AboutBrian Watkins
Writer, technologist, and photographer.
I’ve spent most of my life somewhere between technology and creativity.
I grew up in a house with two IT-focused parents, building computers and websites as a teenager. Another part of me felt naturally pulled to creative writing, photography, visual arts. Those two worlds began to overlap, shaping both the work I do and the way I tend to approach it.
Professionally, I’ve spent nearly two decades in web marketing and SEO, much of it centered on how ideas are communicated and experienced online in a wide variety of industries. That work eventually led me to found The SEOptimist, where I focus on copy first and build strategy around it.
My hobbies have taken shape through projects like Digimorphosis, where I explore tech, gaming, and everyday carry tools. Even there, I tend to come back to the same underlying interest in how things are built, used, and understood.
Away from the screen, I balance things out with time outdoors and creative work. I’ve been a hobby photographer for years, often drawn to natural settings, abandoned places, and scenic places that feel quieter and closer to something bigger than myself.
This site is a place to explore those threads together, and how they show up in the things we build, use, and experience. Most of what I share here lives somewhere in that overlap.
Substack: @briancwatkins
I live in North Carolina with my wife and son. When we first moved here, we said we’d eventually make our way to the coast. Instead, each move has carried us a little further west. The Smoky Mountains and countryside are hard to beat, and I love that the ocean is still within reach.
If you’ve landed here from something I’ve written, that’s likely where this all connects.
Background
- Nearly 20 years in web marketing and professional writing
- Founder of The SEOptimist
- Experience across a range of service-based industries
- Contributor to commercial and non-profit projects
- Collaborated on website builds that won GD USA design awards. (With Creative Force)
- Ongoing development in photography, including training with House of Nyght Falcon
My video material for EDC gear has led to brand collaborations, such as being a brand ambassador for Vanquest.
Volunteer Work: I’ve contributed to projects like BNI’s Business Voices, nonprofits like Koda’s Plea (now closed) and The Shalom Project.
© Brian Watkins, 2012–Present