Conversations with Mike Jones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Jones.

Hi Mike, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have had a passion for art since a young age but never acted upon it until my last year of college. The first time I picked up a camera was in 2018 when I started photographing Wake Forest University’s football team during my internship there. I had no idea what I was doing, but being the person I am, I practiced my craft every day. After 1 season with Wake Forest, I joined UNC Football’s creative team assisting with photography, graphic design, & branding. Utilizing the platform I had for my work, things started taking off for me, even outside the sports industry. After 2 seasons of creating for UNC, NC State Football brought me on as the Dir. of Creative Media in 2021, and I was the creative lead up until recently, I joined the Charlotte Hornets to be part of their digital team. Outside of my career in sports, I also started my freelance business, VIOLET, which has been very successful. I have collaborated with Eastbay, Footlocker, Champs, Dreamville, BET, Okayplayer, and TheBlkOriginals, Complex. Also, my work has been published numerous times on ESSENCE & ESPN, Okayplayer, BleacherReport, and also I have a few publications in magazines!

Alright, 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?
I don’t think creativity is ever a smooth process; creative blocks can happen often. And it’s easy to lose sight of the reason behind what you do or even lose your footing in your confidence to continue going on the unmarked path/journey of working in a realm that doesn’t necessarily have clear lines. Still, I kept God at the head of everything I did. Along the way, I met people that were able to not only be mentors of mine but also inspirations and reminders on why it’s important to be true to yourself and your craft. And that at the end of the day, it is better to have gone for the dream to make it a reality than to let it be just that dream.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a photographer, with graphic design being my secondary. I specialize in making visions come to life for all creative projects that are brought my way. I’m known for my sports, portrait, and concert photography. I’m proud of my work as a whole but am most proud of my growth process. Five years ago, I had no idea I would be doing this now, and I am most proud of tapping into something that was always inside of me and being able to nourish it. The thing that set me aside from others is my innovativeness and my creative perspective. I have a starving spirit in the creative industry, and always wanting to better yourself and be willing to better your best can get you far. My motto for my creativity is, “If you knew one opportunity could change your life, how far are you willing to go to seize it?”

If we knew you were growing up, how would we have described you?
I like to describe my childhood upbringing as a garden. Growing up, I was a very introverted kid, which is crazy because now I’m the complete opposite. My parents would go above and beyond for my siblings and me when it came to any interest we expressed to them, and they did it with pure love and care. I never take that blessing for granted because everyone’s situation may not have been the same. I was heavily influenced by music at a young age, from growing up in the church and my dad being a musician. I learned how to play at least 7 to 8 instruments, my strongest being the piano. I play everything by ear because I have always had trouble reading music. How Nick Cannon was in the movie “Drumline,” when it came to sheet music and notes, was and still is me, but let me listen to five seconds of a song, and I’ll know how to play the whole thing within five minutes.

Contact Info:

• Website: mikejonesnc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikejonesnc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikejonesnc_