The Desperate Need of a Rebrand for Artists

Maybe it’s my upbringing in Japan that shaped my respect for all jobs. One may go into a sushi bar and instantly recognize that you’re in the house of a master. You aren’t merely a snooty customer that desires Sriracha dip with a side of mayonnaise. No, you will eat what the master serves because the master is showing YOU something. They are showing you something about culture and you are there to learn. No matter what the job- whether it be a hairstylist or in a mailroom, many people had a sense of respect for the occupation because of the amount of excellence they put in their trade. As I have built out Sun Road Co., a platform for artists of ALL backgrounds this past year, it has been a strange culture shock to build in the city of Tulsa. Over the past year, I have pitched or applied to dozens of accelerators, generators, VC’s, angels, and incubators and they have all said the same thing, (if they said anything at all) which is “excellent story” but they do not understand the problem. They don’t understand the problem because they are not creative. They are not creative but benefit from creatives. They benefit from creatives but don’t realize it. They don’t realize it because they don’t understand the problem.