Growing up in Evansville, Indiana, Jordan Barclay always knew he wanted a creative career. As a kid, he dreamed of becoming an illustrator and creating special effects for movies. What he did not yet know was that those early interests would eventually merge into a career that combines storytelling, visual art, design, photography, film, music and entrepreneurship.
When it came time to choose a college, the University of Southern Indiana stood out because of its location and strong art program. Once on campus, Barclay explored a variety of disciplines, including Fine Art, Multimedia Design, Art History and Advertising. Like many students discovering their path, he experimented with different areas before finding the right fit.
A turning point came when he enrolled in Film Photography 101. “That totally opened my eyes,” Barclay recalls.
Soon after, he took a Video Art course and immediately knew he had found his passion. The class brought together everything he loved about the creative process: filming, editing, graphic design, sound and music. What began as curiosity quickly evolved into a clear professional direction.
The broad academic foundation Barclay built at USI became one of his greatest advantages after graduation. Rather than focusing on a single specialty, he gained experience across multiple creative disciplines, developing the diverse skills necessary to operate as both an artist and a business owner.
After earning his degree, Barclay landed a position with a local video production company while building a photography business on the side. Within two years, he took the leap into self-employment, launching his own full-time creative business. Today, his work spans filmmaking, photography and commercial creative projects for a wide variety of clients.
“The variety is what I enjoy most,” he says. “Every project is different and brings a new challenge.”
Barclay has also made a significant impact on the regional arts community. As Artistic Director of the Victory International Film Festival, he has helped grow the event while gaining experience leading larger creative initiatives and collaborating with other artists and organizations.
One of the most significant challenges of his career was producing Sack Race with Knives: The Curious Art of Kevin Titzer, a 25-minute documentary short that he produced, directed and shot. The film follows artist Kevin Titzer as he races against time to create a massive interactive installation during a residency at USI. This passion project, filmed nearly two years and refined through an additional two years of editing, was created with the largest crew Barclay had ever assembled. The project pushed him to expand his leadership abilities and learn how to guide a talented creative team toward a shared vision.
The documentary's success validated that effort. The film has screened at over 20 film festivals internationally and earned widespread acclaim, including two Ohio Valley Emmy Awards, with his team receiving recognition for Best Documentary, and Barclay for Best Cinematographer.
Looking back, Barclay credits collaboration and community engagement as key factors in his success.
His advice for current and future graduates is simple: Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Pursue projects that genuinely excite you, seek out collaborators who challenge you to grow and become involved in your community. By surrounding yourself with talented, passionate people and continually creating, Barclay believes new opportunities will follow.
For Barclay, that philosophy began at USI, where a willingness to explore different disciplines ultimately led him to discover the creative path that continues to define his career today.
