Rockin a 'Fro...

This weekend came up on me so fast. It's like I get so caught up in other things that I seem to get behind in other stuff.

I didn't get around to to finishing the one piece but I did almost finish up the other one I talked about last week. I thought I would share that one with you guys this weekend. So without further ado...

 

I don't have a title for it yet and I need to tweak it a little more but it's just about done. Next week I hope to have the other one at least half done so I can share with you guys.

Until then...

 

 

-Namaste

 

Six Months and No Regrets...

Last week I talked about Adult Choices. This weeks post is more of a continuation of that post but it's more of a State of the Moment kind of post...

Six months ago to the day I walked away from my job. A job I may added, while having reached the proverbial glass ceiling; paid pretty good. I packed up my things and walked away from somewhat comfortable but boring life and I left Baltimore. I choose to take a leap of faith and pretty much walk away from it all. For all intents and purposes right now, I feel like an alien in a strange land (For some reason Sting is in my head right now, for the uninformed, Englishman in New York).

I am just getting my life really going in my new state of residency. Things are still really new to me but I am finally working again and moving in the right direction. This has probably been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.

Every now and then I might feel a little discouraged but something will happen that changes all of that. This past week I was texting with one of my ex-coworkers and he told me, "Be the beast...you are a testament to us all. Don't let them take your artistic soul!" And that really touched me.

I always...always said that I couldn't wait to have something as simple as my Facebook profile saying that my current city was somewhere else and my hometown was Baltimore. Well for the past 6 months I have been living that life. Whenever I am out in public or at work and I hear people talking, every now and then I kind of chuckle to myself. I am still amazed that I did it. After all this time, it still feels quite surreal. In the beginning, especially when I wasn't work, it felt like I was on the longest vacation EVER! It took me a couple of months to get used to the idea that it wasn't a vacation but that this was actually an ongoing part of my life right now. I missed family...I missed friends...I missed the monotonous routines...

For as much as I wanted to get away, there was still a part of me that was still back in Baltimore. Those first couple of months were so strange to me. I mean I was really excited but I was also kind of sad. Have you guys ever experienced that kind of feeling? That kind of...hmmm...happy guilty I think I'll call it. It's like enjoying something that you tell yourself that you shouldn't enjoy too much. I mean it's crazy exhilarating though.

There are plenty of pluses. I mean my family and I have always been close and with all the bad things and death that has happened in my close-knit family the last few years we have gotten even closer. But it is true what they say, when they say "...absence makes the heart grow fonder" because every time I talk to my sisters or dad or even my friends back home, I feel so much love surrounding us all. I never in a million years would have imagined that I would... You know some people never see themselves outside of the situations that they are in now. I mean they probably have the same dreams as most of us. They know that they are going to grow up, get a job and maybe start a family. They'll probably travel, do wonderful things, become wonderful people but they probably stay in the same circle or same town that they grew up in and don't get me wrong that perfectly ok...but for me for someone who has always felt outside of the box...someone who imagined things happening in a whole different way...it's awesome that I am building a life outside of where I'm from. In a different town.

I am truly feeling no regrets. Even when facing adversities or uncertainties at times, I have always like the Phoenix, risen from the ashes. Yet I have always been hesitant about making big choices or moves. It's funny...years ago, I wouldn't have the testicular fortitude to do some of the things I have been doing the past few years. I mean I may have talked about but I always had the fear of not being able to conquer them very same adversities or uncertainties or not being able to pull of what I said I would do. It was like I could see the other side of the mountain but I kept putting these obstacles in my way. I couldn't get past my own mental obstacles. And then it happened a year or so ago. I told myself it's now or never. From that point on, I begin to devote myself to the task at hand. And that brought me to six months ago where I seized my own destiny and took my leap of faith. It has been unreal up to this point for me. I am glad that today I am at where I am in my life and I can't wait to see how the next six months play out...

Well you guys it's about 4am and I should have been sleep hours ago but I had to finish this post for you guys...felt like I was about to start rambling, LOL. I put so much time into this post this weekend but I always have fun sharing with you guys. Who know some day I may pen a memoir and you guys definitely would be apart of it. Thanks for allowing me to share with you, the faithful few.

Until next week...

-Namaste

Question is...

When is it the right time to compromise? When is it a good time to go against everything you believe in? Bear with me now...

I am not saying give up all your principles or forget who you are...but I'm talking about doing or saying something that you may have in your life said you'd never do or say. Think about it. How far would you go before you felt you had to compromise? Maybe it was out of necessity...or maybe it was because you decided your way wasn't working or right...maybe you just decided to live dangerously. 

Would you feel then that it's OK to compromise? I wonder...

-Namaste

One more day or Art-mageddon is upon us...

One more day and I begin life anew. It seems so surreal. A couple of weeks I will be gone from this state and I will be forging a new chapter in my life. I am extremely excited yet, what's the word...not really nervous but more like anticipation maybe???

It's that anticipatory feeling that you get on Xmas morning or the first day of school. Your so antsy that you can hardly wait. There are the butterflies in the stomach, the goosebumps, and what ever else comes with the excitement.

I am so glad that I am finally doing this. It's almost like I am an explorer and I am going on an adventure. I'm Charlie and I've got a golden ticket.

It's up to me to make the most of this opportunity that I have been afforded. This is the perfect time in my life to take advantage of this time. I am going to try and focus on my art a lot. It's going to feel good to devote most of my time to my work. The next few months should be a joy. I am hoping to post a lot of work for you guys as well.

Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

No looking back or No Regrets...

I have been wanting to write this post for months but wasn't quite ready to address it yet. Especially know that once I did it would post to just about all of my social sites and platforms. I wanted to be sure of the perfect time to write it as well as making sure I informed people who I engage with on a daily basis before I did. Now is the time.

Over the past few months I have been alluding to making moves,  change, and moving forward...I have decided that my time here is done. Meaning to somewhat quote The Animals, I "...gotta get out of this place…" That being said, sometime before the end of this month I will be leaving Baltimore. I know...I know its a big step and big news...This past week I handed in my 2 weeks notice to my job of over 7+ years.  I have told family.  I have told friends. I have told colleagues.


This is a big step for me across the board. I have not been without an a actual "9-5" in almost 20 years.  (No seriously. I have worked since '95. A few times I have actually 2 jobs at the same time!) I have only called Baltimore home my entire life and for some, I have lived a lifetime. I am moving to a city where I know no one (Charlotte). 

In a way, I am sort of like a late bloomer if you will. The last few years I have told people that I can't wait until my Facebook profile says "From Baltimore,  Lives in XXXXXX"  I know it seems a little dreamish or almost storybookish in an insignificant simple kind of way but to me it's the simple things that matter. Through the years I have expressed my desire to leave and have heard…(I want to call them naysayers but that might come off a little cruel so I'll go pessimistic associates and friends) the pessimists say "oh you aren't going anywhere" or "you'll still be here." I have had opportunities in the past to leave but I always erred on the side of being cautious or not wanting to take a "leap of faith." The truth is because my oldest sister and my mom had been sick the past few years of my life, I didn't feel it was the right time to leave. The thought of tragedy is what kept me close to home. My oldest sister left this world 4 years ago and my mom left this earthly plane last year. After going through the last experience, I felt it was time. I still have the rest of my family but they are in good spirits. It's just as I get older and examine my life, I realize that I want to have No Regrets. I am wholeheartedly ready to take that leap of faith except now I don't consider it a leap of faith but more of a step in the  continuance of the right direction. 

I am getting to that age when I start to look back on my life and take note of how my life has been. I graduated from college with a degree in art 10 years ago. I can say that I am better off in my life now then I have ever been but I also know that the last few years outside of love, tragedy and art have been filled with contentment. I know have put myself in a place where I can focus on things that I should have focused on all the while. 

My girlfriend said to me recently, "Your going to have some time to really devote to your art..." And she is right. My art will rise to the forefront of my life. I have been able to focus on creating more work lately but now while I actively pursue jobs in my new city, I will be filling the majority of my downtime with art. I have started focusing on my Goddess Series more in the past few months and evolving that so I am curious as to how that work progresses over the next few months.

The more I think of my move, the more all I can see is the upside of my future. I am glad that I am taking this time right now in my life  to spread my wings. Not only does if feel exciting…it feels right. Don't fret my faithful few though. You guys are definitely going along for the ride.

Until next week…



-Namaste

Tell me a story or The Grass is always greener...

This past week was a pretty bland week for me. I didn't do anything too big the first part of the week but I did put some things into motion the last part of the week. At some point I'll get into it here but not now. Something's are still private after all :) Rest assured though when the world knows you guys will be the first to know.

Other than that its going to stay business as usual for me. I do plan on doing some new painting in the next week or so. I am going to be trying out a new medium. I am plenty excited about that. Well I think that's all I have for you guys this week. Hopefully next week I'll have some images to share with you guys.

Until then...

 

 

-Namaste

Naysayers or The Boy Who Cried Wolf...

Today I want to talk a little about naysayers. For a long time I have known people or met people who have doubted things that I say I'll do or the things that I plan to do so to speak. I don't really look at it as a bad thing though. Most of my life I have feed off of obstacles and naysayers.

A lot of times it comes(came) into question whether or not I am going to do something or be able to do something because of my hesitation. I consider myself a thinking man so I am always "looking before I leap" and trying to make sure I am absolutely certain that things will go as planned before I partake. It's one of those "Catch-22s" though because in some instance because I'm "thinking" I tend not to take a lot of chances.

I'd like to believe that for most of my life I have been successful with making the right decisions and choices because of my careful planning. Recently I have had friends/people who either can't believe or find it amazing that I ACTUALLY plan on doing the things that I plan on doing in the second half of this year. I have already set things into motion. Right now it's just a matter of making sure there is a smooth execution of plans. Once I do these things will I tell the naysayers that they were wrong? Will I come back here and roast them? Probably not for I know that for me it was meant to be. No need for "I told you so's" or "you should have believed's" because "I" always knew I would and that's really the only thing that matters...

I hope this didn't come off a little harsh. It's not my intent, it's just been on my mind a lot lately and I wanted to address my feelings on the matter. That's all I have this weekend. I will try to post some art that I've been working on in the next couple of weeks. Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

Just a little update...

So today I officially sold my first piece of unfinished work.  Now its not going to stay unfinished but as it stands now its in an unfinished state. It felt oddly strange yet refreshing to be compensated for something that will fir sure change before its done. Its as if my buyer has so much faith in what I'm doing that they just know they will be getting a masterpiece.

I totally stand by myself as an artist no matter how successful or unsuccessful I am at this junction in my life but its extra special for me to have someone other than the missus and family/friends have faith in what I am doing as an artist. Hopefully next weekend I will have a finished piece to share with you guys. If not next week, the week after that for sure.

Until next time...




-Namaste

Final Saturday of the year or 2 days before the New Year...

So it's that time of year again. My how the time DOST fly! This is that post of the year where I either promise to or promise not to come up with some New Years' Resolutions. And then the further I get into the year I begin to realize that I did or did not succeed with the resolutions that I did or did not make. (Insert smile, wink or some other random emoji here...)

This time around I think it will be different. I have set goals for myself that I have based around definitive dates. I know your going "...anyone can set a date but that doesn't mean that you'll still follow through with it..." I have always been pretty good when I give myself or I'm faced with a deadline. I might not hit my goal date but it will give me a "horizon" line to stay close to or reach.

I'm not getting any younger. (Birthday in 2 weeks exactly!) So there is the self-imposed sense of urgency when I do things now. I heard someone the other day talk about sacrifices and whether or not you have done everything you can possibly do to achieve what you want. Have you sacrificed certain things to make sure everything your trying to do become a reality? A lot of the choices I have made so far in my life have not come from sacrificing or taking chances. For the most part it has been about "doing" because it seemed like that was the way to go or because it seemed right. Last year this time I had a set plan but I was not willing to "sacrifice" my comfort zone or take chances for fear of failure. I have told plenty of people how I get so content with situations and things that I become entrenched in whatever I have going on in my life at that moment. It's something I've struggled with for the better part of my life. I've always said contentment is only good for a couple of things; friendships and relationships. I just need to break it in other areas of my life. Maybe that's a good New Years' Resolution for myself this coming year.

Well folks that's it for me this weekend. I'll see you guys next year. Until then...




-Namaste