Located in Muncie, Indiana, Ball State University is a nationally ranked university with highly acclaimed programs from Architecture to Business, but it is the creatives that fly under the radar on the campus. From photography to fashion design, many Ball State students are discovering their passions and creative skills during their college careers and PATTERN is happy to highlight a handful of the young talent at BSU.
Name: Mason Pippenger
Year in college: Sophomore
Major: Magazine journalism
Instagram: @mason.pip
What are your creative outlets?
Photography
What made you interested in this field?
Instagram! I’ve had it for almost 6 years now and the app instantly opened my eyes to this creative world that people were creating just with their iPhones. I started really getting into photography around junior year of high school. I just used my iPhone up until a few months ago when I finally bought my first camera.
What jobs/internships/student organizations are you a part of that help you pursue this field?
Me and my friend Claire Yazel actually started BSU Creatives which is a collective of creatives around Ball State and Muncie. We have photography meetups which really help grow our creativity while working with other likeminded people.
How would you describe your style?
I do a lot of self portraits and try to spice up my photos with some abstract or weird poses. I like to display a lot of feelings or emotions with portraits.
What are three words that you would use to describe yourself?
Open-minded, Perfectionist, and Resourceful
What do you draw inspiration from?
Other photographers on Instagram, but also a lot of music and music videos.
Who are your favorite creatives?
Ben Sasso – He has such weird and unusual poses for his models, but they all kind of show his unique mind and they really stick out. Kyle Krieger – Kyle is my self-portrait icon! I consider him the king of Instagram. He’s not afraid to show his body, but like in a beautiful way and not in a over-sexualized way. Luke Austin – His portraits of men of color really stick out because that’s not something you see praised a lot on social media or what many people consider beautiful. He finds a way to display men of color in a delicate and raw way that I really respect.
What is your favorite part about being a creative?
I get to create whatever I want! These weird thoughts or visions I have in my head can come to life with a person and a camera and I get to show that to the world. Whether people like it or not, I get to show something that my mind created and be vulnerable in a certain way. That’s important to me.
What are your goals/where do you want to be in two years?
After I graduate, I want to work at a magazine publication. I want to write, but also take photos. I’m thinking more of an editorial/fashion publication.
What is your dream job?
My dream would be to work for magazines like PAPER, Dazed, or Vogue; having them come to me for photos and writings. Eventually, it’d be amazing to start my own mainstream publication. Possibly, a publication focused on minorities.
Other than this creative outlet, what do you like to do in your freetime?
I love to write (obviously as a journalism major), but I also am trying to get into making videos. I also like to think that I can sing, but I’m just lying to myself.
