“Creating art and music - that’s my version of going for a run. It’s kind of meditative...”
via Yours Truly
“It’s important to just remind yourself that when you’re creating you should always make what you want to experience.”
Have Fun, Keep It Light, Hustle Hard: The Mantras of Native Shoes
via #TheCreatorClass
Video: The Internet - Get Away
The Art of Start: Overcoming Fear and Taking Imperfect Action
I've had this post in my drafts for close to two weeks, blank. Whether it's writing a song or a presenting a brand, starting has always been the hardest part for me. Chalk it up to a potent mix of straight fear and perfectionism. But today I choose to ride with my fear and forgive the imperfections.
“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”
Instead of using fear as an excuse, I choose to use it as my fuel. It's a bitch to execute, but when I take creative risks that I'm actually scared of, I'm in a much better place. At best I succeed, at worst I learn.
So that takes care of fear, but what about the incessant need for everything to I do to be perfect?
I'm learning that when you have a calling, imperfect action is always better than no action at all.
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
I'll admit I spent many months debating with myself about Still Mind - if it was the right time, if I had the energy to keep up with it, who would really care. But the truth is none of that really mattered once I set it free. Now that the project is live, I have a reason to keep it moving. I actually have something to improve upon.
In the upcoming weeks we'll be exploring the process of starting and re-starting through art and writing. I don't know where it will end, but we've got a beginning. And for now, that's enough.
When in Doubt, Drink the Kool-Aid: Wisdom from B-Boy and Social Entrepreneur Michael Huang
“If you ever find yourself worrying about or doubting your own abilities, decisions or path - just remember to drink the proverbial Kool-Aid. Most people who’ve achieved at the highest level believed in themselves to a delusional fault.”
“If you ever find yourself worrying about how others perceive you, that you may be doing it wrong, or worse, that you could be hurting others in that pursuit - just remember that humility takes care of all that. Others are great and you have your limitations, so treat them like gold and stay in your lane. We can all prosper together. ”
Michael Huang is a Seattle-based b-boy (breakdancer), community organizer, and entrepreneur. His experiences range from competing in and organizing international breaking competitions to marketing Fortune 100 brands. In 2011, Michael helped found a non-profit focused on mentoring at-risk youth through dance and the arts. More recently, he founded a digital marketing agency specializing in growing start-ups and small businesses.
Follow: @mikesteezie
Don't Do It: Advice for Success from Painter/Muralist Hueman
“Don’t do it for the Instagram likes, don’t do it for the brownie points, do it because you literally can’t see yourself doing anything else.”
Hueman grew up drawing and painting in Northern California, and received her degree in Design | Media Arts from UCLA in 2008. Whether she is painting delicate visions on canvas, or crushing massive walls with a spray can, she often draws on the human condition to create freestyle mash-ups of the abstract and figurative, and the beautiful and grotesque. She is interested in creating ethereal motion and dimension on otherwise flat, two-dimensional surfaces.
Hueman’s work can be seen on walls and in galleries worldwide. Her art has caught the attention of media outlets and publications such as CNN, the History Channel, Complex, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, and last year graced the cover of LA Weekly’s 2014 People Issue.
