Meet Julius R

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julius R. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julius below.

Julius, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

From the time I could hold a pencil, I think I always knew I would end up somewhere in the creative field. I had a very rich inner world growing up, and I spent a lot of time daydreaming about being a full-time artist. I imagined I’d have a dozen comic books, my own studio, and constant phone calls with new opportunities.

In reality, I grew up in an environment that didn’t nurture my creativity, and I had to hide that part of myself for a long time. I left home at 17 and had to figure things out on my own. I was lucky to have the mindset to put myself through college and earn that art degree, but it wasn’t easy. I worked multiple jobs, moved around constantly, with sprinklings of debauchery throughout and after college. I had a lot of fun despite the hardships and am grateful to the people who supported me through those years. I didn’t do it alone and I don’t regret my decisions because I wouldn’t be who I am today.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized being a working artist looks different than what I imagined as a kid. It’s a lot of work, and without a financially privileged background, the odds were stacked against me. I didn’t listen to others telling me to settle down, and I kept going. After years in the commercial print industry and freelancing, I got involved in a variety of creative projects like DIY galleries, arts performance, and video production. I fell in love with collaboration.

Now, I work as the Gallery Manager at Uncanny Art House in Norman, Oklahoma. It’s the closest I’ve come to living my purpose. I’ve made space for my own creative practice again after more than ten years, and I believe staying open to change and experimentation is what got me here as well as my desire to share what a working artist’s life can be with others. I like encouraging people to explore their own collaborative nature and bring them into the fold where I can.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve been living in Oklahoma since 1999. My family moved here when my dad got a job at a paper mill in Lawton. I was just old enough to resist the change because I had already formed friendships and didn’t want to leave. I grew up hearing people talk about how they couldn’t wait to move away, and with how things are here, it makes sense, yet, I never felt that urge.

When I moved to Norman and found my community, I knew I was going to be someone who stayed. I always wondered what happens if all the cool people leave. It doesn’t leave room for the next generation of creatives to have someone to look to or reach out to. That never sat right with me.

Right now, my focus is on space making through Uncanny Art House. Our gallery is artist-owned and operated. We center the working artist and actively support the belief that artists deserve to be paid. While nonprofit art spaces are essential, we intentionally operate as a for-profit gallery. We want artists to feel empowered and move beyond the starving artist narrative. We’ve been in our current location on Main Street since September 2024, and I recently left a full-time government contracting job to dedicate myself to this space full-time.

A huge thank you goes to Jennifer Burwell, our benefactor. Without her support, we wouldn’t be where we are now. We began Uncanny as a group of volunteers in an inaccessible upstairs alleyway space. Her contributions helped us move to Main Street and become more accessible.

I’m also grateful for places like the Opolis, a venue that has shaped a lot of meaningful relationships for me. That’s what I hope to keep building in the year ahead.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three most impactful things in my journey have been persistence, adaptability, and community-building.

Persistence is what kept me going through instability, self-doubt, and all the moments when it would have been easier to walk away. There were many times when the odds were not in my favor, whether I was working multiple jobs through school, dealing with unsupportive partners, or navigating freelance life without a financial safety net. I kept showing up for my creative work, and over time, that consistency made a difference.

Adaptability helped me find new paths when plans changed or opportunities took unexpected forms. I never imagined I would end up managing a gallery, but saying yes to different creative projects, exploring new mediums, and staying open to the unknown allowed me to discover what I am good at and what I care most about. Every experience added something valuable, even when it was not part of the original plan.

The most meaningful part of my journey has been building and nurturing community. The people I have met through various creative experiences, the Opolis, and now at Uncanny Art House have shaped my growth as both an artist and a person. Being surrounded by people who support your vision and who you can grow alongside is essential.

For anyone just beginning, my advice is to stay curious, be patient with yourself, and keep making. Try things outside your comfort zone. Learn from those around you and offer support when you can. Creative lives are built step by step, and they often unfold in unexpected ways. You do not have to have it all figured out. Just keep going and let it grow into something that feels true to you. You’ll know it in your bones and often our subconscious knows it before we do!

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Over the past year, the biggest area of growth for me has been learning to manage my time more intentionally and setting clear boundaries with myself. For a long stretch, I was juggling around five different freelance jobs at once. I was constantly moving from one task to the next, trying to stay afloat, and operating in a survival mindset. On the surface, I was doing everything I could to keep my creative work going, but the reality was that I was burning myself out. I was stressed, overworked, and starting to feel disconnected from the reason I chose this path in the first place.

In the last year, I made a conscious decision to let go of the hustle mentality and focus on reclaiming my time. I left behind the fragmented freelance lifestyle and shifted toward having one role that aligns with my values and allows me to grow sustainably. That shift has given me space to actually breathe, reflect, and reconnect with both my creative practice and my personal well-being.

The biggest lesson I have learned is that doing less can actually help you do more. By focusing my energy, I have been able to show up more fully for the work that matters to me, both at Uncanny Art House and in my own art. I have also learned that rest is not something you earn by overworking. It is something you need in order to thrive.

This year has been about healing from survival mode, learning to trust that I am enough even when I am not constantly producing, and honoring my time as a resource that deserves protection.

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Image Credits

Jesse Edgar, Dylan Johnson

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