Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aaron James. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Aaron, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I’m currently finishing up shooting of a mini-doc that I’m tentatively titling “Paint What You Feel”. The premise of the mini-doc is centered around this public demonstration that I do by the same title, where I stand in a place of high foot traffic, blindfolded with my shirt off, holding a sign that says “I’m a product of you, paint what you feel”. Beforehand, I set out several plates with various paints and brushes around me for passerby’s to use to paint whatever they may be feeling on my body.
The mission of this experiment is to encourage vulnerability, telling your story, and promoting life with an awareness of what those around you are feeling. I’m a firm believer that one person finding the courage to tell their story can inspire someone else to do the same, and the more people who we can have vulnerably expressing themselves, the stronger connections we can form as people, and the easier it is to empathize with our community despite whatever differences we may have.
I’m a part of an independent record label based in Memphis called Unapologetic., and our mission is to be a home for creatives who don’t feel like they can fully be themselves in their own communities, and spread the message of the importance of being unapologetically yourself. This demonstration, and the subsequent mini-doc, is my way of spreading that message.
The documentary will also come with interviews from three different artists, ranging from three different artistic mediums, who will share their perspective on vulnerability and self-expression, as well as brief interviews from individuals who took part in the demonstrations from the 7 different locations we traveled to conduct “Paint What You Feel”.
Every time I do the experiment, I’m left completely floored with the engagement, the impact it has on those who interact with it, and the conversations I get to hear around the idea of answering the question, “How do I feel?”
Aaron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m an indie/alternative folk singer/songwriter based in Memphis, TN. Though music is the primary medium I express myself through, I’m also working on a mini-documentary film project, I dabble in other visual arts, and would consider myself an artist and creative beyond just being a songwriter. I was born and raised in central Pennsylvania but made my way to Memphis in 2013.
A few years after being in Memphis, I came to be a part of a team here called Unapologetic, who aims to be a home for creatives who don’t feel like they can fully be themselves in their own communities, and spreads the message of the importance of being unapologetically yourself; finding those things that make you YOU, and turning them up to 150% instead of shying away from them.
I try my best to spread that message and be an example of what self-discovery and vulnerability are through everything I create. I believe self-discovery is a never-ending journey and we don’t need to be anxious about not knowing who we are. We’re all on a journey, and knowing ourselves is a process….but if we can face our own hearts and our own minds, it may help us understand the hearts of those around us, and inspire deeper connections with our community.
I’ve been writing songs for close to 10 years, and I released my first full length album in the autumn of 2022 entitled “Nobody Really Makes Love Anymore”. All of my music is on all of the streaming platforms and I’m always working on/putting our new projects that are close to the heart.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think most non-creatives value comfort a bit more than creatives do, and there’s no blaming them or shame in that. Comfortability is great. But I also think comfortability can often lead to stagnation, and once you get in that loop it’s hard to get out. This isn’t to say making yourself dangerously uncomfortable is also the right way to live…there’s a balance of course. But there are ways that creatives are more inclined to jump off a cliff in ways the non-creatives don’t/can’t understand. The best art is often made in or from uncomfortability.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’ll answer this not because I have a thriving social media following…in fact it’s quite small compared to the majority of my community and the world HA. But I’ll answer it because who cares…..seriously we need to stop caring about this stuff. I’m not a content creator, I’m an artist. Sure, there’s a game you have to play these days if you want to be seen. Totally understand that. And I go in and out of inspiration when it comes to playing that game. It can be fun sometimes but you also have to remember that there’s a lot more to life than being an “influencer”. Even that term is so cringy to me. Every once in a while we just have to make sure we snap out of it, and don’t get lost in the game of it all. Just be yourself. If you wanna follow the trends, awesome. If you wanna do or say something wild and share it with the world because it’s an honest representation of who you are, fantastic. Just be you. If you are you, then you’ll connect and attract your tribe. If that’s one person or one million, doesn’t matter. Just be honest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aaronjmsmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronjms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronjmsmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJYONIpmuTVCR0HGzRyvkQ
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3J6F2QvvpWH8ovO7wraARV
Image Credits
Gabrielle Duffie (me with flower guitar, me in the field painting, all of the blindfolded paint pictures)