Interview With Bold Journey
https://boldjourney.com/meet-malcolm-bellew/
Malcolm, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
So, growing up in Cleveland, life didn’t exactly hand me a safety net. The winters can be brutal too. There were plenty of moments where it felt easier to quit, but I learned early on that creativity was my way through. Punk rock, skate culture, and DIY art scenes taught me that resilience isn’t about waiting for the perfect situation—it’s about building something from whatever scraps you’ve got.
That same approach is baked into misled.media. Whether I’m designing a hand-illustrated T-shirt, screen printing a full merch line for a local band, or branding a small business from the ground up, I carry that “make it happen” mindset. It’s why I work with people who value grit and authenticity over polish-for-polish’s-sake.
Resilience to me, means creating something worth keeping. Especially when the world tells you it’s not possible. More often than not, the best projects come from the most chaotic beginnings. That’s the foundation of misled.media in a nutshell. Get lost, and figure it out. Stay misled!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I run misled.media, a creative hub where I blend screen printing, illustration, design, and music production into one restless, DIY-driven brand. My work is rooted in Cleveland’s gritty, unpolished energy—it’s where I learned to hustle, adapt, and make something from nothing. What’s exciting to me is that my projects can jump from drawing a gnarly punk-inspired T-shirt design to producing atmospheric beats to painting a mural, all while keeping that same raw aesthetic.
This year’s been wild in the best way. I was commissioned to paint a window mural in Centro Villa at Vintage & Vaina, which let me go big and bold with color in a public space. I got the call to do the cover for the Chimp Bone Death zine—curated by the legendary seaN fahleN of crpfctry (shout out to seaN)—which was a total honor for my inner punk kid. I also jumped in on a gritty, cinematic photoshoot for a friend’s upcoming graphic novel, knocked out plenty of custom shirt runs for bands and small businesses, and was commissioned by the City of Lakewood to design artwork for their utility boxes—turning everyday street fixtures into pieces of public art.
For me, misled.media isn’t just a design service—it’s a creative playground for people who want something with edge, soul, and subtle notes of lo-fi baked in. Whether it’s merch for a touring band, a one-off art commission, or a collaboration that blurs the line between design and fine art, I’m here for the projects that make people stop and say, “Who made that?”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, the big three are:
1. Adaptability. I didn’t take the straight path—more like a back alley with a few detours and a broken streetlight. Being adaptable meant I could pivot from graphic design to screen printing to mural work without feeling like I had to “pick one lane.” Hence the misled part of misled media. If you can learn to adjust without losing your style, you’ll always have work.
2. Resourcefulness. In the early days of misled.media, I didn’t have all the gear or the perfect studio setup. I had a small press gifted to me by a professor and a habit of figuring things out with whatever was on hand. That scrappy mindset has never left. My advice? Don’t wait until everything’s “ready.” Start now. The polish can come later.
3. Community building. My best projects have come from relationships—not from cold emails or perfect portfolios. Getting involved with local artists, musicians, and small businesses in Cleveland opened doors I didn’t even know existed. If you’re starting out, show up. Go to events, say yes to collaborations, and be genuinely interested in other people’s work.
At the end of the day, misled.media exists because I learned how to blend those three—stay flexible, use what’s available, and connect with people who share the same fire for creating something real.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
For me, it’s the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text. I don’t attend meetings anymore, but for six years it was my anchor. Before that, my life was headed in the wrong direction—I was stuck in cycles that didn’t serve me, chasing the wrong highs and running from myself. NA was the most transformative and foundational experience I’ve ever had. It was a whole era of reflection, rebuilding, and learning how to live differently. The way I process information now—whether it’s in art, business, or relationships—still comes from those years.
A few of the nuggets:
Clean your side of the street — Own your part, make amends where you can, and keep your conscience clear. It’s the foundation of building trust—with yourself and others.
You can only keep what you have by giving it away — Skills, experience, kindness—none of it grows if you hoard it. I try to give freely in my creative work, whether it’s sharing tips with other artists or helping a band pull off a merch drop on a tight budget.
Attraction, not promotion — Do good work, live your values, and let that speak louder than self-hype. That’s how I approach misled.media—people come back because they connect with the vibe, not because I’m shouting the loudest.
Show up — Half the battle in life (and art) is just being present. I learned that the projects I commit to—no matter how small—deserve me at full capacity.
Be humble — Ego can sink a good thing fast. Staying teachable keeps your work and your relationships healthy.
Learn to laugh at yourself — Mistakes happen. I’ve printed designs upside down, spilled ink everywhere—it’s part of the process.
Watch for signs — Call it the universe, call it intuition… pay attention. Sometimes the next right step is subtle.
Don’t take anything too seriously — Life’s too short to get stuck in your own head, and you aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. Laugh it up!
Life on life’s terms — You can’t control everything. Adapt and move forward. That’s been the heartbeat of my recovery and my creativity ever since.