Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Vandeven “Vansteven”.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been interested in the creation of music, movies, photographs, drawings, paintings, woodwork, ceramics, metalwork, and many others. I’ve always had fun creating, but I lacked self-confidence, so I never really stuck with anything consistently. Towards the end of 2008, I had a near-death experience and it really changed my perspective of life in general. The biggest lesson; if there are things you want to do, if you enjoy something, go for it. Don’t hesitate to experiment and try new things. You never know when life could end. You’ll never succeed if you don’t try. Don’t be afraid to fail. I fell in love with the camera about four years ago. Now, I can’t get enough and see no end.
Please tell us about your art.
I’m addicted to photography. I love to shoot and edit! I really enjoy every part of the process and feel like my cameras and computers are creative toys that lead me down timeless wormholes. I lose myself and everything else just disappears. I like to shoot and edit odd or surreal images. I know I’ve accomplished what I want when I finish an image and feel like I can lose myself again just looking at it. I hope others can lose themselves, too, even if only for a second or two when observing one of my finished shots.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
It’s hard for me to define success. It seems elusive and relative to different moments. I’m constantly setting new goals and trying to raise the bar. I feel I always have more to learn and never want to stop growing as a photographer, whether shooting or editing.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work at vansteven.com or @vansteven on Instagram… for now. I’m constantly pushing myself to open other windows and plan to sell prints in the near future. I feel lucky I’ve won some cool contests and I’m always looking for another to enter.
Contact Info:
- Website: vansteven.com
- Email: vansteven@gmail.com
- Instagram: @vansteven
Image Credit:
Steven Vandeven vansteven.com IG @vansteven
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