Life & Work with Juan Lacey of THE VALLEY

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Lacey

JUAN, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started mapping out my passion project during peak COVID, around early 2020. I was in my last semester of studies, and living alone in Austin, TX at the time. I had been studying film and was actually finishing up a short film I directed. I was not sure how I wanted to present the film, whether I wanted it to go up on Youtube, Vimeo etc. I had always been some what of a “think outside of the box” type of guy, in the sense that I did not want to go with a traditional route. So, that is when I started building this website.

Throughout my life, I have also had a love for art, movies, and music. I love making music and I can proudly say I am good at it. Although, I’ve had a hard time releasing my own just because of how I overthink and feel so anxious about what people might think. With so much clutter and “clout chasing” on TikTok and Instagram, there is very little chance to be noticed anymore. I’ve always wanted to find a creative way to have people listen to my mixes and original songs, and I thought why not just upload it to this site I am making for my film. Knowing that sounds like your average conventional personal website/portfolio, I wanted to go an extra step.

I have met tons of creative people throughout my life, and I have seen time and time again that their art goes unnoticed or forgotten. In our current state of social media, short attention spans and over saturation are huge factors that lead to a lot of creatives giving up or following a trend. With my website, I not only want to show off my original ideas, but I want to be able to exhibit art from a wide range of friends and collaborators. From music to videos, to community engagement like radio shows, dj sets, movie nights, games. If you’re a creator and have something you want to say or sell, you are welcome to showcase on my website. I strive for this to be a safe space to share and consume original, creative content for people like me.

This has been a 3.5 year journey for me so far. I am 26 now, and am 3 years into living in a new city. I have learned web design, coding and more along the way. I have done the bulk of the work by myself, although I am starting to form a small team. Other than the web store, this is a completely free to use website. Eventually, the goal is to have the website run by itself– 24/7 live streaming radio with different guest hosts/DJs, a rotating shop/store where vendors may showcase exclusive items, and daily updates across the many other site avenues. I plan to fully open the website to the public in October 2024.

At the end of the day, I am just another artistic minded creative struggling to pave a way in this vast city. I am looking for people like myself who want their artistic input to matter and not to be forgotten about.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been too many struggles to count! But to keep it short, the most significant obstacles has been time and money. I have spent A LOT of time working on the little specifics of the website, and a lot of time visualizing where I want it to go. However, LA is expensive. And this is not a paid job. So sometimes you get busy with your day job and get sidetracked. Running a website is not cheap, but the more time you spend preparing, the better the outcome.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a passion in varying mediums but I want to be a filmmaker/musician ultimately. Almost everyday, I write stories and produce music, sometimes intertwining the two. It is something I truly love and can do for the rest of my life alone. I write mostly in the mystery, thriller, crime, sci-fi genre, short form to long form. My music ranges different genres– House, dance, pop, experimental, hip hop, and alternative. I produce mostly, but sometimes use vocals. I am also a self starter and solely edit most of my projects.

I would say I am most proud of my ability to adapt to any style, to be able to contribute to an artistic endeavor in a meaningful, creative way. I can make a sad, melancholy composition alongside a serious screenplay and turn around and produce a full on rave set set to trippy visuals. I can shoot a film on super8 and handycam with friends, and turn it into an experimental short film or a tik tok. I am proud to be smart and capable but always eager to learn more.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Authenticity. I don’t want to be a follower– I don’t want to buy followers or views. I don’t care if it’s only 10 active users a month, as long as they enjoy and find satisfaction in the art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.acrosstheworld.us/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acrosstheworld.us/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/juanworldwide/