We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joshua Lamar aka “IVIX” a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

IVIX, appreciate you joining 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?

Constantly. People have preconceived notions about me. They think that I do R&B, Rap, or make beats or something like that. So, even before going into my art I feel like there is pre-established disconnect. But, going into my actual music I feel like a lot of people don’t realize how, just like me, layered it is.
I put so much into it & the results are something uniquely me. I have so many stories of me submitting my music or sending my music to people, playlists, labels & whatever have you and getting denied. They’d compliment me & all that jazz but still deny me. People want something different & unique until it is truly something different and unique. Even then, they wait until it’s acceptable.
Artists like David Lynch & Bjork are prime examples of acceptable unique. Even then, especially with David Lynch, their audiences/recognition aren’t massive. I went off on a bit of a tangent, but it is where my mind went. Also, it is to the point where I feel most people, even those around me (some of which I am close with), don’t recognize or understand my way of thinking.
I have what one would say is, “odd” or “surreal” sense to my art. To me, it is normal & I let others take from it what they will, but I do feel that those around me, or people in general, add a bit of blandness to what they expect from me or what I am saying. Normal doesn’t = blandness but in a lot of cases it does. We all have a different sense of normalcy.
My bad, I could keep talking aha. I don’t think I even came close to answering. Let me stop here before this become a full-blown essay.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I am IVIX. I got into music, film, etc… aha, by always being enthralled by ’em. I got really into music & literature specially around 04 due to the anime, “Fullmetal Alchemist”. The music, atmosphere & writing of that show just sent me places. It made my mind wonder like no other. The first story I wrote was a fan fiction for that show aha. I wrote some for Naruto as well. I later shifted into my own original works. What got me into film was seeing an odd picture off rabbits, rabbits that were from a David Lynch short simply titled, “Rabbits”. This was around 05 or 06, when David Lynch’s newest film at the time, “Inland Empire” was coming out. That image quite literally sent me down a rabbit-hole, a hole in which I found greats such as Agnes Vardas, Jean-Luc Godard, Igmar Bergman. I gained a new appreciation & learned the names of those I’d been familiar with already, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick & Rod Serling to name a few. I just got an accumulation of talents & passions. From film, to music, to art, to photography. That is why I consider myself an “all-around artist”. Haha, in short, I fancy myself a “true artist”. That is something I think, no something that I know, sets me apart from others. I have a true love, passion & understanding of art.

Being asked what I am most proud of always make me think. Honestly, I don’t know. I guess it’s the fact that I am still out here creating. The fact I’ve met so many people, artists or otherwise.
The main thing that I want others to know? Hmmm… That I am IVIX & I am gonna take people places with my art. That I am gonna make people’s minds wonder. Help them as I’ve been helped. Heal them & whatever else there may be.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Making people feel. Whether it is sadness, happiness or some kind of melancholy. I love it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Not really a lesson but it was unlearning the conformity that society & especially the education system forces/places on us. I realized that I won’t get anywhere that way & more importantly that I need to be who, I not only want to be, but I need to be.

The backstory is just going through life & the education system. I gradually became who I am over time. It was a process. I suppose there is no “backstory” since this is a process, that I feel, is ongoing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__ivix/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EYEVEYEX
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgG_JFrqPVWJhBaRRPADe4Q
• Other: https://lnk.to/FromthePlanetEarth Also, I am working on a film, “A Tulip for A Tulpa Named Tulip”. Be on the lookout for that 2023. Thanks

Image Credits
Joshua Lamar! Don Nace Cha