We recently had the chance to connect with JT Thompson and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning JT, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing my dreams man. They’re big dreams, and I’ve got a ways to go, but I’m running my race.
I want Shot by Left and The Left Field of Dreams to eventually be the place people sprint to, when they have something meaningful that they’re ready to share with the world. I’m talking an intimate, full service production house & creative direction, that highlights the beauty in every detail.
Life is art to me. However magnificent it can be at times, it can also be equally sordid & just straight up hard. I’m chasing my dream of being the creative director that people respect & trust to tell every aspect of their stories in a tangible way. There’s no way I can stop. I genuinely love this sh*t!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m JT Thompson also known as Left Field JT of Shot by Left & The Left Field of Dreams. I’m a lowkey retired musician who has pivoted into something that I’ve always loved, since I was a kid, which is film & photography with a current emphasis on sports.
The Left Field of Dreams is a solo (for now) production company that is all about the audacity to never pull your head out of the clouds. It’s Left Field you know? Everything Left Field started back in my college days with the goal of reflecting innovation, creativity & inspiring others to think outside the box. That mission still stands with the audacious approach I take in the work I’m doing now in fully producing projects as an army of one. Thats pre-production, script writing, photography, lighting, filming, color grading, editing, etc. all the way down to the final result.
To me, that’s the most special part of it all. My heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears & sleep I should be getting (haha), goes into the projects that I work on. As a client, you get someone who is just as passionate about your project as you are. In the age of “everything is content,” I do believe that when you have a story to tell, or a product you want to share with the world, those visuals having a true heartbeat, will set you apart from all of the other regurgitated work we see.
As of right now, I’m working on an athletic campaign that will serve as a full introduction to The Left Field of Dreams & its capabilities as a production company.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
N/A FOR THIS QUESTION, SORRY
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering teaches me tremendously. Most people, even those closest to me, have no clue how much I’ve suffered & suffer, because I do keep a lot inside. You know, it’s hard. Life can be hard in general & then you add every other intersectional struggle on top of that, along with being an artist…man. Me & suffering for sure have been in some situationships!
Suffering has been a teacher in a way that success likely could never be to me. When you win, everything is champagne showers, but suffering taught me how to really work. It refueled my passion to create by forcing me to make something out of nothing. It leaves you with no choice but to look in the mirror & identify what it is you really want & how much its worth to you. Like I said previously, that’s all Left Field. Dreams, work & the audacity to figure it out no matter what.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’d say in a way, but not fully. I don’t know really know people’s perception of me based off of the few things they see on social media. But I do know, in the comfort of my own space or people I really trust, I’m an extremely goofy person. I don’t think that comes out much but I do feel like that’s one of the most important parts of who I am. Not to be dramatic but laughing keeps me alive. My favorite thing is being forced to try to hold a laugh in because wherever you are, its not appropriate at the moment. Something about those tears falling down my eyes is exhilarating to me! I’m also extremely empathetic & I feel things deeply & I think that alone, is why I’m so in love with making unconventional moments stand out in my work. Some things that people would consider insignificant, will stick with me for weeks. Overall I’m layered like the rest of us…so probably not.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Immediately I hope people say I was attractive & funny, then right after that, I hope they talk about how passionate I was about the things & the people that I loved.
I want the story to be told that I built a dynamic boutique production company, that brought stories to life, brick by brick. That I went after every one of my dreams even when it was hard, even when I was broke, even when there were no clients, even without a camera, even when family had no faith, even when I wanted to quit – that I never did. I want people to remember that everything that is coming my way, I planted the seeds for. I silently cried when I didn’t know if this would bear any fruit. I suffered & I studied. I tried & I failed a hundred times over. I never once put my handout to anybody. I really worked for this & I never let anybody see me really sweat, while doing it.
I want the story people tell, to be Left Field 4L & even after that
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shotbyleft.com
- Instagram: shotbyleft
- Twitter: shotbyleft
Image Credits
JT Thompson, of Shot by Left/The Left Field of Dreams
