Daily Inspiration: Meet Arch Ares

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arch Ares.

Hi Arch, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia to a black Mom from Chicago and a Puerto Rican Dad from Brooklyn. As a child, I found it hard to express myself through dialogue, but luckily my mother was an artist. In her youth, she was a professional singer so creativity was always encouraged! This leads me to adopt drawing as my second language. At the age of five, my mother and I had a long conversation about jobs and what I wanted to be in life. While most kids would pick professions like astronaut or racecar driver, I was stuck obsessing over the hypnotic power of television. This leads me to ask my mother, “How are cartoons made?” Her face lit up with intrigue! She told me people got paid to draw everyday and each picture came together to breathe life through the pages. A bit confused, I insisted on seeing an example. So we got a booklet of yellow sticky notes and drew on a few pages to create a sequence. Of course, my 90’s kid mind was hooked on Batman, so the flapping of his cape flowed through my pencil. I had fallen in love with creative experimentation!

As I got older, like most boys I was pushed towards sports as an outlet. Playing basketball, football, baseball, and running track fueled my competitive nature but didn’t bring a sense of accomplishment. After a big game or weekly scheduled practice, I’d come home unfulfilled until I set aside some time to create. Drawing would lead to creating comic books, expanding my interest in world-building and character development. I’d sculpt recurring characters from playdough, build out of colorful pipe cleaners and loose fabric, or construct from the parts of damaged toys. These hobbies alongside writing poetry helped me practice storytelling and expanded my art education. The arts programs were limited at the average Virginia Beach school but lucky for me there were separate academies that specialized in multiple forms of creativity. My goal soon became to be accepted into one of these schools and learn among like-minded individuals. I auditioned from grade 3 to grade 8 and failed each year. Finally as I entered high school, I passed the auditions for Salem’s Visual and Performing Arts Academy! There I just knew things would make sense!

It was at this school that I fell in love again, with music. Being at a multidisciplinary art school, I got to interact with all different kinds of creatives that influenced me to branch out. I took up dancing, singing and acting while still being enveloped in visual endeavors. My love for expressing myself physically was also encouraged in this eclectic environment. Given a little freedom, I was able to surpass gender norms and allow myself to put on anything I see fit. This new knowledge was reinforced by my mom’s constant singing around the house and her love for art as a whole. These vital moments of exploration and exposure gave me the confidence to make my own music and be the versatile artist I am today. All of these different skills have become entwined like a rope, essential for me to pull myself up and fully express my complexities. Being a musician who can also create his own visuals is a skill that is irreplaceable. I will forever look back on my formative years and be thankful that I pushed myself as hard as I did to be who I am.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We all come across roadblocks on our way to happiness. Experiences that leave us scarred and hesitant to trust others. For me, those moments molded my identity at a young age. Growing up with a single mother who battled depression, I had an extremely high sense of responsibility. The responsibility to fill the supportive masculine role in my household. Never able to completely relax, never able to decompress or feel comfortable in my own skin. My mind racing whenever I’d lay dormant. Was my family happy? Why do I not experience closeness? Why do I want closeness? Do my adolescent desires make me weak? Will strength bring me power and safety?

Relentless self-criticism leads me to constantly criticize others. At the time, I thought I had shown maturity and awareness. Each attempt to express love was weaponized through brutal unforgiving honesty. For years this mindset built an affection for anger. Happiness felt wrong. In my mind, I was not deserving. I needed a purpose. Not to bring happiness to myself, but to revitalize the happiness in others. This feeling of responsibility leads me to create illustrations, then sculptures, then paintings, and now music! Art has helped me belong. Each spark of emotion that it exudes from others has reflected itself within me. Making our world a bit lighter when the weight gets heavy.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I currently am what some would call a multi-media artist. I’m passionately proficient in fine art (traditional drawing, painting, and sculpting), songwriting, video editing, fashion styling, and digital design. After graduating college with my bachelor’s in media arts and animation, my wide array of skills landed me in positions of art direction. I absolutely love visual storytelling and concept development! This devotion manifests in everything I do, from how I dress, write a song, or draw a design. I’m known for content that takes you somewhere. Art is my favorite form of escapism.

As a child fear and loneliness would cause me to constantly retract into my mind, angrily unwilling to venture past feelings of stability or safety. To desperately expand my comfort zone, I gained peace of mind through control. Control over my environment, control over how that environment affects me, and control over what my mind brings to life. Monitoring what I allow to become a part of my landscape. As artists, we’re constantly pushing to get what’s in our heads out and into our shared reality. Achieving this with a focus on honest vulnerability is what sets me apart. My work allows me to open up and empathetically connection with others. Because of this, my art specializes in vibrant tones and childlike themes with a hint of horror. The juxtaposition of opposing emotions is impossible to ignore!

When I think about what brings me pride, creating an emotional reaction is an integral part. I’m proud to let passion move me, I’m proud to have dedicated countless hours to multiple trades, and I’m most proud to still be guided by my ambitions. This year I’ve released four singles, two albums, and six music videos with the help of a hand full of friends/collaborators. I was able to pull this off while living in a state and city brand new to me. If you want to experience the amalgamation of our efforts, check out my albums “Having A Good Time?” and “Silver Children”. Can’t promise you will love it, but I guarantee you’ll feel something!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
This question sends shocks through my spine! It would be fair to call me a futurist. The future of music and visual art has never looked better! In fact, I think we’re culturally due for a renaissance. Ever since the 90’s, I’ve watched as technological tools and computers have advanced our everyday lives. These gizmos also help keep us informed. We can learn whatever we’re willing to research from our living rooms, making a generation of multi-talented amateurs. Including myself!

I may have plenty of professional art education now, but the desire for industry knowledge started at home. All those dedicated creatives looking to find an alternative path are modern cyber pioneers. Constantly expanding culture and sparking the imagination faster and faster every year! In the next 5-10 years, I see more film directors recording albums, musicians developing apps, and programmers hosting virtual concerts. Those holding multiple disciplines will be the new norm and I’m excited to be a part of the shift!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://linktr.ee/archares
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arch_ares/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARCHARES/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/arch_ares?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0K3yvvpjAcrg_FX6kGf2hQ/videos
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/archares
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiRVjEzIMuDo74MQTf9qiPQ

Image Credits
Aaron Pettigrew, Randy Becton, and Keante White