award-winning creative director, photographer, music producer, and fine artist. He’s traveled the world as a non-profit founder, photographed a Billboard #1 album and countless Grammy-winning musicians, designed for a presidential campaign, produced an acclaimed hip-hop record, and led brand campaigns for luminaries like Maya Angelou and Johnny Cash.
When he’s not traveling, Less can be found in Nashville, TN, where he lives with his true loves: his family and his piano.
You can stream this episode of the Keep Creating Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Like the music we used on the show? You can license and download it here.
