Meet Darryl McCrary

We recently connected with Darryl McCrary and have shared our conversation below.

Darryl , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I feel as though the world is constantly full of inspiration. I remember when I first started fooling with a camera for the first time, and how the perspective and focus affect an image. The eyes may always see what’s in front of them, but they may not always recognize the potential of the mundane. I tend to find myself creating things that don’t stray too far from the normal human experience. Taking life’s little moments and amplifying them, and seeing the beauty in the things that we may sometimes neglect. It keeps my open for inspiration, and finds me never wanting to give up on my artistic passions.

I recognize the world is bigger than I am. And I am constantly striving to see and understand more and more of the world. With more experiences, come more fuel for creation.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a 24 year old, black, queer multi media artist from Los Angeles CA. I’ve always been a creative soul, and have always struggled to keep my hands to one kind of craft. In more recent years, I have taken the time to really take the time to establish myself, at least socially, as a filmmaker/photographer and musician. Singing was my first love, the talent my parents claim I was born with. And with music, has always come visuals. “The Rockstar”, the music videos, the hair, the album art.. I was completely enthralled by the part of music that was all about image. But never the cookie cutter one, the gritty weirdos, the people who are screaming into a void and making us look at something different. Not always a spectacle, but at the end of the day, it makes you think. Film wasn’t hard to fall in love with for those same reasons. The art of the motion picture, the orchestrated image. I feel like I’m one of very few people (that are my age), who reminisce about Blockbuster. Going in and running their fingers through the DVDs. Taking one home every week. I’ve consumed so much visual media, my brain might as well be mush. The moment I picked up my first DSLR, I knew I had to be part of creating eye candy for others. No matter how I’m doing it. After that, there wasn’t a world where music wasn’t going to be part of my everyday. The moment I realized I didn’t just have to consume, but could leave my own mark, I never stopped trying to create bodies of work. No matter who’s viewing it, the growth is the important part to me. Having a craft, and figuring out how to master it for your own approval, and make it your own. I tend to write almost purely personal works. In my mind, the point of the “Duh.mmy” moniker is to explore the self esteem that I lack. “Duh’mmy”, is a reference to an old MadTV sketch that people in middle school used to reference to me all the time. “it’s spelled Darryl, but it’s pronounced Duhrell”. For years I used that name for my music and for my social persona, but I felt that I outgrew it. The label of “Duh.mmy” has to do with my fears of being seen as stupid, and feeling like it my whole life. As we’ll as being a play on “dummy faded”. At first, I wrote purely ukulele fueled heartbreak music, but as I’ve grown into my adult hood, I strive to create a place where I am confident and bigger than self. This is not to say the intention is always paint myself as the hero of my stories, or the underdog. But also seeing myself as the parts I’ve played in different situations, times I’ve been the villain and hated it, times ive been the villain and felt euphoric, low times, high times, love, heartbreak. Just my chunk of the human experience. To show other queer humans, and any other person that is paying attention, that life hurts. But that’s ok, you’ll make it out with a hell of a lot of fun anecdotes.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I have always been labeled as a very emotional and dramatic person. The idea of being labeled as those things held me down for a good chunk of my childhood. Making me feel less than normal. These thoughts persisted for a long time, feeling like emotions were a plague to ignore. I think the moment I finally decided to become one with my emotions, and feel the full span of human consciousness, I became much less self conscious about what people think about what I’m doing and what I’m creating. What do I want to feel when I’m done with this. What do I want others to feel,. Is it a nasty truth? Is it something we’re all afraid to say?I can’t be afraid of my own mind, I have to live in here. There’s always days where I want to give up, and I think I’ll never get to where I want to be. And I think mastering the art of knowing those thoughts are temporary, and those failures and bad days won’t kill you, it makes much more room for tomorrow to be brighter and full of cooler endeavors.

I think that opens another door for being able to have fun with what I’m creating, and fool around with the opportunities that exist outside of original vision and intention. I find that I see others get caught up in their preconceived vision or idea of artistic integrity. It feels as though sometimes, we as artists get scared to do what others might find foolish, or not within the realm of what already exists. I feel like this keeps them from actually seeing the full potential of things. Now, I’m not saying limits aren’t important, but I feel like the limits are often times way more lenient than we are taught to believe. And there’s no shame in pushing the boundaries, and if those boundaries aren’t meant to be broken, at least now you know.

These things have fundamental in being able to find happiness with my work. Find the point where it’s “good enough”. And encourage others to love their work, and not be so hard on themselves in the beginning stages.

In the end we’re all just trying to get somewhere. I think it’s just better to try and exist amongst the others, doing what I love, rather than constantly compete for mass approval. If I could give any advice to anybody, it would be to just make your art. Try to create that image you see in your head, there’s a beauty to the lessons you learn from experimenting and falling on your ass. Respect the process, and the moment that you reach success, you’ll be able to appreciate the process along the way.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for other queer poc to create things with. With that being said, I’m always looking to connect and see if thoughts align. I’m always looking for people to write music and films with, as well as find myself on their sets or projects as hands. Im always looking for people who are open to exploring the possibilities of design, and make something that’s equally as beautiful, as it was fun to create.

I love to collaborate on others music, whether that be physical, or over email. So if you want to make something cool, let me know. I am also getting back into photography for the first time in the last few years, and looking for subjects. I’m always open to communicate. My phone lines are always open.

You can contact me at:

Email: darryllancemccraryjr@gmail.com
Instagram: @duh.mmy (main/music/film)
@killjoy.photo (photography)
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheMuzikWizard?feature=shared
TikTok: @duh.mmy

Contact Info:

Image Credits
photos: @killjoy.photo (instagram)

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