Today we’d like to introduce you to Mecca Ramsey

Hi Mecca, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Well, my story has a lot of ebb and flow and me just trying figuring out who I am as a person, as an artist, and as a professional. I’m a multifaceted person, so I don’t try to confine myself to one path or one story because life isn’t linear — it’s a convergence things. I’ve always been a creative person though, whether that was being into fashion or wanting to dance or wanting to be a performer. I always knew that I wanted to do something creative. I really started to be more curious about the arts when I was at this college prep high school. I was taking a video production class as an elective and I really enjoyed learning the language and techniques of creating a film. For me, taking that class was the catalyst that made me want to figure out how I could integrate art into my life and explore more art forms. Right away I knew that doing those kinds of things was fulfilling to me. Anywho, I told my mom that I wanted be somewhere where they had more arts and that same year I transferred to an arts high school, where I was formally trained in photography and photo mechanics. I was also taking drawing classes, learning about and making wearable sculpture pieces, and creating mixed media work. Being in an environment where art was emphasized along with my academics opened up a world of possibilities for me. It made me realize that I could create life doing what I love. That’s where my love for photography started to grow. I was learning so much about the history of photography and other forms of visual art forms as well because art history was part of my curriculum. I was learning about different artists, learning about their story and their processes. This encouraged me to tell my story and to capture other people’s stories through my art. Even when I’ve taken breaks and put my camera down for a while, I always come back to photography. No matter what point in my life I’ve been at, no matter what I was doing or where I was working, and no matter what I was going through — photography has and will always be a home for expression to me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has absolutely not been a smooth road, but like I said before — life isn’t linear, it’s a convergence of so many small moments. I have done so many things unrelated to art that has only reinforced why I need art in my life. For that reason, no matter how hard it gets I don’t think that I would ever be able to walk away from it completely. In all honesty, I just got back into the groove of making art. Society has a way of making artist feel like it’s not a real accomplishment unless you’re making millions of dollars and have an exhibition at the Guggenheim. I can’t lie I definitely fell into that trap, but it’s not true. I was working at a convention company that hosted business conventions all over the world and I was there in a digital marketing role. When I tell you that I hated it — I REALLY HATED IT, but the biggest reason that I stayed was because I felt like that title was more of an accomplishment than being a photographer or being an artist. In truth, if I hadn’t gotten laid off due to “company restructuring”, (they all say that but it’s really just them being cheap so the people at the top can either keep their salary or increase it), I probably would still be there and be miserable. It happened this year at the end of February and even though I didn’t really want to be there — I was upset about it because I felt like “damn well what am I supposed to do now?” because the job market is worse than trash right now.
Keep in mind up until I got laid off I was always saying I don’t wanna be here [the job]. I just want to be somewhere that I can make art, be happy, and sustain a life without struggle doing that. So I feel like me being laid off was a blessing in disguise so that I could get back to who I truly am at my core. That has been what I have been doing to occupy my time. I mean, I’m still looking for jobs, but I’m only looking for jobs that align with my values and where I actually see myself versus just getting a job because I need money. I know that sounds kind of crazy because bills are still due, things still need to be paid, but I’m also in this mindset of not wanting to trade my values and my time for something that does not fulfill me or contribute to my life in a positive way. My mental state was in the gutter at that 9-5 and now I feel so much more free. I have my days, but over all I feel most at peace right now. There’s always going to be a struggle, but I know that I want to create, and now I am only focusing my energy on creating. Whether that’s photographing, making fashion content, or coming up with creative solutions to help brands promote themselves on social media, I am only doing things that feel good to me. I have been in many juried exhibitions, published in multiple magazines, won awards, and collaborated with well known artists and figures in my community. For me, at this point in my life, I feel like I’m being pointed in the direction of creating so I’m listening to the universe, my guides, God, and whatever driving force is pushing me to create. I’m thankful everyday that I have people that consistently pour into me and lift me up because they help me to keep going.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a visual artist whose primary medium is photography, but I have also been creating content around fashion and helping other masc presenting people find their own style while understanding that it’s okay to also express femininity. We’re all multifaceted and complex beings therefore we don’t have to simplify who we are because other people might have a hard time conceptualizing that. This kind of relates back to my work in photography because I mostly focus on uplifting the queer community and telling the stories that represents us in a way that’s true to us and less voyeuristic. Right now I would say I’m known for my portraits and definitely the way I dress! That’s why I started making fashion content. Right now, I am most proud of the fact that I’m still going and I haven’t let the negativities of certain periods of my life deter me from creating altogether. I think the thing that sets me apart from others is that I am a masc presenting, black, queer woman and I try to tell the stories of the many communities that I belong to by using my art as a stage to bring forth honest representations of who we are. Me being me sets me apart from others. There are so many people out here just following trends and imitating other creatives to make a quick dollar. There is only one me that does things the way that I do it, so that in and of itself set me apart.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?

People can work and collaborate with me by following my photography and fashion Instagram page. @shotbymecc and @whoismecca respectively and DMing me or shooting me an email (you can find it on the profiles). People can support me by sharing my content with other people who they feel would benefit from it or that they feel it might resonate with and speaking of me in rooms that I have not yet made it to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.meccadramsey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoismecca
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@papa.mecc