Meet Shawn O Smith | Photographer | Flight Attendant | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn O Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn O, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I spent the first 14 years of my life in California, primarily in the Bay Area and the Santa Cruz Mountains, although I was born in Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. My family is biracial, and we moved there when I was very young. After my father passed away when I was a teenager, I spent the rest of those years as a military brat, traveling all over the world and eventually graduating from high school in Vicenza, Italy. When I was a kid, I used to feel envious of my friends who came from families that had lived in the same location all their lives, had deep roots in the community, and had a long history there. Although it was challenging for me to move around as a kid, I got to experience a wide variety of different cultures thanks to the communities in different countries. I believe that because of this, I have a better understanding of who I am and the role that I play in the world. Because the world is becoming more diverse, it was helpful for me to gain a perspective on the entire planet so that I could better understand the communities in which I live and work. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For most of my life, I’ve been an entrepreneur, always trying to challenge and find new ways to grow and experience the world. Because of the pandemic, That was moved into a more creative Ave. I have been a flood attendant for 33 years, and as COVID impacted all of us, I could not fly for some time. And just before COVID hit, I had back surgery Keeping me on the ground for 12 weeks of rehab. So when COVID happened, I was ready to get out of the house, but they were telling us to stay in the place. And because of my entrepreneurial spirit, I decided to drive with Uber Eats, helping out the people supporting the pandemic. This led me to obtain a scholarship through Uber and an opportunity to go back to school, explore my creativity through photography, and gain a bachelor of Fine Arts in digital photography. As I started researching my creativity with photography and the different art photography genres, I began once again to get excited about the project topics I chose to explore. Growing up in a home with a white mother and a black father and being biracial, I had never really talked about who I am in the experience of growing up in a world that was not so diverse. Learning to adapt, understand, and fit into the communities I move through in my life, there’s something of second nature to me. But many times in life, I encountered the harsh reality of racism and discrimination. As I work on my photography, I continue to explore what it’s like to be biracial and how other biracial people see and identify themselves. The current project I’m working on, biracial in America, is allowing me to interview and Talk about being biracial in America. I have learned more about the systemic racism that plagues our country and continues to divide us. Learning to identify and challenge these systems And continue to bring about awareness is a focus of my art in photography.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As I reside in Medina, Ohio, Some of the most exciting things to do while in Ohio would be to explore the many museums Of this area. Visiting Dover, OH, and taking people to Warther Museum and Gardens is a fascinating exploration of the wood carvings of trains. Ernest “Mooney” Warther hand-sculpted the evolution of the steam engine. Seeing and hearing about the history of his wood carvings of trains is mind-blowing. In addition, a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Football Hall of Fame, or the roller coaster capital of Cedar Point would all be exciting places to see and experience. As I love food and experiencing different cultures in what they eat, Ohio has diverse culinary experiences to excite and discover through your taste buds.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe a great debt of gratitude to my mom and stepdad for providing me with the means to see the world. Thanks to my wife, I’ve developed into a more admirable person who isn’t afraid to put himself out there and try new things.

Website: https://www.shawnosmith.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sosimages/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.o.smith

Image Credits
All images by Shawn O. Smith