We were lucky to catch up with Ben Ricketts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The list of projects I’ve worked on that are meaningful to me are endless. There’s my always-expanding lineup of solo releases, which are dear to my heart for obvious reasons. Then, there are the side projects–playing keys for Cody Rogers, working with John Christie to bring the first Catholic School EP to life, making music with Drew Danburry, working side by side with dear friends in bands like Suicide Doors, making noise behind Kim Vodicka’s poetry performances, seeing so many places and faces on tour, playing shows with some of my favorite artists… the list truly could continue forever. I’ve been making music since I was a preteen, and I was fifteen when I first started playing shows. So many beautiful and meaningful moments have been connected with every project I’ve ever done.

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?

I started making music at a very early age, and creating visual art came not long after. Whether I’m making music or writing or creating visual art, I have always operated on a very “DIY” basis.

I think that my outlook on life is mirrored in my work: I want to add more good to this world than bad.

It is so easy to become jaded or nihilistic, but I actively fight against this every single day. When faced with what feels like an endless stream of challenges that is destined to eventually end for everyone, it’s so simple to just throw your hands up and say “Is this really worth it?” But my answer continues to be a loud, resounding “yes.” Artists–at all levels–must keep creating things that add more good to this world than bad. Those creations can be emotional or sad or angry or negative, but the goal of the artist (and–I believe–the general person) must be to create things that construct rather than destroy.

By extension, I don’t think art always has to be “deep” or serve some great purpose. I have been as moved by the most mundane things as I have masterpieces, and I think that most people feel this way at some level. Art (of any kind) can be deep and universal and revelatory and shine lights on all sorts of things below the surface, or it can be mundane and simple and enjoyable in itself. I don’t think that this distinction is necessarily connected to how “powerful” the work is. If you think something is good–if you enjoy it or love it–it is worth existing.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I tend to think that a lot of the modern technological economy is just a 21st century Gold Rush; everyone is racing to be rich and never have to “clock in” again, but it’s almost entirely a façade. Personally, I believe that the openness of the internet is one of the greatest assets to art and creativity in the modern age. I think the incessant needs to privatize and commodify everything are annoying (at best) and actively toxic to a culture of creativity (at worst). NFTs seem to be little more than the artist’s answer to multi-level marketing schemes or app-based day trading. A few folks might get rich, but a lot of people are going to be broken by the whole thing.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

This is a complicated question, because I think that the issues plaguing artists and creatives are the same ones plaguing everyone. If everyone is struggling to stay afloat, the energy needed to create things can be hard to come by.

So with that, I propose my small solution that anyone can take a part in: support the people who make things you enjoy. Listen to music and watch movies and eat local food. Attend art shows and fashion events and makers’ markets. Everyone is struggling, so let’s just agree to struggle together and support each other. If you like the work someone is doing, drop them a couple bucks or tell folks about the work they’re doing. As a musician and artist whose work is almost entirely self-contained, I can tell you that these things go a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benricketts.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @ben_ricketts_exists
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3v2EKxlUJoRHTr2rFRJujQ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ben-ricketts/1200995308

Image Credits
Main image: Brent McQuillin Acoustic guitar image: Erin Lyle Electric guitar image: Claire Waddle Singing at the table images: Chloe Littlefield (files labeled with photographer’s name)