We recently connected with Justin Kerr and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Justin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?
I think the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me was back in college when my interest in photography really peaked, my friend Joelle had a DSLR camera that she wasn’t using. She saw my passion and potential from an early stage and pretty much gave me her camera. I wouldn’t have made it this far on my creative journey if it wasn’t for that gesture. That’s something that will stay with me forever.
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’m a lifestyle and environmental photographer based in Mandeville Jamaica. I also dabble in a bit of graphic design with an emphasis on streetwear.
My interest in photography was actually born from a field trip my geography class to a fishing beach for a project. We had to take pictures to include in the project, so I borrowed my uncle’s camera and got some really cool shots of the area. They were really good and persons acknowledged that. So I just kept taking pictures with my smart-phone after that. So I just kept taking pictures with my smart-phone after that. Then everything just kept going up from there. Fast forward to that transitional summer between high school and college, I had absolutely nothing to do, so that summer I just used my phone to photograph any random thing that even remotely looked cool to me. Gradually, this became a hobby of mine and I just continued creating and growing.
I started dabbling in design around the same period. There was this trend at my High school at the time where different cliques would have their own merch/t-shirts or whatever. I thought this was really cool so I went home and of course tried to figure out how to do this myself. I started out using apps like Microsoft paint and Picsart to create simple designs and mockups until my skill matured and I was able to level up to photoshop and illustrator. After years of refining my skills, I’ve been able to design merch for various local brands and events. I’ve also collaborated with a few other creators in the space and I’m currently in the process of growing my own design/merch focused brand.
I think what sets me apart from others is my style of capturing and editing photos, my unique ability to mix and manipulate typography, textures and layers in design and also the way in which I perceive the world visually. I’m able to see and capture my subject; no matter who or what it is from a unique perspective.
In terms of my photography, I lean more to the dark and moody side of editing with rich yet muted colors. I have created a style that not only reflects me as a person and as a creative but also one that evokes a particular emotion within an audience and tells an abstract story of the subjects in frame..
In terms of my design persona, I reference the aesthetic of a lot of rock bands from the 90’s and early 2000’s along with my own unique signature attached.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I’ve always dreamt of creating a brand that all creatives could identify with, that people with the same passion and vision could wear proudly.
I want my brand “The creative minds project” to become a symbol within the creative and streetwear communities on both a local and global scale. Possibly one day to get a seat at the table across from brands like Supreme, off-white, stüssy, fear of God, palace, etc…
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think one major thing I’ve had to unlearn is that failure is final because it isn’t. I think as creatives we don’t give ourselves enough grace to fail and bounce back from that failure. There’s this quote that resonates with me: “Failure is the smoke through which we view success”. We have to make a bunch of mistakes along our journey to get to where we want to be or where we’re destined to be. We have to take more calculated chances on whatever we’re passionate about and not be afraid to fail along the way because that’s how you learn by yourself and that’s how you grow.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes during my creative journey. I’ve shot at the wrong settings, I’ve designed graphics way below standard print resolution, I’ve miscalculated sizing, I’ve gone to long distance shoots with no memory cards, I’ve lost a lot of content because of poor storage habits and the list goes on. After this I thought I was a failure and beat up on myself. But after learning that my failure isn’t final, I would’ve taken all these experiences and grown from them.