J.D. Netto: Brazilian-Born, American-Made
Aug. 6 2023, Published 3:50 p.m. ET
Every migration story is a tale of two worlds – one at the start of a journey and one at its end. It’s the quintessential human tale of yearning, struggle, transformation, and often – a profound sense of dislocation. As of 2020, there were 281 million people in the world, according to the World Migration Report 2020, who could call that story their own.
Author, multi-talented artist, and entrepreneur J.D. Netto is one of them. Born in Brazil, he was brought to the United States at 11 years old, too young to have his say. There, he found what countless other people who set off on that same journey look for – a chance to live a life of their choosing, with the promise of freedom and economic opportunity.
To get to where he wanted to be and carve out his version of the American Dream, Netto relies on a specific set of tools he built even before he came to the United States.
“I’ve always been a creative person. I started drawing when I was three years old, and it was my first passion that I discovered,” Netto says. “It’s funny because my mom kept that drawing, and I have it here. I sketched the crucifixion of Christ, and I think that’s when my parents realized that I had a gift for the arts.”
Netto’s interest in the arts became more varied as time went by. He loved movies, enjoyed reading books, and spent time listening to music. Eventually, he’d learn to play the piano and study visual arts, but not before it became apparent to him that all his interests had a common thread going through them. There were all different ways to tell a story. J.D. Netto was a storyteller.
“Writing came along with the passion to inspire people with tales,” he recalls. “Even in high school, I started drafting my first idea for a book. I’ve always been enamored and taken aback by Greek and Norse mythology, religion, and even demonology. Obviously, it carried through my publications.”
Religion played a part in young Netto’s life, too, a part that he’ll always be grateful for—growing up Evangelical and even being a worship leader. Besides providing him with an endless fountain of inspiration and stories, it also allowed him to explore his artistic skills. Especially since it proved that his relationship with organized religion was untenable.
“I’m grateful that I got to develop so many artistic gifts in that environment, but at the end of the day, there were also so many shackles and these paradigms in my mind, especially as a gay man growing up in that environment,” he recalls. “I needed to break free from them.”
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In terms of literary output, Netto has been nothing short of prolific. He published his first fantasy book series, the Whispers of the Fallen 2012, to much praise and interest. He wrote a speculative fiction novel about Father Christmas and his accursed bloodline. The Broken Miracles duology proved to be a uniquely moving work.
“They are inspired by the story of Paul Cardall, a pianist who was born with half a heart and still managed to build such an incredible career,” he says. “But these books also inspired an album with special guests that included David Archuleta, Tyler Glen from Neon Trees, and Thompson Square, to name a few.”
Netto’s current project, the Echoes of Fallen Stars series, reflects his commitment to diverse storytelling. The main character, Belwin, is not only embroiled in a fantastical world of gods and immortals but is also a gay man, a fact that is treated as a part of his identity rather than a source of conflict.
Instead, the series delves into deeper themes of identity, belonging, and the manipulation of narratives by higher powers, resonating with readers worldwide and challenging traditional fantasy tropes. It mirrors Netto’s own experiences, too.
“Fighting to belong is a message throughout the Echoes of Fallen Stars series. You have this boy whose world is completely taken from him because of his parents’ decisions about him,” he says. “So now he’s going through the motions of discovering he is someone else’s kid. So how do you deal with that identity crisis? And the crisis is not the fact that he’s gay. It’s the fact that he was lied to by his parents.”
Netto dives deeper into the themes of the novel in The Immortal Crown podcast, co-hosted by best-selling author, marketer, and professor Maytê Carvalho.
Aside from writing, Netto also maintains a profound interest in entrepreneurship. He founded his creative agency, JD Netto Creative, right after high school, and he’s been freelancing ever since. His firm caters to various businesses, providing everything from logo design to copy and graphic design. As always, he aims to help his clients by shaping the stories they want to tell.
Netto extends his creativity to the layout and design of his books. He sketches the character designs inside his books, creates the book covers, and even collaborates with 3D artists for specific design elements.
J.D. Netto’s journey from Brazil to the United States, from a boy finding his artistic gift to a successful entrepreneur, is a story about using one’s unique experiences and perspectives to create something meaningful that inspires and connects people.
The young artist sketching Christ’s crucifixion has found his way of telling stories, and he continues to do so, one venture at a time. For J.D. Netto, the journey of discovery, creation, and entrepreneurship is far from over. It’s a continuous exploration of his passions and an unending quest to inspire and uplift others through the power of storytelling and art.