Meet Beej Burton: Content Creator & Higher Ed. Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beej Burton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beej, what makes you happy? Why?
Being able to create and knowing that what it is that I create can impact another positively makes me happy. I say that because i believe that it is easy to find reasons to not be happy living in the world that we do. We are surrounded by so many environmental, social, and personal factors that can deter us from finding what makes us happy. I find myself fortunate to have lived the kind of life where I was able to discover what makes me happy. There is a great sense of joy that I receive knowing that I was able to positively impact another person’s life. To be able to distract them from the “hustle and bustle” of everyday life. I find it unique to posses the skill of entertainment, and I believe not a lot of people posses it. Knowing that I have that ability to entertain but also educate simultaneously in what it is that I create is something that solidifies my feeling of happiness.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Summing up what I create in one word, I would probably use, “Creative”. “Authentic” is a close second There honestly is no other word I would use to describe it. Living in a world where everyone wants to create, and everyone falls in love with the idea of “doing your own thing”, it is often times easy to fall into the cycle of comparison and getting lost in what others are doing and not being to true to who you are and what you create. I would be lying to you if I didn’t fall victim to that sometimes. The content that I create is simply an extension of me and my brain. When I create, I give you a glimpse of the world from my perspective. In some ways its easily digestible and common and makes sense, and in others…not so much. However the uniqueness is in the authenticity of the perspective. I have the understanding that no one else can offer this type of view but me. Two people can be in the same room and see the same thing happen but still tell two different stories, and I live off of that. I am mostly proud and excited about the fact that I am actively doing what it is that I set out to do. I know that my company is small and it did not have the easiest of starts but despite the challenges and insurmountable odds that were stacked against me, I decided to stick with it and persevere knowing that there was at least one person who would appreciate what I had to offer. I used to have the mindset of, “I need to reach everyone, and it has to be the best thing in the world to ever exists.” Life had a funny way of humbling me because that clearly didn’t happen. Through practice and consistency, I learned that I can appeal a lot more to people over time authentically then trying to appeal to the masses with something that isn’t me. I also learned that I would last a lot longer being authentic too. I learned that I was able to get to where I am by embracing my passion and being authentic to my interests despite everyone not completely understanding the vision I had and not wanting to support me due to that lack of understanding. I am no where near where I want to be right now, but getting where I am took patience, faith, confidence, love, and vision. The other big thing would be knowing my “why”. Knowing that is really the motivator behind any decision anyone can make. Without those I would not have moved or made ANY progress toward my passion. A big lesson that I learned along the way is that relationship is EVERYTHING. It is not about “who you know” but more-so, “Who knows you”. Networking does NOT always mean that you are trying to connect up every time. Find someone on the same level as you who is like minded, work together and build something, and share it with another person on the same level as you, then you repeat the process. With a little patience, timing, consistency, and vision, eventually you will have networked your way to building a relationship where you are the people that everyone reaches out to for connection. Simply put, “Network Across” (Issa Rae) because where you are trying to get to is simply a raised position of where you are currently, and if you can’t maintain a good relationship on the level you’re at here, you won’t be able to do so in an elevated position either. The other main thing I would emphasize is being nice. I know that there are stereotypes that come with being creative and the industry and all of that but honestly Dawayne Johnson said it best, “It’s nice to be important, but its more important to be nice”. You will honestly go so much farther because of that phrase. Lastly, be authentically you. There is only one you in this world. Everybody else is taken. You’re perspective is one that literally no one else can share, so use it to your advantage. It’ll help you with the longevity of what it is that you create as well as help you maintain your passion because it’s yours and it didn’t come from anyone but you. Beejlyclipstv may not be a brand that is for everyone, but I am confident in my company’s ability to bring education, entertainment, and creativity into the lives of those who view it’s content. BTv was created because I had an interest in science fiction content and superheroes and saw that there was a lack of representation who were considered the heroes. I liked to watch Marvel and DC movies and shows and even liked supernatural series’ filled with adventure and drama and even the lighthearted comedy and noticed that there wasn’t a lot of people who looked like me as the lead, and that is when I got the idea to add my perspective to the kind of shows that I wanted to see. Shows that had all of the magic, the mystery, the entertainment but also had representation to match.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would eat at “The Flying Biscuit”, “Twisted Soul”, Hangout at Piedmont Park or the Botanical Gardens, as well as “The Main Event or Top Golf at night. We would go shopping at Lennox Mall and walk around Midtown and hang out. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jackie Lewis-Burton- my wife and co-creator of “The Mocha Message Podcast” Khalid Johnson- Partner and cinematographer of KJ Studios Alida Browne- Actress and event Planner extraordinaire Leslie Wallace- Actress Jon Armour- Director/creator of Open Gate Studios Alan Brooks- Director/Mentor Wesley Armstrong- Director/Mentor

Website: beejlyclipstv.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beej_ly/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beej_ly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beejlyclipstv

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHDP_Ac_JEs74LZrrqU36A

Image Credits
Khalid Johnson