Steven Grabell

Proust Questionnaire:

What is your (current) favourite book, show, or movie? The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix

Tea, coffee, or something else? Coffee (black)

What did you love toplay as a child? Lego

What was your dream work/job as a child? Doctor or something in medicine

If you could be friends with any fictional, mythical, legendary, literary character, who would it be? If I could be friends with any fictional character, I would choose Leslie Knope from Parks & Rec. She is a go-getter with an annoyingly positive outlook on life. She is also insanely hilarious so I could see us being the best of friends.

What skills or superpowers do you currently possess?

In terms of strengths, I would consider mine to be my creativity and my ability to see things differently than others. I am the kind of person to romanticize everything, which has become a strength for me when it comes to filmmaking. I am able to see the ordinary and mundane and make it into something that is idealistic. Another strength that I believe I possess is my ability to see things in structures from beginning, middle, to end. This enhances my abilities as a filmmaker because I can see breakdowns every situation that makes it fit into a storytelling format. One last skill that I believe strengthens my ability is my innate sense of empathy. Being able to feel for others emotions allows me to see a different perspective on life all the time. This comes in handy as a filmmaker because I am able to see things through a different set of eyes and tell the story of someone else.

What skills or superpowers would you like to develop or enhance throughout your work and time with Creative Humanities?

Superpowers or skills that I would like to strengthen through the Creative Humanities project is being able to go outside of my comfort zone. Taking on work that relies on my own opinions, experience, and expertise is as exciting as it is intense. Though this is a key experience that will teach me to be comfortable with taking on projects and work at levels that I haven’t before.

Whom do you see as having the skills and strengths that you would like to enhance and develop?

The person that I see having the skills that I wish to develop and enhance is my mom. My mom is the hardest working person that I know, taking care of me solely for years, helping me through school, all along while teaching me key life lessons to make sure that I grow into adulthood with everything that I need to know. I hope that one day I will have her skills of multitasking, her unwavering moral compass to always make the right decisions, her ability to take on any situation and challenge, and her constant faith that one will always come out of a situation on top. These are skills that I see as superpowers that are a necessity to get through life with a positive outlook.

At any point during your work with the Creative Humanities did you find yourself stepping outside of your comfort zone?  Did you learn or discover something new about yourself, your interests, or abilities?

Through the Creative Humanities project, I think that the idea of going the distance is something that has taught me the benefits of stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’ve been somewhat of a shy person all of my life. When I saw the opportunity for this position, I knew that it suited me well and that I was the right person for the job. I knew that to succeed with this opportunity, I had to put myself out there and believe that I was the only person who was capable of doing this job.

Create a visual depiction of how you see yourself as a contributor to the Creative Humanities project. 

This picture that I’ve taken is a visual representation of myself always reaching for a creative way of life. When it comes to the Creative Humanities project, it reminds me of how I’m always asking myself how I can improve my own work and make it even more unique.