Authentically Us

IN CONVERSATION

W I T H S O P H I E C O T T R E L L

There is consistently a lot of chatter on the internet at the moment about whether people are being real and authentic and whether they are using and abusing other people to move ahead of the game. So, I thought I would share where we stand as a brand in the effort to be as transparent as possible. I want to be very open and honest about who we are as a company and how we foster authenticity.

Photo by Michelle Park

We have created Sceen'ry as an open space for creatives to paint a picture of their city through images and words, our arms are wide open and so are our hands. We don't pay our contributors to be involved, though we definitely think they are worthy. We don't charge any of the hotels or businesses to be featured because these are the heart and soul of this city that these creatives are using to paint their story. We want to be a print gallery where people can hang their work up for the world to see, and believe me, the world is seeing. We do have a process of contribution because we are a brand and we want to push our contributors to be the best that they can be. Ultimately, we are showcasing more than just a city, but a few handfuls of remarkable humans who are changing the game in their respective industries and seeing things we forgot to look for. This process is not for everyone. Many people are in a space where they actually can't afford to go out and take images and submit them without payment because they have to pay their rent, I totally get that. We are a space that is open to those who are chasing down this opportunity and want to be involved in this project and have their work in homes around the world. We would love to get into a place where we could pay our contributors as I said earlier, they are definitely worthy.

The dream for Sceen'ry, started way back when I was working for my parents in a cafe they owned. The story behind the place was beautiful and it became a real communal hub. I knew that if people knew about it, they would come, they just had to know about it first. Looking at all these major brands that could afford crazy good marketing, I couldn't figure a way to get it out there without paying the big bucks. The thought came, wouldn't it be amazing if someone local who loved us came and told our story and it was spread for the city to see. Well, fast track that, turned out it wasn't just my city I wanted it to be for, I wanted the world to see the  For us, it has always been about the artist and always been about being honest. 

Sceen’ry has now become a portfolio for over 50 contributors and counting. It may seem only a handful, but each of them has sewn into their portfolios as well as the heartbeat of this company. We are passionate about artists, communities, businesses and driving traffic as much as we can there. So much so, that we are always seeking out how to bring it back to the artist and are constantly brainstorming ways to diversify this message. My hope is, that somehow, through each volume, social post or journal entry, you find inspiration, creativity and drive to keep moving forward, no matter what you are doing and you find beauty in the process.

My door is always open to any questions or concerns about our model and my hope is to always be transparent in the way that we create.

Yours sincerely,

Sophie Cottrell