We recently connected with EXTRA KETCHUP and have shared our conversation below.

EXTRA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I’ve been blessed enough to make a full-time living from my creative work but definitely has not been easy.

When I started to work on the brand back in 2017 I came into the game with a simple idea to represent a form of truth. From the prospective that I saw it in. Coming from NYC it’s hard to stay on task with everything you wish to create and also find a way to support yourself and be able to live in such an expensive city.

When I first launched the brand I didn’t expect for it to take off. I was just having fun with an idea. After a while I started to see the difference it was making within my pattern of creativity. These ideas were birthing new ideas and habits that I never had once thought I’d be able to do. I’ve been running this brand full-time from setting up pop-ups to fully designing every piece and even fully designing the site to my own liking. Opening up showrooms and storefronts just to provide an experience that gave the brand meaning.

During the pandemic things actually took a turn because I opened my first storefront. It seems like everyone had money in 2020. But it was a big milestone to actually receive the support and be able to watch the brand grow within the community.

This career has now became my life. So it’s times I feel I focus too much on it. Especially after opening my 2nd location and it being such a bigger space. It left me with much more responsibility. Sometimes too much to handle. But it gave birth to a whole new individual. I was constantly putting myself in obstacles and pushing my creativity to new highs by thinking way more outside the box. Providing workshops and being able to teach the craft and provide help for others who are also within the same field but are a little lost or just need that extra push.

This career has provided opportunities that no other form of work would provide for me. I am blessed to have been able to keep my space operating for 3 years during a financial crisis here in the country and despite all the stress and anxiety that it brings. It makes me a more stronger artist at the end of the day since I feel I can now conquer any obstacle put in front of me.

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

I first got into streetwear back in the 2006. I was obsessed with brands and their stories and to see local artists actually be doing such amazing work and having success in this field just by having the discipline and the right connections to make their ideas work honestly planted a seed.

I was just a fan. Still am a fan. I still consider myself to be a student. I have such a love for the culture of streetwear but I also have a bigger love for my city.

My brand represents NYC. The core of my brand is the representation of a city that raised me. So I am strict in keeping that message strong and not getting off that mission.

When I first got into the game it took a lot of trail and error. I burned a lot of cash. I came into it with more of a creative mindset. Never a business mindset because I was an artist more than anything. Throughout time this taught me that I had to be both. The artist and the business man.

This forced me to have discipline with my structure and organization. I had to be strict with my funds and not allow my brand to fail or fall due to lack of faith or financial support.

This is a city where things get more expensive every year so it was times in which I had to throw events and drop releases that never brought back the goal capital that I predicted. But I never let those things stop me. The business man in me began to have no attachments and began to understand that some loses are just lessons. And sometimes you may have an idea that is amazing but is too early in the game to surface and can be ignored. But conducting your business on a platform like Instagram where people are forced to see so much daily. They forget what they seen. So at times I reintroduce things that at the time didn’t work or get the attention but now to a new follower is such a great idea.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me I feel the most rewarding aspect to being an artist or creative is actually being able to manifest thought. I look at it as having a super power. Many of my ideas I get during meditation or even from dreams.

I often can see something that all of a sudden sparks an idea in my head but to actually find a form in making it real enough to hold in your hand and showcase is beyond rewarding.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

There is. My goal is to fully inspire. I always reflect into what made me start. And it all stems down to being a fan. Falling in love with expression. Walking into someone’s store or pop-up and engaging in their expression and being able to touch something that was just an idea is was drives my creativity. I began to give workshops and teach product design and graffiti to be able to give value to journey itself. In a time where there are so many brands and so much amazing work to get inspired from. We need more coaches. The youth needs creatives like myself to give them the right guidance since we are now in a time where social media makes it look so simple. They open show the success but never show what it takes to get there. My mission is to help the young creative get there. Even if they choose not to stay. At least they made it to see what they are able to produce. Every addition or article made by a creative in this field adds value to this field. Even if its just a simple shirt. It’s keeping the culture alive. I want to keep this culture alive. Even if its by helping the next creative get to that level of success before me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.extraketchup.store/
• Instagram: @extraketchup
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=evW4HcsRoOs&feature=youtu.be

Image Credits
Photos by @bluntbreakv2 @sinematic.studios