We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sotero a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sotero, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
The first dollar I made off my art was from a painting I auctioned live on Instagram. It was a bird’s-eye view of a 7/11 in my city where two men were killed back in 2014. That place always stuck with me, so I painted it, more for the memory than the money. My homie Leo from high school ended up buying it for $60. I donated the money to an animal shelter. I wasn’t trying to make a profit, I just wanted to make something that felt real and give the money to something that mattered.
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’m not really the best spokesperson for myself since I know how much of a shithead I could be haha but basically I’m just a Mexican. I love SpongeBob and I pull a lot of inspiration from it. Probably some childhood trauma I still haven’t unpacked, but that’s how it is.
I’ve made custom clothing, which is just regular clothes with a Sotero touch and some acrylic fabric paint. I used to think being self taught was what set me apart, but honestly most artists I meet are self taught too. So I’d say what really sets me apart is my vision, my ideas, and how I execute them.
My proudest moments are every time I actually finish something. I always see it through and all my finished pieces are my babies. What I want most out of any of this, whether it’s art or music or whatever, is money ideally. Then anything else that comes with it but I definitely do it all for the escapism and expression.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Damn, I hate to think there’s people out there who would classify themselves as non-creative, but that might just be my closed minded way of thinking. I feel like everyone is a creative in one way or another. When it comes to my journey, there shouldn’t really be anything people can’t understand. A lot of the stuff I make is pretty easy to get if you know the context. Other than that, people are gonna make their own assumptions about what any piece means. That’s just how it is. Art’s always been subjective, and most artists don’t really get a chance to explain what they actually meant when they made something. My journey specifically is wild, since I still haven’t fully figured out the direction I want to take my art. So if you’ve ever felt lost, then yeah, you can probably understand exactly where I’m at.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I think the best way to support artists is to stop expecting everything for free. If you like someone’s work, pay them. Share it. Put people on. Not everything has to be some deep grant or city-funded thing, sometimes it’s just about respecting the time and effort that goes into making stuff. A lot of us are figuring things out on our own with no real blueprint, so any kind of support, even just being vocal about what you like, goes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minisotero?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2914cO8ywnuNs6mpXrvH5v?si=Ab9CAplUQ0ukB10eis3_JQ
