Interview
Steven Gamella
Steven Gamella is a 32 year old neurodivergent visual artist, novelist, aspiring screenwriter and amateur photographer, based out of the Philadelphia area in the United States.
He is the author of 39 books, including the 'Sojourn: What Dreams Await’ series.
Steven is also working on a TV pilot show and has one completed screenplay.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“When I was in high school, I first decided to start writing stories at a very dark time in my life, when I felt that all hope was lost, and that I was never going to make anything of myself. It was through writing that I managed to overcome this depression and embrace my inner warrior to create the ‘Sojourn: What Dreams Await’ saga.
I finished my first book in October of 2017, and, after writing 39 volumes in this series that gained a lot of attention on social media, I realized that this series had the potential to spawn a movie franchise, such as Star Wars Marvel or Dune. I wrote this story as a way of overcoming my own personal darkness, by channeling my emotions into something constructive. You don’t recover from depression by simply ‘being happy’. You recover from depression by creating a life for yourself where it is very difficult to be sad.
I hope that, through my writing and public speaking that I do on occasion, I can inspire others struggling in darkness to pull themselves out of that place and into the light. If I can accomplish that with just one person, I feel as if my career as a writer will be worth it in the end. I am also a visual artist and amateur nature photographer who likes to illustrate his characters from the ‘Sojourn’ science fiction series I wrote. I have also written a completed feature screenplay for a film adaptation of these stories and am working on a TV pilot.”
What inspires you most?
“The vast, untamed beauty of the Cosmos, and the Universe itself. I generally take inspiration from things all around me, no matter how great or small.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I am drawn to the strange, the macabre, and the bizarre. Classic sci-fi tropes, weird, amoral cultures, and questions of social justice and humanity abound in my work. One of my goals as an artist is to get people talking about difficult questions. If I'm not doing that, I don't feel like I'm doing my job as an artist.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe it as dark sci-fi/fantasy, with a splash of horror mixed in.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I had many influences growing up, but my biggest ones as a visual artist were Takeshi Obata and Hayao Miyazaki, two Japanese graphic novelists and filmmakers who have produced some of the most notable Japanese animation works of the modern era.
As a writer and aspiring filmmaker, I was largely inspired by people like J.R.R. Tolkien and George Lucas, the creators of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Star Wars’ respectively. Frank Herbert's ‘Dune’ was a source of inspiration as well.”
What is your creative process like?
“I just sit at my computer and let the ideas flow from every pore of my body, essentially.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I believe an artist's role in society is to provide an escape from the mundane. Sci-fi and fantasy are forms of escapism, and someone who writes in that genre should do their best to immerse their readers in an alien world, far from their problems and troubles.”
Please tell us about any previous exhibitions you found noteworthy and wish to share.
“I have shown my work in the International Association of Visual Artists' virtual art exhibitions through UNESCO, titled ‘Help’ and ‘Help II’.”
Instagram: @takadasdarkdreams
