We recently connected with Uncle Jut and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Uncle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on is my most recent NFT photography collection called “Shoefiti”. I’ve been working on this project since the beginning of February after taking a film photo of shoes hanging from a power line. Right away the idea for a collection came to me, and it’s all I’ve been working on and thinking about ever since. To invest so much of yourself into one thing, without having any idea as to how it’s going to be received is such a vulnerable and emotional feeling. For the first time in a long time, I poured so much of myself into one singular project. There were a lot of times where I would question myself whether or not is was worth it, but all along there was no way I was going to stop.

We all see shoes hanging from power lines probably more times than we even realize. It’s a world wide phenomenon with so many misconceptions. The truth is, there are a ton of different reasons why people may throw a pair of shoes up onto a power line. The purpose of this collection is to destigmatize the perception of SHOEFITI while bringing to the forefront the artistic and creative elements the act evokes.

Uncle , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First off, I go by Uncle Jut because I am in fact an Uncle. I picked up a camera for the first time shortly after my 30th birthday. At that time I was an alcoholic, spending all of my free time and money on partying and drinking. I was headed nowhere fast, and needed saving. The camera did just that. Having the ability to freeze a moment and then share that moment with others is what I really fell in love with. It seemed like for the first time in my life, I was finally appreciating all the beauty that is around me. Living far from my family, being able to share my photos with them made me feel closer to them. When I first started, I would just grab my camera and walk around the city of Charlotte, I became addicted to it. Here we are almost 9 years later and my photography is a full time career. I’ve shot just about every genre of photography you can shoot. I’ve worked with professional teams like the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets and eventually started working on a more exclusive basis with individual players like DJ Moore and Will Grier. In July of 21′ I discovered the NFT space, and have been full time into NFTs since. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with like minded people from all around the world and have been able to sell 57 of my NFTs, two sold out collections as well as 7 more 1/1 pieces.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After spending almost two years working for a couple of Panther’s players, I started to feel like I wasn’t creating for myself anymore. As much as I love those guys and enjoyed working with them, I was spending so much of my energy helping create their visions for their lives, instead of my own. On a whim, I woke up one morning and told myself I was going to sell an NFT that day. To be honest, I didn’t even know what an NFT was yet, but felt compelled to enter the space. I jumped onto Twitter, a place I hadn’t spent much time at all let alone time in the NFT community but to my surprise, I did in fact get a bid on my very first NFT within just 4 minutes after minting it. I’ve been consumed by the space and community ever since.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started sharing my art on social media (mainly IG), I had no intentions of building a brand or selling my work. I was just sharing images that I was proud of. I like to think I’m a pretty open and honest guy, and really try to be myself. By continuing to be myself, continuing to share art that I’m proud of, I’ve been lucky enough to build a following of really strong supporters. I’ve always tried to stand up for the “little guy” and I’m no different on social media. I try support others, spread love and positivity, and stick up for those that need it the most. I think by doing that, people can relate to me and feel like they know me. I’ve always responded to every single DM ever sent to me and I try to always reciprocate the love and support. If you’re just getting started on social media, just be yourself, share art that you’re proud of, and don’t ever lose sight of why you create. It can be difficult at times when your art may feel like it’s not getting noticed, it’s normal to feel down and discouraged but don’t ever lose site of your why. I didn’t pick up a camera to make money, I capture images that make me feel something and I share them with others in hopes it will make others feel something. That’s all that matters to me, not the likes or follows, but to inspire others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unclejut.com
• Instagram: @unclejut
• Twitter: @unclejut