Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Henderson
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a musical and graphic artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Though I probably come off much more outgoing on stage nowadays, growing up I definitely remember being socially awkward and typically introverted. A lot of my interests and tastes changed when I started skateboarding around age 14. It introduced me to a new culture, new friends, and new music. On an 8th grade field trip to Washington, D.C. two of my friends and I jokingly brought up the idea, “What if we became rappers” and over time this became our reality. What started off as very immature, grotesque lyrics became thoughtful and intentional over years. In 2012 I started my first clothing company “ForeverDumb” with some close friends. This first company would only last until late 2014, but at this time I finally worked up the courage to do my first live performance at LSU during freshman year. This first show seemingly caused a snowball effect in Baton Rouge that had me performing 100-150 live shows in the city and surrounding areas for years to come. In 2018 I started “The Breathe Art Project’ for photography and clothing- my current project. Everyday now I wake up and figure out how to keep sharing my art with the world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been anything but linear. Even just balancing every day life in general while also continuing to create art has been difficult I would say because you have to take care of your body and take care of responsibilities- not just create art. It can be difficult to work for yourself and also discern which shows to play or where to put your time/focus. I have failed and had to learn a lot about everything from stage presence to budgeting.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write and perform music under the stage name “_thesmoothcat” and design clothes/apparel for The Breathe Art Project. I founded The Breathe Art Project in 2018 as a space for my photography originally, but it has become a hub for many things such as clothing and coloring books to name a few. I think I am most known for my live performances around New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Austin, Texas. I’m most proud of prioritizing doing the things that I love to do. I have never been ashamed or afraid to pursue my interests and I think that sets me apart from some others.
What’s next?
I am planning more tours and travel for the near future. I look forward to seeing new cities and meeting new people. I’m working on my self-discipline.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thebreatheartproject.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shredsum/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebreatheartproject
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thesmoothcat
Image Credits
Raegan Labat, Ethan Dupont, Jaya Turner, Trey Abrams, and Hereafter Films.
