We were lucky to catch up with Jacy Mairs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jacy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

As an artist I’ve learned you need to back yourself even when you feel misunderstood. Everything is fake until it’s not, and the truth is the wheel of praise within society / the art world is so cyclical that the same things that will be judged in the beginning of your career will be celebrated in the end. Running a startup out of a garage may be scrutinized, but once you’re Google it will become your backstory. Cheap tactics and makeshift studios might be mocked, but when the world hears how Aerosmith used a sugar packet as a maraca for the beat of ‘Sweat Emotions’ they’ll wet themselves at the ingenuity. People will snicker at the short film you shot on your iPhone and simultaneously run to theaters to watch Sean Baker’s Tangerine. I guess what I’m saying is poppy syndrome is real but so is your art. At the end of the day you simply need to fight for what you believe in even when your path feels misunderstood.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a kid I lived in a trailer park on the outskirts of a rich town, so feeling like an outcast sort of came with the territory.

Back then I didn’t understand status, I just knew that my world looked nothing like my friends and had the looming suspicion that my house, my clothes, and the way that I spoke were communicating something that I didn’t want to say. Because of this, I began to harbor a disgust for the place that I lived. I felt ashamed of my world, and I felt ashamed of my shame.

But something changed when I saw a film about people whose lives looked a lot like mine. Seeing my community represented in art made me realize my own life was beautiful enough to photograph, and it took another artist to teach me that. This is when I decided to become a filmmaker and this is why I believe representation will always matter.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Someone important to me once said that “anytime you feel lost in life, just remember that at some point in history someone else lived through the exact same woes you’re experiencing now and left answers behind in the form of a song, book, or painting.” I know that when you find that piece of artwork that speaks to you during a time of need it can change everything, and it’s rewarding to think that someday my art might bring a little peace to someone else.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Easiest question. With all the noise that exists in the ether, taking on everyone else’s opinions can leave your creative voice a hot mess. Learning to tune out the chatter so that instinct can remain the north star is key, and nothing expresses this notion better than Larry Clark’s ‘Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.’ I recommend every creative looking for a boost of clarity read this essay.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rykofilms.com
• Instagram: rykofilms
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5391386/

Image Credits

Sophia Phoenix (Main Image)
Nate Wilson (BTS Images)