Today we’d like to introduce you to Georgia Hampton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Georgia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always sort of envied people who knew the one thing they were going to dedicate their life to because I’ve just never been like that. Even in school, I was all over the place. I went to school for photojournalism but ended up doing my undergraduate thesis in illustration and writing, I thought about getting a history minor or an American culture minor or a philosophy minor… you can imagine how frustrated my advisor was with me by the time I graduated.
I’ve always loved doing as many things as I possibly can, learning as much as I possibly can. When I started out in the ~real world~ it became clear very quickly that photojournalism wasn’t really “doing it” for me as much as I wanted it to, so I just started teaching myself other things. I did some editorial illustration, I started editing podcasts, I did photo when I could in whatever way I could, I started an Etsy shop and made buttons to sell… it’s a lot.
I just started grad school in New Arts Journalism at SAIC in a desperate attempt to sort through all of this and figure out what combination of all these things makes the most sense to me. But I’ve already applied for a radio show and an editing position at F News so who knows???
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh GOD no, things have been up and down from the get-go. And I’m sure my experience is not an unusual one. It’s extremely difficult to realize that the thing you’ve worked so hard for just isn’t what you wanted it to be, and it can easily lead you down a very long mental spiral of doubt. I’ve questioned my talent, my dedication to my work, I’ve worried if I’m just not “trying hard enough” even after applying to countless jobs, and then starting the spiral all over again if and when I got rejection emails (if any response at all).
Being a young professional, especially in the arts, is a constant test of your ability to be kind and patient with yourself while seemingly everything around you is telling you to give it all up. Part of why I’ve branched out and taught myself a lot of different skills is for survival – so I could find more jobs – but also so that I could reassure myself. I enjoy so many different kinds of making and teaching myself a new skill was my way of telling myself that I was still me and that there was still room to play. Even if I was only going to use this skill for fun, it still mattered.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My friend David explained this the best: he says that I’m like the human version of Mary Poppin’s bag, that the more you dig through it the more things you pull out of it. So, I guess what I’m known for isn’t so much one specific thing, but just my interest in doing as many things as possible and teaching myself a skill if I don’t already know how to do it! Illustration is what I have the most fun with, I love drawing lists of things like “food I hate” or “things that scared me when I was four years old.” But I’ve also loved working with podcasts, editing or making my own with my friend Megan. Photography is definitely what I have the most professional experience in, and I especially love working in black and white film. I love storytelling and that’s really the thread that ties all of these different things together. I love meeting people and making new friends, and all of my work has that enthusiasm for interpersonal communication at its core, even if it’s just someone saying “oh cool, I also hate beets!”
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to have such supportive parents. They both work for themselves and that self-reliance has been transferred over to me from the jump. They have always pushed me to try new things and pick myself back up when I face rejection, and I’m pretty sure they’d also be fine with me having 800 different jobs at the same time!
I also feel the exact same way about my friends. I’m not going to go into names for the sake of sounding like a very drawn out Oscars acceptance speech, but I don’t know how I got so lucky with the friends I have in my life. They’re all so talented and brilliant in so many different ways. Whenever I feel down or unsure of myself, they are the inspiration that reminds me “oh right, I can totally do this.” Because if they’re out here shining like the sun, then I can do it too, you know?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.georgia-hampton.com
- Email: georgiaruthhampton@gmail.com
- Instagram: georgiaruthhampton
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