MY NAME IS STÉPHEN BANKS BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME
I am driven to champion radical and unfiltered expression.
My journey started from a need of self-discovery. Before I developed a greater love for arts and the magic that comes with it—I had hoped to find myself in it. Born on the East Coast and raised in the South as a military brat, the concept of setting roots was foreign to me. My entire life had been a series of semi-temporary living situations and relationships, evolving my capacity to adapt. Even my journey of joining and serving in the Army, which I had highly avoided, constantly tested my 'tactical flexibility,' particularly when faced with my own challenges. Leadership, adaptability, problem-solving—these were the prizes I was sent home with.
Fast-forward, I amassed a collection of work experiences that were as diverse as they were dissonant, each one seemingly unrelated to the next, forming a mosaic of randomness that only added to the confusion surrounding my true purpose.
January 25th, 2015 was the day that I started 8020creative. I finally solved the riddle, I connected the dots--I realized my purpose. In the tapestry of my life, the strong interwoven threads are leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving.In the tapestry of my life, the strong interwoven threads are leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving. The patches are the depictions of my “random” journeys, my story, connected to lessons lived and learned. Most tapestries are hung on walls and viewed from afar. I choose to use mine to provide warmth and security—covering and providing safe haven within the tales of my story for those like the younger me, also hoping to find themselves.
I’ve dabbled in creative consulting, creative directing, producing, photography, dance choreography, art installations, experiential events and live concerts, even talent and artist management. These roles aren’t just titles on a resume; they are narratives of what unfolds when creativity and flexibility meet purpose.
One of my mentors calls us “conduits”. He says our job is to facilitate the connection between people, ideas, and efforts to achieve amazing things. Much like electricity—without a conduit, there’s no power. Power, to me, is giving artists the tools they need to be their best. I believe in thinking outside the box, but also knowing what's happening inside the box to make informed, innovative moves to set yourself apart—tactical flexibility.
8020creative isn’t just a fancy name—it’s a philosophy I embody. It represents a challenge, a pact to dive into your creative depths and uncover value and purpose in the 80% of your life and craft that's submerged, thankless and difficult. This allows the rewards—the fruits of your labor, that crucial 20%, to float to the surface. Whether it’s pioneering projects that bring a fresh perspective to the table or helping artists find their unique groove, it’s all about making meaningful stuff happen.
I wield art as a weapon, smashing down the false identities, perceptions, and stories we tell ourselves every day. The goal is to reduce the clutter and find that inner you. I use creative arts to re-invent, reassure and re-adjust as we set sail to show you off to the world—together. My approach to my work embodies the values of respect, integrity, and selfless service. As a natural-born creative, I am intuitive, unapologetically experimental, and obsessed with creating extensions of myself within my work and aiding my clients in doing the same within theirs. I love what I do and love the people who trust me to do it.
