Meet Isaac Reeves

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isaac Reeves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi ISAAC, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I think it’s an everyday thing. It’s an everyday cross that I have to carry, essentially. And I think no matter what level of success that you get in life or in your career, there’s always going to be some amount of imposter syndrome that you feel, just in my opinion.

I think the way that I did it, the way that I do it, is I try to separate my work from who I am. I try to see myself as my own individual person and also see the side of me that creates and does these amazing things as an equal but separate part of me as well. And so a lot of times I create a persona for the different sides of me that I have so that it’s a lot easier to create that separation and allow me to essentially act through or perform through the lens of another representation.

How this looks in real life: I have a persona called IKEY, and IKEY is essentially the side of me that fully embraces his creativity and fully embraces who he is as an artist in the fullest sense. It’s really an ongoing journey, but it’s one that’s worth taking.
I also think it helped to view things objectively as well when I can look back and go over the work that I did. Looking at it from an objective standpoint is very interesting, because on one hand, it’s Ikey who’s doing the work and is being his full creative self. But it’s really me. So I’m the one who’s really doing the work and being my full creative self. And it’s just interesting to see what I’m able to do and accomplish as I separate the two personas.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a visual artist, first and foremost. I’ve been a visual artist since I was about 17, 18 years old, so 6 to 7 years in the making now. My work and mediums span a wide variety, from everything with sneakers and clothing – which is how I got started, customizing my own sneakers and clothing – to designing, releasing, and selling out my own shoe with Reebok in 3 and a half hours, to now focusing on fine art and large pieces of works. This is all leading up to a culmination of both a solo show and then a group show that I curate and help to curate.

I think what I feel is most exciting about being a visual artist is the fact that I get to tell my story in everything that I do. I’ve been on a journey to tell my story in the most aesthetic way possible. Over the last 6 years, I’ve done so much and I’ve gotten to experience so much – I want to share that with the world. One of the biggest things that I love about being a visual artist is that there are so many ways for me to tell my story in a way that connects with people. One of the other things that I focus on is building experiences for people to interact with and leave a lasting impression on them for the rest of their lives.

My brand and my art really focuses on themes of duality, black joy, and just overall creativity. A lot of my visual art is influenced by my upbringing in New York City. I try my hardest to push the envelope in the materials that I use and the subjects that I paint in my paintings.

I also have an initiative called MASTERPEACE, which is essentially my hub for storytelling, my platform for not just my own stories, but the stories of other creatives and entrepreneurs in a way that’s unique and authentic to them. Letting people know that they are not alone in the things that they do as creators has really been my focus in the last year, especially even though I’ve had this idea for the last 2 to 3 years.

My goal for 2025 is to continue making more artistic pieces, getting back into making clothing, customizing shoes – all the things that really got me to where I am today as a visual artist. I’m culminating the year sometime in quarter 3 with my own solo show, aiming to reach about 200 people, and building up momentum for the eventual launch of my group show as well. And then just really locking in and focusing on the business side of being an artist with selling prints and shirts and everything that kind of comes with running an artistic creative practice.

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?

Looking back at what’s been most impactful in my journey, I really think it comes down to mastering three key areas that have shaped everything I do. First is having that technical versatility – really being able to work with different mediums and master them. I started with customizing sneakers and clothing, which taught me so much about working with different materials and understanding how colors work together. For anyone just starting out, I always say pick one thing and really get good at it before trying to do everything. Take your time to learn your craft, watch other artists, try new techniques. You don’t need to spend all day on it, but make sure you’re practicing consistently, even if it’s just an hour. Practice makes progress!

The business side has been huge too – that’s my second key area. A lot of artists don’t want to think about the business stuff, but understanding how to price your work, market yourself, build your brand, and work with clients is just as important as making the art itself. When you’re just getting started, focus on learning the basics of how to present yourself professionally and how to use social media effectively. Watch what successful artists are doing with their business. Actually, this whole understanding of mixing creativity with business is what led me to create MASTERPEACE, where I’m helping other creators tell their stories.

The third thing that’s really made a difference is being able to manage multiple projects and see them through. Like, when I did the Reebok shoe launch or when I’m planning exhibitions – it’s all about knowing how to handle different moving pieces and make sure everything comes together. If you’re just starting out, start small with your own projects. Keep track of what you’re doing, set realistic deadlines, and gradually take on bigger challenges as you get more comfortable.

All of these skills kind of work together, you know? Your technical skills help you make great work, your business knowledge helps you get it out there, and your project management makes sure you can keep delivering consistently. The biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone starting their journey is to find people who can mentor you or communities where you can learn these skills. Keep track of everything you learn, be open to feedback, and remember everyone starts somewhere. It’s really about staying consistent, learning from your failures, and always being ready to grow. There’s no overnight success in this – it’s all about putting in that work when no one’s watching and staying committed to getting better every day.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always looking for people to collaborate with. I think collaboration is so key and crucial when you are an artist or when you are a creative. If you look at some of the greatest partnerships in more recent artistic history, you have Andy Warhol and Basquiat, you have Kanye West and Virgil Abloh and Jerry Lorenzo, you have Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Oftentimes, the best work comes from and comes out of collaboration. When I worked on my Reebok sneaker, it wasn’t a one-sided effort. Yes, I designed the shoe, but it took a team of people working together and collaborating to create the entire launch experience, all the merchandise, and leave something memorable for people to walk away with.

For people who are interested in collaborating, one of the things I’m looking for in a collaborator or partner is someone who is serious and dedicated to their craft, above all else. If you can’t take yourself seriously as an artist or as a creative, then we probably don’t need to be working together. I’m looking for someone who is serious about themselves as a creator and as an artist, someone who can understand the vision that I have and is not afraid to speak their mind, but also provide the best version of themselves, as I do with every project I work on.

People can reach out to me via my Instagram or on my website. My Instagram is @lifewithikey, and my website is www.mastrpc.xyz. My email is [email protected].

But that’s what I really look for in a collaborator or partner – someone who’s serious about their craft, serious about their work, is willing to put the needs of the project above their own, and bring their fullest version of themselves to the table.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mastrpc.xyz
• Instagram: @lifewithikey
• Other: TikTok: @lifewithikey