Evan Smith
Evan’s a visual storyteller and creative strategist building his dreams from Boston, MA.
With faith and purpose guiding every step, Evan does all he can through all he does to make a genuine impact on the lives of others. Whether he’s shooting Grammy nominated artists, editing TV shows, designing album covers, or creating content strategy, Evan aims to shape culture in a way that helps others get to know Jesus a little more than they did before.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
I’ve explored a variety of creative outlets like playing guitar, learning graphic design, capturing concert video, and consulting with musicians and influencers on their social media strategy. For the last year though, it’s definitely been a heavy focus on helping artists on social media.
As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that my biggest dream is to impact how people think by creating art. I believe that God has given me these gifts for a reason, and I believe that social media is a tool that artists can use to impact culture.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
Music has always held a special place in my life. I’m one of six kids and we grew up listening to DC Talk, the Newsboys, Superchick, and so many more. When I was 12, I started to play guitar, and over the next few years I began to learn more about the music industry. After graduating high school, I realized I could get into concerts for free if I learned to use a camera.
I spent about a year shooting at every concert that I could in my area. I don’t think I was paid for a single one. But I went into it knowing that if I could just get backstage, I would have conversations with artists and managers who would help me build my network in the industry. At one of these shows, I got connected with someone on Skillet’s team, and I was asked to spend a few weekends on the road with them to create video content.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
Jesus is the center of everything. Having a relationship with Him is what inspires me to keep growing, keep learning, and keep creating. God is the ultimate creator, and so when I create, I want it to reflect His glory.
Being plugged into a local church is something that will teach you to dream big dreams. When you’re surrounded by people who will challenge and encourage you, it unlocks so many new ideas and opportunities to grow. I’m not going to grow in isolation. If you’re a creative, surround yourself with creatives. If you have big dreams, surround yourself with people who have big dreams. If you’re a follower of Jesus, surround yourself with followers of Jesus. When you love Jesus, you’re going to love what He loves, and that’s His people.
What’s one or two practical steps you take to keep moving forward?
The first step for me was to become a part of a community of driven creatives. I used to think community was something that I have to search for, but the reality is that community isn’t found, it’s forged. By surrounding myself with other people who dream big, I have grown in more ways than I can count. My creative circle is a pretty amazing group of people. We’re always teaching each other and explaining our creative secrets. I know that when my friends succeed, I succeed.
What encouragement would you share with someone who’s going after their dream?
I used to think that getting a certain number of views or followers would make me happier. But the reality is that those things are just numbers, and you’re worth so much more than any number of views, likes, or followers.
Set big goals, but set them around things that really matter. For example, the goal of my next video isn’t to hit a certain number of views, but to impact the way that the viewers think about a certain topic. Having goals like that is so much more meaningful than trying to hit a certain number.