Today we’d like to introduce you to George Simmons.
Thanks for sharing your story with us George. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up as the youngest and only boy, so generally, I was always independent and always doing my own thing. This led to me developing my hobbies and interests since a young kid. I began out as a “tech nerd” through my father. He was always repairing computers and even built computers to make some extra money for the family. Seeing him mess with these ample computers genuinely intrigued me and made me quite interested in it. Whenever I had the chance, I got on his computer and researched different topics based around computer engineering; this led to me being informed with technology as a whole and how it works. One day on my father’s computer, I opened two strange software I’ve never seen before… “Adobe After Effects” and “Fruity Loops”. Both of these programs were the start of who I am today. After finding out the Adobe Suite was used for creative fronts such as video and photo editing, and Fruity Loops was used as music production software, I jumped straight into it. Once I self-taught myself how to use Adobe, I began creating little video game edits that gave me my basic experience and knowledge.
This continued for years until I moved onto my music production side. I was always the kid who beat on the table during lunch for everyone to rap over, so music production felt second nature to me. I began seriously creating music during the late 8th grade for friends who wanted to become the local rappers of my school. I tried to push out at least ten beats a day to get my creative juices flowing, but this started to lead out to me becoming burnt out. I continued to do the same thing over and over again, but around 10th grade, I began to feel lost. Unsure about what I wanted to do in life and what the future had for me. This led to a dry point in my life, where I was extremely unmotivated. I would want to barely get out of bed in the morning to even clean myself up. It progressively worsened, but it wasn’t until the end of 10th grade where I seriously picked up a camera and began taking photos seriously. Photography was on the prospects that helped me get out of my deep slump. I instantly fell in love with photography. The art of taking pictures and creating long-lasting memories held a deep part of my heart for me. Photography also led to me reinventing my interests in music production and videography. My development in these creative fields ultimately created who I am today. The kid who loves music, film, photography, fashion and all of the above.
As of now, I continue to push not only growth for myself but growth for others in my life. Although I want to specialize in media production, I also want to help my community and our society as a whole. I want to be the one who looks out for people and I want to be the one who is there for them. I have nothing but love in my heart, and I want to spread it to everyone. Without the people who were there for me, I would not be the person who I am today and I feel as if I must return the favor.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has generally never been smooth for me; The road to this day has had many speed bumps and potholes in it. Although I’m still a teenager & I have so much to learn and develop into, many of my problems were personal to me because of the way I grew up. Being the youngest and only boy, I tended to form independence at a young age. Me being this independent free spirit, I went to no one about my problems and issues. I felt as if I had to take care of everything myself and that I needed to be there for me and myself only. Growing up on the Southside of Atlanta, I always felt “out of place” when I was younger. Being this black kid that looks white with freckles and bright orange hair, it always made me feel like an outcast. This was during a time where being “weird” was considered different and it caused me to alienate myself. I grew up with little friends which led my social skills being undermined. During the time I entered high school, I began to go through some serious mental health issues. I got diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and that played a major toll on me. Ranging from losing sleep every day to isolating myself during class to not conversing with anyone.
This led to me being a hermit and being that one weird kid who was always alone. Self-esteem issues began to arise, and my overall self-confidence plummeted into a black abyss. Later down the line as I began to realize my own self-worth and my self-esteem skyrocketed and no one could tell me anything! To this very day, I am EXTREMELY confident and I don’t let anyone change my opinion. My battles with mental health are why I’m such a heavy advocator for pushing mental health awareness because it affects a plethora of individuals. Mental health is generally overlooked and brushed off people’s shoulders because it’s considered a “minute” problem, even though it has a bigger effect than people think. Even though I want to work in the entertainment industry, I also want to help people. I want to help our society and help this world form into the best version of the world it can be while still doing my thing.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I personally do a wide range of different things involving media and entertainment. Ranging from photography and videography to music production and fashion. People know me as the kid who does “everything.” The people in my life say I’m versatile with creative works. I’m most proud of my brand’s growth and development. Seeing it from 4 years ago to now is astonishing. The brand used to be generic photos with no flavor or essence, now it’s a brand that revolves around music, photography, networking, and media as a whole. It will continue to mature every day and form into my personal vision.
My brand is all about work ethic and personality. When I work with other people, I never lose my personality. I will stay true to myself before anything because that brings the best results in your work. I am also a big push on work ethic. You will not be able to get anything done if your work isn’t organized and structured. I try to keep a timeline on what we need to get done to get it done proficiently and effectively. That’s what separates my brand from others.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
In all honesty, Atlanta is one of the best cities in the United States. In my eyes, it’s considered the New Black Hollywood and it’s extremely true. Atlanta has grown exponentially over the years and it’s become a great source of new entertainment from fashion to music to people in general. The possibilities are endless in Atlanta and it amazes me. It’s a beautiful site seeing the hospitality, the black-owned businesses, and the culture as a whole. Atlanta is a standing point for people who want to be in the entertainment industry. I can say for a fact that if I was raised anywhere else, I would not be the person I am today.
Just like every other city, there will always be some downfalls to it. One of the biggest cons about living in Atlanta is the violence that occurs here. There’s still widespread gang activity, police brutality and unnecessary deaths as a whole. I’ve known a ton of teenagers that attended my school or lived in my area that has lost their lives over dumb things with no meaning. It’s sad seeing innocent people lose their lives over a misunderstanding or petty beef. It genuinely hurts me to see families in pain over their young child passing away over literally nothing. Violence is active across the city and I want it to come to a halt so I can see Atlanta as a whole prosper.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Lilgski.Wixsite.com/GeorgiePorgiiee/
- Phone: 404-935-1952
- Email: GSimmons487@Gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgie_porgiiee/
Image Credit:
George Simmons (Georgie Porgie)
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