Alumni Spotlight: Brad Curran ('11)
For some people, creativity is a hobby. For others, it’s a calling. For Brad Curran (’11), it has been an evolving journey shaped by music, ceramics, drawing, and photography. But for someone with so many creative interests, choosing a single path was never simple.
School never quite clicked for Curran, and he instead sought out knowledge through experience, mentorship, and real-world creative challenges. When he discovered Seattle Central’s Visual Media program, he found a structure that finally fit — one that allowed him to channel his creativity into a career. Now a successful photographer, videographer, teacher, and father, Curran has built a career that reflects his curiosity and passion — and created space for his other artistic pursuits to thrive alongside.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, Curran’s artistic instincts emerged early. He found solace in ceramics, molding clay into tangible expressions of creativity, and gravitated toward playing music, immersing himself in another outlet for storytelling. But while creativity came naturally, traditional schooling did not.
“I kind of gamified school, almost too much, all the way through high school,” he said. “I found corners to cut — cheating on things — and I didn’t fully value education. Instead, I saw it as more of a gateway to the next thing I thought I should be doing.”
Curran left Ohio at 14 years old, settling on family property in Eagle Point, a small town in southern Oregon. In high school, Curran considered studying architecture, drawn to yet another artistic avenue that combined structure with imagination.
He eventually enrolled at Southern Oregon University, choosing psychology as a major – something he saw as more “practical” at the time. Yet his heart remained in the studio.
I can be creative, make a living, and then also have freedom in my schedule
“I had a really incredible instructor and the kind of creative community in college that was really inspiring,” Curran said. “I met people that I’m still friends with now that still do work in ceramics.”
Curran credits ceramics with channeling his creativity into a clear, defined path — a possible career in the arts, though he did not yet know how to apply that creativity in a way that felt truly productive and purposeful.
In 2003, Curran moved to Seattle with a group of friends, one of whom enrolled in Seattle Central’s Visual Media program.
“I had the privilege of getting a first-hand view of the program,” Curran said. “I was able to see pretty clearly what the program was about and thought ‘Wow, this is something I would love to do.’”
When I do find time to switch into ceramics mode, it uses a different part of my brain, and kind of recalibrates it. So when I come back to work on photography or video projects, I see that work more as an artist as opposed to just a small business owner.
Curran began helping his friends with freelance gigs, dabbling in video production, and contributed “cool editorial stuff” to a now-defunct magazine called City Arts, profiling artists and fellow creatives. This exposure to photography and video production lit a new spark.
“At some point, when my friends were halfway through the program, it kind of dawned upon me that I could maybe be a photographer and explore this realm of photography and video,” Curran said. “I can be creative, make a living, and then also have freedom in my schedule.”
Though ceramics had opened the door to an artistic life, photography and videography ultimately offered the structure, flexibility, and creativity he was looking for.
“Ceramics was a direction I could go in, which I guess was a roundabout way of giving me the freedom to eventually go into a photography program,” Curran said. “Photography ultimately feels like a balance between the practical and the creative realm.”
In 2010, Curran enrolled in the Visual Media program at Seattle Central College. There, he formally developed the technical skills he’d been experimenting with for years: lighting, video production, photography, and digital storytelling. He even earned a Foundation scholarship that covered his tuition and books, giving him the space to focus fully on learning.
Visual Media is a two-year program at the college. The first year is often considered bootcamp, with an intense introduction into fundamentals of lighting, video production, and studio etiquette. According to Curran, the second year is akin to “grad school,” where students are pushed to find their own voice.
“It causes a lot of existential crises because the first year, everything is structured,” Curran said. “By the second year, you have to find out how you’re going to exist in the world.”
Between his first and second year, Curran joined the Young Photographers Alliance, a mentorship program that pairs students with local, seasoned photographers. Through it, he gained valuable experience as a photographer’s assistant and began building a portfolio. Later, that portfolio caught the eye of a studio manager at Amazon, and just before graduation, Curran landed his first full-time professional job as a video editor.
After several years of professional work, Curran returned to Seattle Central, but this time as an instructor in the Visual Media program.
“At first, it was scary,” he admitted. “I was fearful that I wasn’t enough of a professional and didn’t have enough experience to share, that I wasn’t charming enough, like one of those professors you see in the movies who are constantly inspiring students.”
But teaching gave Curran more than just a classroom — it gave him a way to reflect on his journey and support others finding their voice in visual storytelling. Teaching also gave him time and flexibility to continue his own creative work.
These days, Curran has settled into what he calls “a pretty good routine,” balancing his business, parenting, teaching, and perhaps most importantly, his creative growth. He’s even returned to ceramics, the media that first shaped his artistic thinking.
“When I do find time to switch into ceramics mode, it uses a different part of my brain, and kind of recalibrates it,” Curran said. “So, when I come back to work on photography or video projects, I see that work more as an artist as opposed to just a small business owner.”
Curran’s work today includes a mix of client projects and personal art, ranging from fine art photography to mission-driven storytelling for nonprofits, including Seattle Central.
“I have more fine artsy types of photography projects that I haven’t shared with the world yet, which is exciting and challenging for me as an artist,” Curran said. “But then on the flip side, I really love serving non-profits and elevating the voices of the folks they serve.”
You may have seen Curran’s recent work in Seattle Central’s Thank You Faculty and Staff video series, where students read heartfelt letters of appreciation to the educators who made a difference in their lives. It’s a perfect reflection of Curran’s ethos: real stories, honestly told.
For Brad Curran, creativity isn’t about choosing one medium or career path — it’s about weaving together parts of yourself into something meaningful. Whether he’s behind the camera, shaping clay, or mentoring new artists, Curran continues to build a life where art, purpose, and authenticity intersect.