Meet Sierra Sumpter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Sumpter.

Sierra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been interested and entranced by different forms of artistry and expression. Whether it be musical, digital, visual, or culinary arts, I was surrounded by all things imaginative and innovative brought to my eager attention by the creative people in my family. So naturally, I fell into their footsteps beginning with drawing, then learning to play the cello, teaching myself to use Photoshop, and then, at the beginning of high school I eventually scooped up my sister’s camera when she wasn’t looking and started taking photos of anything I pointed the lens to. While my photographer spree didn’t last long, it left an everlasting impression on me and it wasn’t until I was 18 when I reintroduced myself to photography, only through modeling. It was something I had always wanted to do, but was too scared to admit or try out. Since then, I’ve gained more confidence in front of the camera, and have recently re-established my relationship with photography. I found a new purpose for it in my life and current career goals in screenwriting and directing. Currently, I’m working on a project that re-imagines storytelling through images. While it’s a personal project I’m doing in an attempt to utilize the photos I take to write scripts from, I’m sharing my progress as I go.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I was just getting started with modeling, I struggled with a lot of self-doubt and lack of confidence. It was to a point that I was embarrassed to be in front of a camera, or to say I liked to model. I was always very confused of what I wanted to do with my life and career, or what my passion was, until I realized they’re all separate things. The things I enjoyed doing didn’t have to be a passion, and I didn’t have to be good at it, just as long as it was something that made me feel good. It took me a while to overcome the negative thoughts and doubts I felt about myself, and it’s a re-occurring process, but continued progress. Like the rest of us, there have been some major setbacks in my life, but I’ve been lucky enough to have a strong, supportive family to look up to and who give me the extra push when I need it most.

Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I started off modeling, though have recently taken more interest into enhancing my craft of storytelling through screenwriting and photography. I’m a visual learner before anything, so I use photos as a means to build out story. I’m currently using my own original work, but I also use films and any photos I see that have a narrative feel. My goal for my photos are to seem familiar and nostalgic, using natural facial features and the nuances of instinctive body language to communicate a story. This idea sort of came up one night of chronic writer’s block. I wanted to capture this short story I wrote in the notes section of my phone but I was running out of words, and I didn’t have that much camera equipment to actually shoot a film, or a film crew to assist me. So I thought, why not just create it as stills? And my new project idea was born. I think what sets me apart is that I don’t quite look at myself as just a model, photographer, writer, etc. I never liked choosing one thing to call myself, or following one path, I’m just creating it as I go.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Staying openminded. I think of openminded-ness as a trait of creativity and imagination. In this sense, I mean it in terms of seeing and trying things from different perspectives, and teaching myself to be comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone. It allows me to try new things. Through modeling and photography, I was able to practice and learn from both ends, and I think that has a lot to do with my crossover into screenwriting and directing. Being able to see and learn from multiple perspectives gives me better insight, and ultimately, keeps me learning. Learning as much as I can is the goal.

Contact Info:

• Email: heybonet@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierrabonet/

Image Credit:
KaVozia Glynn, James Griggs

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