Julius Sanchez shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Julius, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
What Im most proud of building that nobody sees is myself becoming a better version than i was in the late 2024 into the beginning of 2025; that and my resilience to keep pressing onward to becoming everything i said i was going to do and be. What most wont admit, I will with no problem; I needed to lose people, go through situations that tested my strength, my wants, and my character. All of it i needed to rebuild from the ground up again and show up for myself if i wanted to really make a change both internally & then outwardly after. I made mistakes, I had personal downfalls, but i realized a lot of that could turn around if i did the ground work and got down to the roots & stay down for a while and do all the personal work while still pushing myself to make the work i wish existed along with the life i want to live. Im proud of myself because the majority of 2025 to show up the way only I know how for me and reconnect with parts of myself that were set on the way side for a bit due to my focus being shifted elsewhere.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello World! Hi mom! Hey Mags, Love Ya’ll!
Starting with my name. My name is Julius Sanchez, i go by the artist name, “oJigys” the “o” is silent by the way so say, “Jigys”.
I am an artist and Photographer. I mostly paint and build around outside of painting these fun little yellow and red cartoon characters, and these charcters we will call them Jigys for now because they actually dont have a name. Anyways, what makes them special is that i utilize these characters to help depict duality. What cant be said in words is what i can say through them and what they do is show that in some circumstances in life trying to be the best you can be, you can be perceived as say the devil, a bad person, because of how maybe you didnt show up a certain way someone expected you to, make a choice that someone would do the opposite. Think of the ol phrase, “Damned if you, damned if you dont” That pretty much sums up my work. Sometimes its playful, sometimes theres deeper messages hidden, & the fun part about of all this is its all up to the viewer and how they choose to interpret my work. Theres no right or wrong way and i think thats great too.
It’s pretty hard to describe something I do intuitively because what cant be expressed into words is expressed in another language, this being a painting medium. My work is also inspired by childhood nostalgia, inner child, you know like what i wish existed when i was a kid growing up. The kind of collection of toys and things most dont have or know too much of or all the kids in school would bring to recess and try to trade, ask to borrow for a couple days. With that, im working on building that world with the work Im making so its a continuous work in progress of experimenting these new things im bringing into the real world , Im so excited to share that with the world when its ready. I think too that its beyond painting, as i said previously, Im working on making things i wish existed as a kid and bringing back that new nostalgic feeling that i think thats missing today.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that served its purpose is the part of me of showing up for people the way they want me to show up for them when i personally don’t expect that out of anyone but to be themselves and holding space for them to be themselves without any desire to change what makes them uniquely them. I Think i spent too much of myself trying to prove that I’m a worthy person, partner, what have you, making changes that don’t really align with me to make others feel safe and secure and happy, trying to scale myself down into a small box for comfort. I dont feel like playing this mental tug-o-war of trying to prove to anyone that I’m whatever made up version someone made up of me in their head to then be dissapointed and resent me for not upholding this standard/expectation that seems to keep moving. Its harder being a creative entrepreneur when you’re trying to devote time to work on projects , invest and change both internally and outwardly while having to balance normal every day life, all this and that at the same time. I dont think most understand as Artist we need time to be, time to be with other like minded people and creatives that just understand that aspect. its not easy. Instead, i want to show up for me. “What would make Julius happy?” “How will this time spent make for putting something good out in the world?” If choosing myself to devote time and space to go after the things that makes sense to me makes me a villian then i dont want to be right. Its my right to be free.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Pretty much 4-6 months into the 2025, Went through some events that were messing me up mentally and self belief in its totality. I wasn’t feeling as creatively confident in myself, ironically however; i was still being consistent in the arts but took a step back from socials, working my day job, working on my daily routines. Im not sure exactly when the exact moment i started to use my pain as power but what i can say is i didn’t want to continue working my day job and soley just be reliant on making that a ‘career’ back up. What stepping into my power meant for me was saying F all this. Im not going to continue on and try to climb a ladder in a field i dont have much interest in, I will keep this day job for as a long as i can but in the mean time i will figure out a means to pushing my work outside of paintings and create my own world instead of living based off the suggestions that someone else that got me here in the first place. I have something in me thats very much still alive in me waiting to go all in. The only person at this point in time who can stop me from reaching the other side of the life i want to live is me.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Ive come across a lot of smart people. Most of them didnt go to school, they dont boast about their careers, They dont make it a thing to shame you because you arent at a set level at a set age. They know that every great being built, no matter what it is, takes time and patience. Everyone grows at their own pace and learns at their own level. They dont follow what societal norms tells most young adults how to be, where they should be at, what life is suppose to look. Ive come across people too who did go to school who were inherently book smart and educated but lacked a lot of perspective or at least willingness to see look at things from a third perspective, not my own. Id also dare say some experience too. They listen to societal norms, you know graduate at this age, settle down within this time frame, get into this career, make this salary and thats it , and if you dont, youre a lost cause, youre moving with no plan, probably dont have a future etc. Theres a disconnect there because “smart” people like that think that taking up a predetermine path is the smartest option and pride themselves on their academic accomplishments and what theyre about to embark on. Thats cool, Kudos. You can also take up that path and then realize that youre up to your neck in debt, dont like your field and now what?
Theres so many ways to achieve success and Success looks differently for most people at that too. We’re in a favorable time where all it takes is being one interview away, one post , one interaction away from hitting the mark. “Smart” people like that, get it wrong in my eyes at least because most feel like life ends at a certain time frame if they dont meet these personal requirements. Well things dont always go as planned no matter what kind of life you choose to live. Though you cant convince everyone to see it another way by words, sometimes physical and tangible proof is a great way to change the way someone perceives and changes their outlook.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Just because something isnt happening at the moment youd like it to doesnt mean that wont happen at all or that it isnt working behind the scenes. Things take time. People need time to acclaimate and process things. To sit and think that something isnt going the way youd want doesnt mean you should instantly resent. Most cases, things get pushed back for a better outcome that you’d expect, or maybe its saving you from something, i dont know but its the little things like that, that show true colors of those who dont give actual grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://NewHell.shop
- Instagram: oJigys
- Other: https://Tiktok.com/oJigys
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