We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matthew Loyd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matthew below.

Hi Matthew, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Picture me, circa 2019, recent college graduate with a degree in Anthropology and 2 minors, one in geology and another in digital art ( I actually didn’t finish the Digital Art minor, I was 3 credits off). I’ve been an artist for as long as I could remember, and I was first introduced to the world of design in High School shop class, falling in love with it in college. I had always thought “It would be really cool to work for a magazine, and to do interesting and awesome layout designs, that utilize the medium in a fun way.” Comics, manga, and books have always been something I’ve enjoyed, to look at with a sense of wonder and draw inspiration from, or simply think “how did they come up with that idea?” I ended up working at Amazon after graduation, not as anything related to design but as a warehouse worker, in the Bronx. It was a 2 hour commute both ways, and a boring job I was only doing for money, which was a meager $15 minimum wage (which doesn’t get you far in NYC, especially when you’re spending 2 fares going and coming). I had been getting these signs to quit, a friend’s friend had recently quit their dead end Target job, and my brother had quit his job that wasn’t going well for him to start his business. Then I said “you know what, I think it’s time,” and the night I got that news from my brother, I decided I wasn’t going in to Amazon the next day. From there, 20XX Magazine, a New York City publicati0n aiming to give a spotlight to artists and creatives, was born. I finally had an outlet not only where I could design what I want, how I want, but where myself and other artists can put their work out for the world to see, in one, cool place.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been into art for as long as I can remember, especially print media. One of my earliest memories is me sitting on the kitchen in my house, at like 3 or 4, drawing a Pokémon comic book about Ash and Pikachu getting ready to depart on an adventure (my dad claims he still has it). I had always drawn and loved comic books, anime, manga, for their creative worlds and storytelling and fun artistic styles. High school is where I was introduced to graphic design, through my shop class which had us learn Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign (all three of which are my main tools of creation when it comes to digital art and magazines). I thought it was pretty cool, and continued to develop those skills in college, as a graphic designer both freelance and for my school. Print design of course had always been a love of mine, and I felt that graphic design work was often too bland, devoid of fun, and so tethered to “rules” so I started 20XX Magazine; it was the perfect outlet to marry my design know how and interest with my love for art. We’re an art, culture, and print focused magazine that’s goal is to give a platform to up and coming NYC creatives, and create an collective look at NYC’s art scene in 20XX (formally known as the 21st Century). Celebs are cool, but everyone sees what they’re doing all the time in our current world thanks to social media and tabloid media culture. I wanted to give artists like myself a voice, and a space, and create something that was tangible and could last forever. I’ve been able to give folks a spotlight through it, and highlight what they do, whether it be rapping, breakdancing, painting, singing, photography, you name it. I’m really proud of the fact that I was able to go and do it, to create a whole magazine not only by designing it but also logistically figuring out how to get it printed and everything. It feels like pure creative expression and I’m able to give fans and patrons a look at NYC and art, through my own lens.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s being able to think of something and literally, I mean LITERALLY, just go and create it. I enjoy the work of it too, layout design is like solving a puzzle, figuring out what goes where, what should be next to what, maybe this thing needs to be larger, or this one turned to the side, which fonts would go great with this, et. etc. I love when something comes out the way I envisioned it, or a way I didn’t see it ending up, but still being great. It’s creative problem solving for your own problem. For me freelance work wasn’t as fulfilling because making things for other people wasn’t always fun, but with your own thing you make the own rules and you can break them too, and who’s gonna tell you you can’t?

It also feels like a true affirmation of being. I want to have this one day be my full-time and I am sure it will happen, and working towards that point feels like an epic journey, like I’m a character from a tale of old. Even when I’m tired, even when I have a busy schedule, the finished product and creation is always worth it. I’ve been sharpening my skills lately as well, and that comes with time. It leads to better work and great products, and THAT is a great feeling as well; not only doing what you love, but seeing yourself excel and get better.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

“This Is Not A T-Shirt” by Bobby Hundreds was a great one, one that I may reread soon. For those that don’t know, he’s the creator of famous streetwear brand “The Hundreds” along with a long time best friend of his named Ben. The book is basically a memoir about his life, how he got into skateboarding and streetwear and metal as a teenager in LA, and his story growing and managing The Hundreds to what it is today. There was just so much inspiring imagery in the book, hearing about someone who had a creative dream, who was an artist and designer such as myself, who just went and did it. I love the creativity with which he attacked tasks he encountered growing his brand, whether that dealt with marketing, pr, making designs, and even staying motivated. Hearing his story and seeing the different techniques he did really inspired me, and it made me feel comfortable and seen. The book feels like a cool conversation with a mentor, about how THEY did it.

I also LOVE Virgil Abloh’s lectures. Like I said before, I love art, and if you couldn’t tell already, I’m a nerd for things I’m passionate about (art & design). Virgil Abloh was truly a forward thinker of our time, with the way he approached branding, communication, art, and design. His approach to enforcing, destroying, and pulling on cultural themes and narratives is so blatant you almost don’t see it, or recognize it for what it is. There’s also lots he has to say about marketing, getting people to care about what you create, and how to wow them with your work. “Insert Complicated Title Here” and “NO DISCIPLINE” are two lectures of his available on YouTube that I really really like.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.20xx.nyc/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthias.gif
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@20XXmagazine

Image Credits
20XX Magazine