Meet J.M. Smith | Wr*ter

We had the good fortune of connecting with J.M. Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi J.M., what do you attribute your success to?
The community of people I’ve found who have supported me and believed in me, even when I couldn’t feel that same way myself. Whether that’s back in my hometown, or the people here in Houston I’ve met through my experiences with shooting film, I wouldn’t be where I am now, or have the confidence in myself that I do, were it not for these people. All of us are hoping to find community at some level, and I have been lucky enough to gain some semblance of that since I’ve moved here.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My photographs aren’t anything special, just flat, one point perspective tableaus of Texas. I’d like to hope that nothing really sets me apart. I have my own particular experiences and points of view, but I feel like my ability to float between differing worlds has allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation of the things that make us all more alike than we realize. After going through some of my darkest times and most difficult experiences, I was able to realize that all anyone truly wants is the acceptance and security of simply mattering to a group of people; be that a small group of friends or someone trying to “build a lasting legacy” through their actions, the feeling that one’s life and place in this world is important in some meaningful way, and that it will be able to sustain into the future through one’s “group” seems to be the most vital part of what it is to be human.

For the past year and a half or so, I’ve travelled all over Texas, at least 7,000 miles at this point. And through my travels to 151 county courthouses so far, I’ve been able to get over 50 interviews with all kinds of Texans; from a current gubernatorial candidate to a man who was waiting outside of a bail bonds office in Marshall, Texas. The stunning throughline with almost every person I’ve met has been both the kindness with which they’ve received me and the appreciation we all seem to have have for our state’s particular brand of community, diversity, and creativity. With this current project, and anything I hope to do in the future, I want to seek out and share the connections present amongst seemingly disparate peoples.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m not from Houston originally, so I don’t have too deep a knowledge. But on my adventures throughout the greatest city in the world, I’ve been able to find a few places to wet my whistle. Log Cabin Restaurant up in Acres Home has some of the best food I’ve ever had, at prices so affordable it almost seems like a mistake. If you don’t mind driving through a neighborhood, parking in a front yard, and standing outside to wait for your order, I truly cannot recommend that place highly enough. And then Poison Girl, off of Westheimer and Dunlavy, for the cheap beer and a great Old Fashioned is always my go to when in search of libations.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shouts outs to Flats Presents for helping to support and foster growth amongst the film community in Houston, and being so gracious with me, even when I have no clue what I’m doing. Shouts outs to the Arts Council of Midland for supporting my growth as an artist. Shouts outs to Sundress Publications in Tennessee for selecting me for a writer’s residency later this year. Shouts outs to Shelby Rogers, Catherine Allen, Jazzmyne Pearson, and Bailey Payne, as well as the countless other people I’ve met through Instagram, for supporting me along this journey and helping me to expand my world by just simply being themselves. And as far as artistic inspirations from a distance, I have to give shouts outs to bootmaker Lee Miller, singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, all around Texas legend Willie Nelson, and Katie Maratta with her Horizonscapes that started me on this journey of capturing the wide open spaces of Texas I love so much.

Website: linktr.ee/yungbobkennedy

Instagram: @yungbobkennedy

Twitter: @yungbobkennedy

Facebook: facebook.com/FlatlandNative2020

Youtube: https://youtu.be/YqrkuG8iMv8

Other: I have a few copies left of the book I self-published about Midland in 2020, with a Google form for anyone who may be interested in ordering.

Image Credits
The portrait of me was was taken by the talented Únies González. All of the other photographs are my own.