This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Meet Beau C. Copeman (@mrbeaucc), a creative copywriter living in the UK.
What are your main passions and how do you cultivate them?
Writing, coffee, and music. I’m fortunate that my day job means I’m writing every day and surrounded by good coffee. But I always make sure I’ve got my own projects going outside of work. Whether that’s a collection of poems or, more recently, a set of short stories. With music, I don’t play much anymore, but there’s always a dusty guitar nearby for me to pick up and maybe surprise myself with a new tune.
How did you first develop an appreciation for style?
My mother was always into fashion. One day she could be wearing a plain white t-shirt, stained blue jeans, and a pair of Dr. Martens; the next she could be dressed like a right hippie or kitted out in a suit. She kept things interesting, without a doubt, and made sure my brother and I were always dressed well.
What does “being well-dressed” mean to you?
I think it means being prepared or dressed for the occasion. If there’s a chance it’s going to rain, it’s covered. If there are lunch plans but there’s a hint of an evening event on the horizon, it’s at least considered. And if it’s a lazy weekend, there isn’t a shirt or smart shoe in sight.
How do you find inspiration in your work?
I just try to stay open-minded – to look around, listen, and connect contradictions. And if I meet someone who’s inspired by something, I like to study them and understand why. Failing that, I sit down at the typer and just hammer away until I land on something that hits a chord or strikes something true in me, and dig into it.
What’s a personal ritual that keeps you grounded?
Every morning I dial in my espresso machine and make myself a coffee. It’s something that used to focus me when I was a barista and it’s a process I still savour, even though my barista days are mostly behind me. There’s something incredibly meditative about it: the fine tuning of a recipe, adjusting the grind, and tasting the different nuances of a coffee until I reach something that’s balanced and sweet.
How do you define success, and what motivates you to achieve it?
I think success for me is having people around me who inspire me. People who I consider better than myself. People who excite me and comfort me and challenge how I think. I believe – as much as I consider myself a social recluse – I enjoy having people around, especially good ones. And if they’re choosing to be around me, then maybe I’m doing something right, too.
What’s a place that holds significant meaning for you, and why?
England’s West Country – it’s where my father used to take my brother and me every summer and it was a trip that always held a sense of adventure. The red fuel light that flashed as we gunned it west down the A303. The leaking tent that clung to the edge of the world as he read Treasure Island to us under a lamp while the wind and rain circled us relentlessly outside. The rolling waves that broke with the full force and arctic temperatures of the Atlantic. Those were the moments that bonded us and instilled an acute sense of longing in me to be by the coast. Any coast, really, but that coast in particular.
What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I once spent a winter cleaning planes on an airfield. I’d turn up at six in the morning, clock in with my punch card, and I’d be assigned a part of a plane to wax and polish. When that was done, I’d move to another part of the plane and clean that. I spent most of those days by myself. Big planes on a big airfield. But there were a great bunch of lads I’d see during breaks and there was lots of low-brow humour I enjoyed listening to. I think it was the only kind of humour that could’ve gotten me through the cold.
What are your three favorite books?
This has changed over time, but the ones I reference most these days are On The Road by Jack Kerouac, Any Human Heart by William Boyd, and Book of Longing by Leonard Cohen.
What are your three favorite movies?
Hook, Midnight in Paris, and Luca. I think.
