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

Alright, Jacob thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I have learned so much through experimentation. I first learned the basics with photography in a darkroom. I then took very nice pictures but they were very common.

I believe you have to give yourself space to make things that aren’t that good. I may create a handful of things in a week that aren’t worth showing to my cat but there’s a small piece that works. That small piece could be the foundation for many works ahead.

The biggest obstacle for me is this attempt to sit down and make something great. It’s much easier to sit down and make something bad and learn from it.

Jacob , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have studied many different art forms and had some success with multiple but ultimately I had to find something that would keep me up at night.

I used to do more standard photography and had photos published in many locations but found myself getting bored. I wanted to test myself and test the medium more.

Almost all people use zoning out or disassociating to find relief from stress or boredom.

My work seeks to recreate these unfocused times or give a place for the eye to look and not focus.

The work is not meant to be over-analyzed but to provide a reprieve for the mind and eye, to offer a window out of hard reality, something to relax with.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think it’s good to recognize how much better art makes the world, whether visual art, music, or any other creative field.

Though many things are getting more expensive, a lot of art is relatively cheap. I’d rather have the record of the artist I saw at an amazing show than the crappy delivery food I got delivered earlier this week.

With 10 food deliveries, one could have bought an original artwork from a smaller artist.

This is not to say we shouldn’t support local restaurants but it’s more for perspective. The enjoyment of food often lasts minutes but an artwork or record can be with you for years.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The ability to play in a subjective world. There are few things as subjective as art. It’s fun to have the door open and allow for play and experimentation.

Contact Info:

• Website: jfuthey.com
• Instagram: @j.futhey

Image Credits
Jacob Futhey