Creative Profiles: Justin Stucey transforms imagination into experiences
Los Angeles creative director and producer
Brand&Culture’s new series, Creative Profiles, offers a portrait of the bold, innovative and deeply human leaders shaping the industry. In each post, creatives peel back the layers to share what drives their passions, challenges, a-ha moments and the unique wisdom they’ve gathered along the way. We hope these profiles inspire you and the next generation.
Let’s go way back: What was one of your very first jobs, and what’s a lesson from it that you still use today? My first job in entertainment was as a sound technician for Six Flags AstroWorld. There I learned to trust my gut. No matter how things shift or unfold, I have what it takes to handle it.
If your career was a book, what would the title of the current chapter be? Confessions of a Phoenix.
What’s a piece of unconventional wisdom or a personal philosophy that’s been your secret weapon in this industry? You can’t change people. You can only change yourself.
You’ve done so much cool work. What’s one project that really sticks with you, and what made it a game-changer for you? I produced a narrative-driven event experience in Denver a few years back. The idea was to create an environment where guests could feel what it’s like to encounter Bigfoot for real and in a way that felt authentic. This was a season in my creative career when I began exploring how to play with audience perception, finding ways to engage them both actively and passively. I knew I was onto something when I observed groups of rowdy teenagers brought to silence during the sightings.
We all hit creative walls. What’s a time you were really stuck, and how did you finally find your way through? In my life, creative blocks often came from comfort. When I didn’t tap into a deeper perspective, a reason beyond making the art for commercial purposes, my imagination lacked the nourishment it needed to truly thrive. It was in those moments that I broke form, stepping beyond my comfort zone to discover new ways of experiencing the world.
What’s the one part of your job that, if you could, you’d do all day long? Daydream.
Beyond the work itself, what’s a value or a cultural ideal you want to see more of in the industry? Relevance and resonance as a North Star.
Where in the world do you feel most inspired, and why? I feel most inspired in nature and art museums, where anything, even the unimaginable, can create beauty.
Name three books you’d recommend to anyone, anytime. “The Happiness of Burnout by Finn Janning,” “Dreams of Wakanda,” and “The Empty Space by Peter Brook.”
Connect with Justin Stucey on LinkedIn.
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