Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling Scott.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sterling. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology I thought that my life was setup. I came home, worked in a hospital nights and taught in high school during the day, thinking that I would become a doctor. But I guess life had something different in store for me. I started to do some modeling and photography because someone believed in me. It’s dope because I have always been artistically inclined, having done improv and acted as a teenager, but I didn’t continue to pursue those passions because I thought that I was making my parents “happy” with that choice in life. But I had to realize that I have to do what really makes me happy.
Looking back on the past year, I am happiest that I can be. I constantly create now, thinking of ways to tell different stories and emitting different emotions that people can relate to as model, in collaboration with friends that believe in me and my work, and also as a photographer making sure that stories of people that look like me and/or are marginalized are told. I have completed an entire year photographing for the USC Black Alumni Association, went to Washington D.C. to present at a national health conference, been inspiration for three pieces of artwork that has hung in the TAG Gallery on Wilshire, sold images of myself in an international exhibition in London, became a Getty Images contributor, featured on Getty Images as a model, and to wrap all of this up getting ready to release my first photography book “Reflection of Us” in collaboration with a friend, with an artist talk to boot!
Looking back, I never realized how much I have actually accomplished. But all of that just goes to show that sometimes your path may not always be visible, but by staying true to yourself and believing/following your heart and passion will open doors for you that you may never have imagined.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I often faced constant doubt in my decisions and choices… “am I making the right decision,” “why don’t you just go back to school and be a doctor,” “you are changing your plan.” Those thoughts can make things very cloudy and often confusing. Uncertainty and fear often times have held me back instead of stepping into the light. People will question me. Also looking at my friends around me that are doing well also added to that since of doubt in myself, because I was in constant comparison… “I’m not where they are.” Even social media was a problem; I was being influenced subtly all the time, constantly trying to keep up, when in reality even can fabricate a world on Facebook and Instagram. All these things make the road very bumpy and complicated and there have been plenty of times when I have wanted to turn back.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Photography and being creative. What sets me apart from others is the fact that I really try to establish some sort of connection with my subjects. I want people to look at my photography and want to search for a deeper story than just looking at the surface of a beautiful photo.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Hopefully expanding to the point where I can travel and document people from all over the world! Connect people with different cultures much like photographer Gordon Parks did. Images will definitely be getting people as mirrorless cameras are stepping on the scene, but no matter how powerful the camera someone still needs the right eye and to passion to capture something unique.
Contact Info:
- Email: sterlingscott@protonmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlingscott_/ (Model) https://www.instagram.com/sterling_gold_/ (Photographer)
Image Credit:
Louis Carr
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