You've already seen plenty of examples of my work. For example, my 2013 book captured the paradigm shift of sex and dating caused by the rise of smartphones and tech. Birth rates plummeted, reports of loneliness and lack of sex have soared, and social norms flipped so fast it left people's heads spinning. The world of 2025 is like an alien planet compared to 2005.
At the time, terms like "incel" weren’t even in the lexicon. Meanwhile, today, seen in many sources and mediums, conversations about sex and dating feel like they’re happening in another dimension compared to the 2000s. My efforts as an artist is about absorbing and digesting the chaos, contradictions, and ridiculous shifts in the world around me, then channeling that through my unique self-expression.
One of the things that is important to me is to show how Canada has really, really dropped the ball on caring for the most vulnerable people, but if I write about that, this post will be pages and pages in length, so... I digress.
I’ve done paid photography, paid for published writing, and contributed to now-defunct outlets that thrived in the hipster-and-cocaine-fueled 2010s. I did even get paid to write for a minor Mountain Biking zine, too! That was fun. Sure, it would take hours to gather a portfolio from the archives, but I never let setbacks, bans, or lack of establishment, mainstream exposure end my career. Being an artist means always creating under pressures, both internal and external, and staying committed to refining your craft and vision.
Recognition is never guaranteed at all, especially in a climate where Canadian art and culture have been incredibly wokeified over the last decade. But staying true to my vision and keeping up the production of art, there’s always a chance that the culture will shift and my work will find a portal through to the masses on a larger scale than the pinhole I have currently to push my work through. While commercially, I haven't had the traditional success in the field of "art" that includes recognition of my name, there have been much personal success and triumphs achieved, personal connections made, and even my kid was an end result of finishing my 1st book. Art can be a bit like magic.
Ultimately, whether even just one person connects with it or a million, the value of art lies in the authenticity of what I create. Lots of artists have big PR teams and huge funding and media people behind them to craft their image and even ghostwrite their songs, books, style- basically everything about them is completely inauthentic, hence why imposter syndrome is so common in some circles. I lack this insecurity because everything I do is 100% me! Feels good man, even during the tough times.
Going to be fun to work on art in 2025, whichever way the winds blow, just need to fix my car first so I can go to the gym as to balance out the boozing!