Steven has been artsy since day one, and while he's dabbled in all things creative, his first true love was photography. A double major in photography and graphic design, Steven kicked off his career crisscrossing the continent and photographing music festivals. He’s been knee-deep in questionable miasmas, erratic crowd surfing, and nightmare-inducing porta-potties—all in the name of art.

Eventually, he hung up his festival badges and pivoted to graphic design, where a wise mentor introduced him to Bright Matter.

Steven is a jack of all trades and master of...well, many, actually. But it’s animation that really lures him in—like a digital rabbit hole complete with late nights and caffeine, but somehow, he thrives there. It's his "flow state"—which I have to assume is art-language adjacent to a "happy place."

Both in and out of work, Steven’s the ultimate creative craftsman: from home improvement and overlanding, to tattoos and fishing. One of his more recent hobbies is the stock market; even off the clock, the man is still strategizing. His latest and greatest passion project, however, is becoming a dad—complete with sleepless nights, unpredictable diaper blowouts, and the absolute joy of his new little human.

Favorite movie set in a school: My favorite movie set in a school is School of Rock because hiding a rock band in plain sight was just rad. So many fun quotes from that movie, too.

Fictional teacher I wish I had: I'd have to pick the substitute teacher, Mr. Garvey, from Key & Peele. Having a teacher that funny would bring me to class every day.

Favorite class of all time: AP Studio Art was my favorite class in high school—it gave me some amazing memories and played a big role in shaping the path I’m on today.