Meet Short Story

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

Short, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I overcame imposter syndrome, when I made the decision to hone and push one particular style. I have coined it as the “light hearted” style and being proud of the development of it has given me a resilience to overcome imposter syndrome. The style utilizes newspaper comic strips to fill the space of the subject matter. It is a both an ode to pop art and street art. Street artists wheat paste on newspaper to keep overhead cost low. Most street art will be buffed over by city workers. No one seemed to print over comicstrips when i first gave notice to this method, and so i owned it.

As we move forward with new and various forms of media, the newspaper is slowly being rendered obsolete. As a dedication to previous generations of American culture, I use the comic strips as a renaissance dedication to a particular period in our history. Older generations referred to comicstrips as “funny pages.” Truthfully most comicstrips are light hearted social commentary that is relatable to the average person. Hence the name, the “light hearted” style.

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

I am a creator at heart. Mostly known as a Mixed Media Artist or sometimes referred to as a Collage Artist. I personally do not like either label. I am also a screen printer and instructor, a digital artist, i have done multiple tattoos and am also a sketch artist, I have and continue to curate group shows for other artists whether I am included as a display artist or not. I have done multiple solo exhibits and have a few more scheduled currently. I have displayed in New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC aside from my artistic endeavors in my home state of Virginia.

Short Story is a brand, that happens to be my pseudonym as an artist. The name Short Story Official was created and reserved to be utilized for apparel. The name became synonymous with my person and eventually grew into an entity that conveyed my art and artistic vision for the brand.

I am currently in collaboration with a music artist by the name of Intalek, from Virginia Beach. Intalek and myself have partnered together to create what we are calling an EXP. Albums are usually designated as LP or EP. This event is an Experience (E) and Exhibit (X) and an LP or Long Player (P) – EXP. Each track of the album will have a piece of art tailored to it. Each piece is 46-48″ x 32-34″ with a total of 12 pieces of art. The album is titled “A Short Story” by Intalek. This collaboration will premier this year in October at the Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach at Coastal Mod event space.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

#1 Learning and becoming familiar with Marketing and Advertising as a digital creator.
#2 Having retail experience.
#3 Being innovative and trouble shooting to keep the journey alive.

Nobody ever talks about the fact that you are in competition with other artists. How can you not be? Collectors are not cash cows with unlimited funds. When a person decides to budget and not overspend, their intention may allow them to purchase 1 piece of art. When that is the case and is most of the time, you are intentionally or unintentionally in competition. Everything about art and art conversations, hinges on feelings and being present in that when creating. The other side of that coin is sales. With sales there is a lot to learn, in order to maximize the experience of having a collector in front of you for that moment.

Separating yourself from other artists is a big deal if you desire to stand out from the pack. If operating a sole entity that does not engage other collectives of artists or events that include other artists, allows a strong showing as an individual displaying and or selling. When you are involved in experiences that include other artists, it can be easy to fall into a group and go barely noticed if you have not done anything that separates you from the pack. Applying a level of innovation to your art creates new styles and perspectives, thus creating separation and leaving a lasting impression.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did was hardly support my artistic endeavors. This made me realize how important my role to my children and their dreams are. regardless of industry, a support system goes a lot farther than a sole endeavor. Everyone deserves a good support system and encouragement toward your dreams and goals.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shortstoryofficial