The Weeks' Ahead...

In the coming weeks, I plan on trying to get as much writing and art done as I possibly can. I have so many ideas and thoughts locked away in my head that just seems to be going to waste.

I have so many sketches and rough drafts in various stages of completion that I need to make sure that I get them done. There is no excuse for my procrastination. I've been trying to make sure that I stay motivated and focused. I'm going to get back to working in my sketchbook everyday. I occasionally do doodles and sketches at work that I've put in my sketchbook but I don't carry my sketchbook as often as I used to do. That's going to change. Well that's it for this weekend. Not too much going on as of yet.

 Until next week...

-Namaste

Repost...

This is a repost of a post that I posted on my Vegetarian blog this past week. Hope you guys enjoy.

Veganism?

It’s been a while since I wrote here…I have returned.

I have for the past few weeks contemplating a run at being vegan for a month. Just to see how I do with it…you know? I am coming up on my vegetarian anniversary and I was thinking that now would be the perfect time.

I don’t think it will be too hard. The real struggle probably be giving up cheese. One day I’m sure someone will come up with a good non-dairy cheese. Right now all the vegan cheeses I have tried, taste pretty horrible.

Well in any case, I’ll let you guys know what I decide.

That's all I have for you guys this week.

Until next week...

-Namaste

Last day of January...

It is already the end of January. In a few short hours it will be February. And for me it looks like the turnover of the calendar is like a new page turning.

I am feeling really optimistic about the coming months. Getting back on track and regaining a sense of control seems within reach. I feel a tinge of excitement brewing within me. I can't wait to share with you guys, mostly everything... Somethings I still want to hold in to for a while.

Until next week...

-Namaste

I am thankful...

I have the greatest girlfriend in the world.
I have the greatest family in the world
I have the greatest friends in the world-

For that I am thankful.

I was born with a great gift
I have experienced great things
Up until now my life has been great-

For that I am thankful.

Things always find a way of working out.
Something and someone always come through
Through all adversity and strife I have my health-

For that I am thankful.







-Namaste

One Year Ago on this Date...

One year ago on this very date (Sep 26), I took a giant leap of faith. I packed up and in the early morning of this date one year ago, I left Baltimore for Charlotte. It has been a very trying year for me...especially the last few months. In some ways I feel as though that's OK. I didn't quite know what to expect when I embarked on this undertaking. This was new territory to me. I left my comfort zone and started anew.

In a way, I usually feel like I'm still just visiting but every time I get paid I brought back to the reality that I'm not still a visitor. (I'm paying NC taxes, lol) I am finding being from somewhere else is also a good conversation starter as well. I've had small talk(which is weird because I hate small talk) with people who almost always immediately pick up on my accent. I proudly say I am from Baltimore.

I miss Baltimore...I'm not going to lie. I miss my family, I miss my friends...I miss that energy Baltimore has and one about my O's...Eutaw Street is going to be rocking next month. I think once I get back on track, I'll go back to visit for a few days. Or I will make it my mission to get back at least twice a year.

Well as I begin year 2 of my transition, I hope things look much brighter on the other side of the trees. That's all I have for you guys this week.

Until next week...



-Namaste

I leaped without looking and I loved it...

In another couple of weeks, it will be a year since I walked away from job and then 2 weeks later; I left Baltimore. It's still quite surreal when I think about it. One of the things I used to talk about when I first started this blog was taking chances and my hesistance to do so often. But lo and behold, I go and take a giant leap of faith. Talk about taking chances!

Now don't get me wrong, it definitely hasn't been a cakewalk or easy. I can say that it truly has been a learning experience for me, as well as a trying time. (Man, I've used a lot of commas so far in this post). I feeling pretty optimistic about my future and future prospects. Adult Choices is something I have dwelled on in the past and I find myself increasingly making more and more of them. I guess I am finally starting to lose that contentment quality that I have had all those years. I've never been a free spirit so to speak but I will latch onto something if it feels real comfortable. I guess that's the main reason that I'm feeling good about my situation because it's ever-ever-changing. Nothing is stagnant or comfortable. Almost everyday is a new adventure, a new struggle,  a new learning experience and I am kind of loving every minute of it just a little bit in the back of my mind. The rest of my mind thinks I'm just strange, lol. That's it for this week guys.

Until next week...

-Namaste

Happy Mother's Day

This is one of them times of the year when I feel a little down. And I just thought I would do a little post tonight for you guys. Since tomorrow is Mothers Day and I don't blog on Sundays, I just thought I'd wish all the Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day.

You should really show your mothers all year around how much you love and care for them. You only get one! As for me I really miss my mother but I do believe she is in a better place now.

 

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day Mom, I miss and love you...

A Quick Post...

Hey faithful few, just wanted to show you guys that I am still being creative and pushing out ideas. I did this yesterday for Valentines Day. It's called "For Her"

That's all I have this week for you guys. I will have more next week. (that's 3 weeks in a row)

 

 

-Namaste

And just like a bird in winter, I'm flying south...

So this is my first post after the beginning of my life-changing decisions. This time next week, I will be in my new home...in my new city...in my new state. I have to say that I am pretty excited about it.

I'm going to finally get a chance in the beginning of my getting acclimated to a new environment, to spend some time focusing more on my art. I am very fortunate in the beginning to be able to devote time while I am looking for employment. Its going to be great.

That's all I have for you guys today but I will be back next week from Charlotte, NC.

Until then...



-Namaste

New Work...

Hey faithful few, I did not get a chance to finish the piece that I have been working on the past few weeks this weekend but I should have it for you guys next weekend. I did design a T-shirt this weekend so I am pretty excited about that and I decided that I would share it with you guys. Hope you enjoy.

 

Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

 

 

New WIP...Partie Deux

I have a few more images for you guys of the piece I showed you last week. I still got a little ways to go with this but I still wanted to share.

I had a pretty busy week this week work-wise and today so I didn't have a chance to finish this weeks blog for you guys. Definitely going to get it out there though. I haven't forgotten. Until then...

 

 

-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

For the love of Blogging...

I was just talking to my girlfriend earlier about how long I've been doing this and pretty much why I do this. From day one I believe this has been an avenue for me to...relate, to share and in some ways talk out my problems and things that are on my mind.
Blogging every week has been somewhat therapeutic. I know that no matter what I do or don't do during the week, I know THAT I MUST blog. To me blog is something that's almost as personal as my art, that I love to share. Blogging in my opinion is nothing more than journaling. And being my journal that I posting on the web it's leaving me extremely vulnerable in that I am giving you, the world a bit of me. I am careful just how much I do share here on my blog but that's only because I have things in the works now that I am not ready to share with you the faithful few or the world wide interwebs. In the future I can see myself being even more open here because I feel the change in how I'm beginning to share info.
As I decided on what I wanted to talk about today after talking to my S/O I decided to go this route. I also realized that this is one of the few things that I can say without a doubt that I LOVE to do. Until next time.

-Namaste

My Mind is free...

I've been working constantly the last few weeks and it feels good to be creating steadily. You know as an artist, there will be times when you have that lull in your creative process where you are not doing as much work as you'd like...not painting enough...not drawing enough...not being in the business of art-making...one of the greatest things you can do as an artist is doing that lull try to keep ideas fresh in your head. Write them down...brainstorm...view art...talk to artist...look for anything that will jump start that spark plug in your brain.

For me, it's always being around artists and having constant discourses with them...it's blogging and it's writing down my ideas while they are still fresh. I find that when I do break through that lull some aspect of what I've thought about ends up lending itself to the piece. One of the things that I have found that's been a jump for me is not over thinking and just clearing my mind and letting my inner thought guide what I do. I had lost that ability the last couple of years. I mean I've been doing things but I have been letting my mind jump around a lot. I don't know if it's because of personal tragedy or pressure that I have been putting on myself or what...but lately I have just been going with the flow. If it feels good I let the feeling take me over and just be.

In any event, right now it feels good for me as an artist and I can't wait to keep you guys in the loop...

 

-Namaste

Unconditional love or Love Eternal...

I just wanted to post the lyrics to this song by Musiq Soulchild for you guys this weekend. It's been on my mind and in my ear almost the entire week. The lyrics in this song is so special to me. I believe in and love the message in this song. I suggest that if you like the words to the song, you YouTube it or google it and listen to it. Very powerful! Without further ado:

 

Musiq Soulchild

Don't Change lyrics

 

Lately you've been questioning if I still see you the same way

Cause through these trying years we gonna both physically change

Now don't you know you'll always be the most beautiful woman I know

So let me reassure you darling that my feelings are truly unconditional, see




(Chorus)

I'll love you when your hair turns grey girl

I still want you if you gained a little weight, yeah

The way I feel for you will always be the same

Just as long as your love don't change (no)

I was meant for you and you were meant for me, yeah

And I make sure that I'll be everything you need, Yeah

Girl the way we are is how it's gonna be

Just as long as your love don't change




Cause I'm not impressed more or less by them girls on the TV or magazines

Cause honestly I believe that your beauty is way more then skin deep

It's everything about you makes me feel I have the greatest gift in the world

And even when you get on my last nerve

I couldn't see myself being with another girl




(Chorus)

I'll love you when my hair turns grey girl

I still want you if you gained a little weight, yeah

The way I feel for you will always be the same (just as long)

Just as long as your love don't change (just as long as your love yeah)

I was meant for you and you were meant for me, yeah (meant for me)

And I make sure that I'll be everything you need, yeah

Girl the way we are is how it's gonna be (just as long yeah)

Just as long as your love don't change (yeah)




So don't waste your time worrying about

Small things that ain't relevant to me

Cause to my understanding your all I want and need

See what I'm gonna say is I'm here to stay

And as long as your love doesn't change for me

Baby darling I swear that I, I swear I ain't going nowhere (no)




(Chorus)

I'll love you when your hair turns grey girl

And I still want you if you gained a little weight, yeah

The way I feel for you will always be the same (just as long)

Just as long as your love don't change (just as long as your love stays the

Same yeah)

I was meant for you and you were meant for me, yeah (meant for me)

And I make sure that I'll be everything you need, yeah

Girl the way we are is how it's gonna be

Just as long as your love don't change




(Choir and Musiq)

You are my baby (you're my baby yeah yeah)

Don't you change baby (don't you change baby no)

I love you I do know (baby you gotta understand that I love you baby yeah yeah)

(Don't you know, you gotta know you got to know) (Yeah oh oh yeah)







-Namaste

Longevity and the faithful few...

For the better part of the day today, I tried to figure out what I wanted to blog about. Should I ramble, is there anything in the news I want to talk about, should I address the Trayvon Martin situation...I didn't know at the time how I wanted to approach this weeks blog but then it hit me. I could speak about longevity.

I started this blog in November of '07. When I came to you guys, my faithful fee, for the first time; I had know I day that I would do so for this long. Every week since then I have blogged for you guys. You guys have been come apart of my life.

You have been there through the good times and the bad times, the happy moments and the worst moments. Some weeks even when I felt bad I just had to come to you guys, even if it's was just to say I'm not feeling well. You've been there for the rejection, for the sorrow, for the pain. You been there when I had good news to share. When I wanted to share my work, there you guys were. When I was feeling poetic, again you guys show up. I would just like to thank you guys for being apart of my life these past few years and I hope you continue to be apart of my life for years to come.

Here's to you, my faithful few...

-Namaste

Emotions make you cry sometimes...

I just recently started watching this documentary about artist Beverly McIver. Its called Raising Renee. I am not to far in it yet but some far its pretty good. It has the makings of being a real good film. As I was watching the film, it made me reflect on my own work.  I have always noticed that I tend to leave certain emotions out of my work. Sadness, pain, resentment, etc...these are just a few of the emotions that I have felt in the past couple of years. And yet, if you look at the work I have created in that time span you.will see none of that in the work.  I referenced the documentary earlier because its about her work and her raising her sister while creating this work.  Her sister and family has always been apart of her work. They are the subject. I constantly shy away from including emotions of pain and hurt in my work.for fear of exposing my personal life. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with showing emotions...its just the way that I was raised that has me guarded against showing certain signs of emotion. My personality is also a big part of it as well. Those type of emotions I try my best not to wear on my sleeve. For me I believe that if I portrayed them in my work, it might paint a picture of a fractured "boy". I also believe my work then might be viewed as being created by someone who is reaching out for help or maybe it would invite people in who might believe that they "know how to fix me". Could my way of thinking be extremely way off base or extremely assumptive? Maybe...but it is what it is in my mind. At some point and time, I believe I can and will muster up the courage to attack more personal subject matter in my work.  As an artist, I can not be afraid to put all of my emotions into a piece for fear of letting one get to close.  I should be able to pour.my emotion into a piece and feel like I did that piece justice because I had no worries about the viewers perception or gaze when it comes to my work. That's all I have for you guys this week. Thanks for letting me share with you. -Namaste

...Easy like Sunday Morning

Why is this so easy for me? Every week I come here and I blog. I blog about random things. I blog about Art. I blog about love. I blog about technology. I blog. Sometimes they are brief blogs and sometimes they end up being long and drawn out drivel but nonetheless I blog.

Back in the latter of '07 when I started this blog I never knew that I get to this point. I mean I wasn't doubting myself, its just I was trying to find a way to curb my procrastination. I felt if I dedicate myself to something that I would have to do every week then I would have that carry over to everything in my life if I was successful. Here we are in 2011 and I am still going strong.

I mean this hasn't just happened. Blogging is just a natural part of me now. Its second nature. I really like doing it. Its a different feel then tweeting or updating my Facebook status. Blogging allows me release in a way that's different then when I am updating social statuses. Those things a running record of daily highs and lows but my blogs are a way of giving you guys a peek into the complex psyche of the artist, the man. I give you a window seat view into my mind that you cant see in 140 characters or less. They lack of immediacy draws you back. It makes you my faithful few come back to see what I will say next or what will I show you next. It will also have the casual blog reader when they hit next blog and stumble on to my blog go "hmmmm, whats this dude talking about?"

-Namaste

Gobble Gobble...

Hello faithful few. I take it everyone had a great thanksgiving...Mines was OK. It was my first thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so it was also slightly challenging.

Before I even got to thanksgiving I had people saying "what are you going to eat?" or "how are you going to have thanksgiving dinner if you don't eat meat?" Really??? I mentioned earlier in the week on my Vegetarian Blog that I would not become that person. I would not let or allow myself to get caught up in the whole "vegetarian vs meatatarian discourse." Our mindset has gotten so far into what symbolizes what for "X" holiday or "X" statement that we don't realize that we actually equate certain things with certain events. Alot of people equate Thanksgiving with Turkey, televised football game at Texas Stadium(The Cowboys, Ughhh) and Black Friday. So the idea of not eating Turkey on thanksgiving becomes almost unpatriotic or UN-American, so to speak. But you not only hear it from the left but also from the right. The right would have you defend the reasoning behind why you aren't eating the meat. About what happens to Turkeys or how they are bred for holidays like this.


I feel that in the modern age, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and being thankful. Not about how much Turkey or what the final score of the game is or even if you are going to go stand in line at midnight for 4 or 5 am sale and almost get trampled to death to save $50 for a TV. That's just my opinion and I stand behind it. I enjoyed my Thanksgiving as I have enjoyed all my Thanksgivings; being thankful.

-Namaste

PS...I had honey barbecued tofu that I made myself;)

Listen closely...