Angela H. Brown
SLUG Magazine
Salt Lake CIty, UT USA
"I loved the environment of community college. [The people] there were very open to my dreams and my goals...it was a great way for me to figure out what it is that I like and dislike."
Career Roadmap
Angela H.'s work combines: Art, Entrepreneurship, and Being Creative
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Take Roadmap QuizSkills & Education
Advice for getting started
With the development of digital photography, it was becoming a very expensive hobby/career to maintain. I loved it and didn't want to quit, so I started exploring other ways to utilize my skills and that's how I discovered publishing.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Photography
Salt Lake Community College
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Editors:
High School
Associate's Degree: English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's Degree: Business Administration and Management, General
Learn more about different paths to this careerLife & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Grew up in a very strict Mormon family—says that although her family supported her creatively, they didn’t support her value system.
2.
She has always been interested in photography—admits that before digital, it was an expensive hobby to maintain.
3.
Early in her career, she took a lot of freelance gigs and photo assistant jobs for other photographers in order to earn enough money to support her passion.
4.
Attended Salt Lake Community College to study photography—says that one of the reasons she went to college was to have access to their state-of-the-art darkroom.
5.
The emergence of digital photography and the changes it brought about in the industry encouraged her to learn more about publishing and writing to make her photojournalism skills more marketable.
6.
Was freelancing as a photojournalist when she was approached by the owner of SLUG Magazine to shoot a cover for them—has been working for SLUG Magazine since 1997.
7.
In 2000, she got the opportunity to take over the magazine and transformed it into a digital and print publication with a circulation of 630,000—says she wanted to create “a safe creative space.”
8.
Her mission is to make Salt Lake City an inclusive creative community—also founded Craft Lake City, a nonprofit organization that showcases Utah’s handmade community with an annual DIY festival.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Photography is too expensive. You should probably consider doing something different.
How I responded:
With the development of digital photography, it was becoming a very expensive hobby/career to maintain. I loved it and didn't want to quit, so I started exploring other ways to utilize my skills and that's how I discovered publishing.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Art and photography are very expensive hobbies to maintain because of all of the supplies you need. I relied on a lot of side gigs and the generosity of friends to help me.
When I first took over the magazine, I struggled with being a young female entrepreneur and constantly felt like giving up. It was difficult because I was living a totally different life than my friends and working really hard.
I've always felt different from my family, my peer group, and where I grew up. I was always searching for a place where I could fit in and connect. I learned to appreciate Salt Lake City for what it is and what I could do to make it work for me.
I grew up in a very strict LDS household in Salt Lake City, UT. The community as a whole is very conservative. My family encouraged me creatively, but they disagree with my values and how I live my life.