Meet DeVon Cosby: Creative

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

Hi DeVon, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
First, I would say we learn through our greatest mistakes. Whether that is in your relationships, career, or in my case business decisions. I separate career and business decisions because I have a career that is opposite of my business ventures. Recently, I have learned the difference. In my career, I work for someone else and with others in the same field. In my business ventures I work for myself, but in service to others. Reason being is if I were to work for someone else in my creative endeavors then it becomes something I have to do. My Creative is something that I need to do. This is what showed me to never give up. Never give up on what you struggled for, never give up on something that has caused pain in your life, and never give up because you can be inches away from Gold and you will only know if you keep going.   

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My Creative. If I had to put it into three words I would use: challenging, frustrating, and relaxing. Let me explain. These three words embody what makes us better. If you aren’t challenging who you are everyday then why are you doing what you do. If you don’t get frustrated over your craft, are you even trying. Lastly, the most relaxing part of what you do should be the main reason you are involved in your niche. My Art. I capture moments in time that if time were to stop and start again these moments captured would become our memories and life would begin again. Not saying that everything that I do is monumental to everyone, but it is monumental to someone. My Start. It all started with my kids. It has grown into many more things after that, but my true center and my true start was because of them. They are my all and my reason to keep going. I of course took pictures before I had kids, but it wasn’t until my kids that I realized that these moments in my life that I’ve captured are also important to their future. They can show their kids and the story continues. My Struggle. It was a bleak two years. I only tell this to empower all those involved. I went through a divorce and through the storm that comes along with it. I am here. I am here. I am here. My Lessons. Fear is not real. Anger is not permanent. Love is all enduring. There will come a time in your life when you feel the most hopeless you have ever felt. It’s what you do in that moment that defines, for yourself, who you truly are. My Future. The future is bright because it should be. We all are challenged in our life, but it’s how we respond to it that tells our story. I want to be remembered. My greatest fear is to be forgotten. The World. Well, for starters I want the world to know that, how you operate in the dark will eventually be brought to light. So it’s the hours you put in during those times you don’t want to do anything that count the most. Laziness is not a sickness and it can be cured with being your most authentic self. When presenting to the world who you are, you are also presenting to the world your brand. You are your brand. Even though I have chosen a fictitious business name I am still my brand. So when you meet me or see my work I am my brand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Welcome home best friend, San Diego, CA is our playground. My best friend(s) are all from the same city as me, but they have not seen it through my lens. Day 1 – 7. Day 1. We will stay in a Villa at Mission Beach. I choose Mission Beach because when we are connected to nature we are most alive. I am not one for jumping in the ocean, but to just hear it is all we need. Breakfast at a local restaurant would suffice. The day would involve taking a stroll in the hopes of meeting as many interesting people as we can. A lot of people come from all places to enjoy Mission Beach. It makes it packed at times, but it is that in which makes it the most attractive. As the day goes on we can end the day with drinks by the fire at our Villa. Day 2. After one more wake up at the beach we can check out of our villa and be prepared to live the city life for the next couple of days. We will check into an available hosted place in a high rise somewhere close to Little Italy. Little Italy will be our starting point where we grab some food from a local eatery. Grab some drinks and take in the ambience of the rich culture there. End the night with a night ride on a rental-able scooter. Day 3. Start off with a stroll down India St and let the day begin. Once, again there are a lot of places to see and sometimes just walking down there you run into some amazing people. If you anticipate it you can catch an airplane flying right above you. Again find somewhere to dine and get drinks and this time take a walk down to Harbor Drive and walk along the path down there to see the ships. Day 4. Check out of the room we rent and head to Pacific Beach and for the last couple of days rent out a place in the area. Head over to Mission Bay Park and enjoy the families that gather there and tailgate with one of them. Rent a kite and fly it as the day continues on. Head into the city-ish part of Pacific Beach area and hit a few bars alongside the strip. Grab some ice cream at Afters Ice Cream and walk down to the beach to enjoy the man who is always there putting large soap bubbles into the sky and enjoy the occasional performance by a local artist down there. Day 5. Sleep in and review all the places we have traveled from reviewing the pictures that we took each day.

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?
There are so many of those who I could attribute my success to. I surround myself with individuals that not only can stand alone from their strengths, but once forged together become even more powerful. But to narrow it down and separate past success from current success I would like to shoutout my older brother, Lowrance, and my OverNight family, Tre, Ricky, L. Not only are these men important to me, but we all understand what it takes to push one another. Starting with my older brother, Lowrance. What can I say, growing up I always was chasing his shadow. Wanted to be everywhere he was and it turned out he wanted to be everywhere I was. We have a two year gap, but I always say we are twins. I feel his pain and he feels mine. We have always had each others back and looking forward to mid 2021 when we will be living in the same place one again. Now leapfrog to my OverNight family. These three men who not only mentor one another, but also take the opportunity to be mentored, is where I come in and blend together with the OverNight family. I am the oldest of the collective, but also am the youngest when it comes to their craft, Music. This aligns us very well. Not only do we create together, but we make mistakes together, hang out together, and most importantly hold one another up. Along the way to success you will build a family, and sometimes your family isn’t who you choose, but who chooses you!

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Image Credits
VisualsByDeVon