Imagine this: you’re sitting at a small wooden table in a quiet shop, the soft sound of conversation buzzes in your ears. In front of you stands a stark white cup of coffee, and as the steam curls up to warm your face, you smell a rich history so complex and inviting you can’t help but smile. As you grab the cup in both hands, they warm and everything fits into place. Does this sound like you? If it does, you just might be our Campus Celebrity this week, Joseph Morrison.
Joseph, as I came to know him in our brief afternoon meeting, is a person who perhaps best embodies the future of social media. He’s a photographer, a designer, (a first-time model) an actor and perhaps most prevalently, a coffee connoisseur. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Joseph is also a sophomore here at DU, and is a double major in Theater and Film Production. He explained that his love of acting sprung up in high school and has led him to his position as head of PR for the Theater Department. However, like many of us, Joseph explained that he’s constantly finding more things that catch his interest – which pulled him to his new loves: photography and clothing design. His Instagram, and main social platform, is the embodiment of his personal style. Minimalist, subdude, and undoubtably cool, Joseph is crafting his image and expressing his passions on photo at a time.
His constant love, however, is coffee. He catalogues his endeavors in his blog- The Mug Diaries (@mugdiaries). This online forum shows a sneak peak into some of Joseph’s favorite coffee shops in Denver and elsewhere, and focuses on the technical aspects which go into his favorite varieties of the drink…aspects which he was kind enough to explain to a newbie like me!
When I first asked about his coffee shop selection process, or which shop’s he’s likely to feature on his blog, he gave me the full run down. “First, I’ll go in without any information, and I’ll order two drinks.” First, the cortado– a 6 oz. latte meant to test the art skills of the Barista, and a “pour over”: a drink he described as regular black coffee.
He says he will also ask the Barista for their recommendation, to see what kind of knowledge they have. His favorite roasters so far? “Middle State Coffee Roasters. They’re just an amazing group of people.” These roasters work out of Steadbrook, a menswear shop and work often with Little Owl Coffee on Blake Street here in Denver.
He didn’t always like coffee though. He explained that he fell into it for the trend, like many of us did, but once he realized the level of skill and work that went into a good, a really good, well crafted cup- he couldn’t help but be amazed.
We should also be amazed at his plans for the future! Joseph is currently working on his very own clothing line, a process he tells me involves many screen prints, swatches, and trips to his manufacturer (another process he diligently explained for me). He hopes to one day incorporate his photography, coffee, clothes and Instagram prowess into one snazzy personal branding endeavor- one that I am personally very excited to follow!
But until then, what might we find him doing? He’ll be backpacking, dreming about trips to his favorite city, Vienna, “and watching Gossip Girl- but only a few episodes!” Keep up with Joseph’s latest on Instagram at @joseph_morrison and on his blog http://www.themugdiaries.com