Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason McElweenie.
Hi Jason, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in Canada outside of Toronto, Ontario. I’ve had a varied past, living all over Canada prior to moving to Texas. As a younger man, I started out training to be a chef but left the service industry looking for other challenges. I’ve been a bike courier, a museum docent, and a welder.
I went to school to learn graphics and web design. When I moved to Houston in 2004 I was designing on the side and landed a job with a web marketing company in 2005. Over the years in Houston, I’ve designed a lot of concert posters culminating in poster designer of the year (Houston Press) and shot a ton of concert photos and videos. My current position is the Brand and Creative Manager for Axiom Medical.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The dot com bust and 9/11 happened shortly after I graduated. Companies either closed or pulled back their budgets.
Finding a career in graphic/web design was almost non-existent. I had to make ends meet outside of trying to have a career. I took the small design, marketing, and photography gigs on the side to stay in the game. After moving to Houston I was able to integrate myself into the artistic, design, and marketing community here. From there I just kept adding tools to my belt. It was daunting and took longer than it should have but that was the time back then.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My 9-5 is Brand & Creative Manager for Axiom Medical. I’ve been there for over 5 years now. Outside of work hours, depending on who you ask, I’m a photographer, videographer, poster designer, and improviser.
In regards to what my full-time career is, what sets me apart is my ability to do many, many things. When I started in graphic/web design some aspects we know today weren’t around yet. In web marketing, new things were coming out all the time and you needed to not only know how to do those things you needed to be very good at them. I’m a naturally inquisitive and creative person so I learned how to design, shoot products/people, create videos for clients, do search engine optimization, social media marketing, and hyper-focused persona marketing.
With Axiom Medical I maintain their brand image across each medium we use whether it’s digital or analog. I create all of our video and social media marketing on top of a host of other responsibilities
In my free time, I searched every whim that came to my mind. A lifelong lover of concert posters and record designs I wanted to try my hand out at designing these things. This led to my being awarded Best Poster Designer by Houston Press. Through my relationships with the Houston Press, I was able to get into another love, concert photography. I’ve shot a ton of shows here and in Austin.
Leaning on some personal relationships I recorded some pieces on local independently owned businesses to share their stories. I filmed the interviews, and b-roll, created graphics and edited them all on my own. I hope to create more of these in the near future.
Another love is comedy and I took the plunge a few years ago and took an improv class. From there I became a regular performer and coach at Station Theater. Improv is kind of the ultimate challenge for a creative person. You have to create something on the spot and it’s gone forever. It makes you face some of your fears and allows you to work through things on stage. I’ve been able to use it to revisit past traumas and see other scenarios of things that could have been played out differently. Terrifying and exhilarating.
I don’t like the words “you can’t do that” when it comes to anything creative. I’m proud of the awards and art shows I’ve had over the years but I’m most proud of my inert ability to say “screw it, I’m gonna try this”.
What’s next?
I have a short film I’ve written that I would like to direct in the new year. A small independent thing that I hope I can use to springboard into something bigger with funding. I’m going to be working with a local band in Houston to create a music video for them. I’m also working with a team on creating a small horror short film.
I love to travel and that generally scratches my photography itch. I don’t have one discipline I work in when it comes to photography. I love street, travel, landscape, and journalistic photography. I will continue to create new images and challenge myself more there.
I plan on interviewing more local independent business owners whose businesses I love and think are important for the creative community here in Houston.
Over the past year, I’ve been getting into creating AI imagery. I’m currently exploring that in a storytelling manner. I recently created images to help tell a 1960s-style spy story. At the time of this questionnaire, I am sharing images to help tell a space thriller story. I create images that I hope show a narrative that people can follow along with. What I am getting back is pretty much exactly what I want. I cannot wait to see how this medium continues to improve. It’s my wish to create AI-generated movies based on what I have in my head. Stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.
jaymacphoto.com/ - Instagram: http://instagram.
com/deneyterrio, http:// instagram.com/leicaqfotos, htt p://instagram.com/streetfotos, http://instagram.com/ budtherepoman - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/jaymacphotography - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/ jasonmcelweenie/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@randomrulesstudios
