By Amenah Charani

Justin Stalcup. He’s your very own someday famous, never-hipster looking, never a dull moment, always happy for a cup of tea, fellow Eagle.

If you search ‘Justin Stalcup’  on Facebook, the only social media he has, you can learn a few thngs about Justin Stalcup. You can find that he’s from New Port Richey; you can see he’s in a relationship; you can see he’ s worked for TallahasseeScene and Red Eye Productions and you can read that he once attended St. Petersburg College. But, who is Justin Stalcup? It was clear after reading the satirically ingenious 100-word biography of Justin Stalcup, written by the man himself, that to sum him up by these facts is an injustice to the cunning mind that is Justin Stalcup.

After meeting, it was easy to predict that with his talent, sincerity and effortless wit, he is destined to level the artists, authors and poets he so respects. Though a full-time jokester, his originality shines through his words, whether spoken or on paper.

“I knew I was going to be a writer since I was a real young kid, you know that was my thing,” Stalcup said. “I just kind of compartmentalized everything and made sure writing was like the biggest thing in my life.”

Stalcup began to recieve prase for his work in 5th grade after winning “My Favorite Old Person,” a televised writing competiton.

“He made these delicious eggs, he drove way too fast, and he wore way too much cologne,” Stalcup remembers writing from the piece about his Grandfather. “…but if it wasn’ t for him, I wouldn’ t be happy.”

After losing his best friend, his grandfather, at age 12, Stalcup used hs writing skills as an outlet.

“It just really reinforced everything because that’ s how I coped,” Stalcup said. “I wrote about it.”

Alongside being a “Chick-fil-a naturalist” and having the ability to play the Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, and Flamenco by ear, Stalcup can be found happily working at the Tallahassee Smokeshop. With his genuine nature, a steady camera, and a knack for getting information from people, he continues his search for “something bigger than obligatory little coverage.”

“One of the things I want to do when I talk to people is to get to the core,” Stalcup said. “Not of who they are, but just something true–I reveal a lot because I just don’ t see a reason not to. I guess I just like being constantly vulnerable.”

After a bus ride and a good look around, Stalcup decided that the plague of technology addiction was not going to hurt him any longer. So, with a sudden wake in the middle of the night, Stalcup chucked his phone at a wall.

“I felt disgusting. There was no interaction at all, there was just people looking at their phones. So I was like I don’ t think I want to be a part of this anymore,” Stalcup said.

And so, Justin Stalcup, smartphone free and enthusiastic, sets out to find the honest good truth in people and share it with the world in his own style. Whether through comedy, satirical writings, music, poetry, short stories, or his more recent focus of documentaries, he searches to create from a place of compassion.

“People will give you all the answers if you just listen selflessly. Almost just forget your own consciousness and just listen.”