WHO IS SCOTTIE THEE ARTIST?
Image Maker & Muse My name is Austin Scott Cathey, AKA “Scottie”, and I am the Creative Director of this cherished space, Thee Scottie Diaries.
I hold space for the tender moments men are often taught to hide—where softness becomes strength, uncertainty transforms into possibility, and the act of becoming feels sacred. My practice blends photography, video, and diaristic storytelling to explore queer identity, memory, and the quiet power of vulnerability.
Two projects anchor my work. Effeminate is the origin of my visual language, born from a desire to reclaim a word once weaponized against boys like me. What began as a photo series of “feminine” emotionality—tears, touch, stillness, devotion—grew into a framework for documenting softness as survival. Through intimate portraiture and ritual processes of burning and re-scanning images, the project transforms condemnation into reverence, offering resiliency and beauty through fragments that echo the feel of scrapbook relics.
Building on that foundation, Thee Scottie Diaries is my ongoing visual memoir, named after my childhood nickname. Told through stills and video, it unfolds in three narrative threads:
Koinonia! — chosen family and sacred togetherness
Beloved! — Black intimacy, heartbreak, and healing through love
In My Own Image! — self-styling and self-portraiture as a practice of becoming
Together, these narratives form an archive of my queer life that values honesty over performance and presence over perfection. At its core, my work is a devotion to vulnerability—an act of resistance and a reminder that I can always look inward for understanding, and so can you.
Alongside my artistic practice, I hold a Master of Public Health from Loyola University Chicago and a Minor in Art Photography from the University of Missouri. I currently serve as a Community Engagement Associate with UNICEF USA, where I focus on youth advocacy and safeguarding—continuing my lifelong goal of bridging art, culture, and child rights.
Now, I am excited to expand Thee Scottie Diaries and offer creative direction for YOUR most cherished moments and experiences. Together, we can honor the sacred through image-making—where the softness of my lens captures the strength of your story.
I am committed to creating sanctuaries where vulnerability is honored and stories can be felt.
— XOXO, Thee Artist Scottie <3
