We were lucky to catch up with Jaylen Polk-June recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jaylen, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I’m not happy as an artist, I’m happy proving people wrong . For everyone that laughed at me when my beats were trash, and all the people that looked down on me when I was buggin’- my success is dedicated to you. For you see in the times I thought I’d be better off working a normal job, with normal hours, and normal pay; I remembered them, and it instilled in me the gift of audacity- which I think is better than happiness. I recall working in the food industry- breaking my back over chump change- and thinking, “If I’m not gonna make a livable wage either way, I could at least be my own boss,”- and that was the day I quit.
Jaylen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
How I got into this is pretty typical. In the 5th grade I wanted money, power, and influence; and how better to attain those things than to be a star, right? My father humored these delusions and, for my birthday, bought the copy of ‘Ableton Live 9 Intro’ that would spark a decade of all nighters. In 2022 my first album ‘Luna-tic Archives’ was released; strung together by the snippets I’d been making all that year, and cover art curtesy of yours truly. My skills were still in infancy then, so to hear it now makes me cringe. Hard. Since then I’ve released a plethora of projects- each one more developed than the last- under the pseudonym Meizanty Rulze.
With how long it took just to be considered sonically tolerable, you could imagine that I take great pride in my tenacity. Nowadays I produce beats and write songs for people, making the ‘idea to reality’ process as simple and streamlined as possible. For other local Cali artists I’d like to mention that this year I’ve been working to get a collective titled “The Butterflies of Suburbia” off the ground. We’re not a large group, but we aim to expand as well as provide community and connections amongst local creatives (from graphic designers to cosplayers). You can find me @meizysends and The Butterflies of Suburbia @bisfix.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn, is listening to everyone. As a kid I was very subservient; unquestioning of authority to the point of missing out on things. Often times it left me feeling as if I didn’t have a choice in a lot, or control over much. That followed me into adulthood and resulted in a harmful amount of bending and molding to the expectations of others. This has affected my business, views, and my relationships in ways that are seriously undesirable. Eventually I realized that my time is far too expensive to be giving out all willy nilly, and I’ll be damned if I waste what little of it I have inconveniencing myself for less than it’s worth.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is relating to people. Meeting them where they are in life through your work. I think that’s why any of us do what we do; to make you feel less crazy about your life, thoughts, and actions. To make you feel less alone whether you’re high or low. The cherry on top is when someone tells you that ‘what you’ve made changed their life’.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/meizy
- Instagram: @meizysends
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylen-polk-june-64550a269/
- Twitter: https://x.com/meizysends
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5yWjRtK22pN5q76-oY3iMg
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/neptune-capra
- Other: Discord: Zany#4242
Image Credits
Steven Craddock