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CHD:WCK! X HOLLIS AUSTIN 2018

(NSFW)
I’ve been sitting on this way too long!

HOLLIS AUSTIN is an amazing lettering artist and sign painter, currently based in New Orleans, LA. Back in late 2018, when we were studio mates, Hollis decided to make some fun, affordable, wearable art for those who would be passing by her studio during an event. She hand-painted a bunch of fun phrase necklaces, and when I saw them, I just knew I had to photograph them draped ALL over a voluptuous nude figure.

Below is the result. I hope you enjoy!

Check out more of Hollis’ work at www.austinlettering.com

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OVER-EAGER ABOUT WHAT?!

I have had interactions in real life where I run into people I haven’t seen or heard from in years, and they’ll say to me, “I’m loving what you’re sharing on (social media platform) with (insert recent creative projects…).”
I’ve also heard friends express fear of telling someone how much they love their work, stating “I don’t want to seem weird.” And I think to myself, ‘Weird about what? This person does a thing, and they share it with the world. You genuinely love it! Why would that be weird?’
So on Instagram, I decided to pose a question:

”Do you ever feel like enthusiastically telling someone how much you like what they do, makes you look over-eager?”

When the poll ended, with 80 people responding, nearly 60% percent said that they felt strange about expressing honest love or appreciation for people’s work. While I suspected I might get this response, it hurt me to the core.

WHY? If you genuinely love what someone does, why wouldn’t they want to know that? Most creatives regularly fluctuate between a reasonable level of confidence to crippling self-doubt. Western Society is especially guilty of undervaluing the importance of music, visual art, and literature. While we constantly consume these things and refer to them as our culture, we discourage people for pursuing their passions to contribute in these areas. Corporate Executives make a living exploiting the work of creatives, while encouraging the labeling of creatives as “Starving Artists”. Even many successful artists regularly struggle over whether they should continue, whether what they’re doing is worth all the hard work that goes into it.

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!!!
If someone is doing something, and it makes you feel good, you think it’s done beautifully, or you see it as valuable, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT! Knowing that we’re doing something that matters helps keep artists going. Most artists create because something internal compels them to create something they may personally NEED to see. They share their work in hopes that others connect with it as well, and perhaps people will purchase the works, which will enable them to keep creating from an honest space.

The importance of an artists work is not always reflected in sales. But knowing that people appreciate the work being made gives an artist fuel to continue investing in themselves, to continue being vulnerable and honest with the world, and to continue sharing the beauty they create! Never feel weird in telling someone how much you appreciate what they do!

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I AM ALREADY ENOUGH...

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Note to Self:

I am abundant in my ability to create Value.

  • I have enough materials

  • I have enough ideas

  • I have enough connections

  • I have enough energy

  • There are infinite possibilities I don’t even know about

  • I have enough knowledge to get started

  • I have enough intelligence to ask good questions

  • I have an abundant capacity to learn

  • I have enough help

  • I have the capacity to ask for more help

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Smelling The Roses

When I first picked up a camera, I did what I could without the assistance of others - I walked around and took pictures of anything that seemed interesting.

Living in East Orange, NJ, I would start in my neighborhood, go toward Newark or New York City, and photograph whatever caught my interest along the way. I would take pictures of cracks in the sidewalk, dilapidated walls, neglected buildings , foliage growing out of unexpected places, rusty mailboxes, and sometimes random people on the street. I photographed things that inspired me, like graffiti, odd phrases, or things that seemed to have a different meaning when I could isolate them from their surroundings.

As I worked to develop my skills photographing people, my photographs of inanimate objects got neglected, when really the strength of my people photography, is that I “objectify” my subjects, I photograph them as if they were beautiful, interesting objects.
I came to realize that really, what feeds my soul is focusing my photographic eye on textures and forms, and the neighborhood photowalks are really something that I miss.

More recently, I realized that, for me, photography is a way to slow life down. As the years go buy, looking back through my photographs helps me remember “where the time has gone.” It reminds me of moments and places I’ve seen but forgotten. It reminds me of people I’ve met. It reminds me of venues and communities that no longer exist. It reminds me of relationships I’ve enjoyed with people, good times I’ve had.

In a way that is similar to how smells can trigger memories, photographs - even the ones of simple things, help me recall experiences and places that I had forgotten. Having more memories makes life feel full again. It feels less like my life is speeding past me.

It is very satisfying to use my camera to “stop and smell the roses".

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Her Name Means "LOVE".

“Cool…. Just like her… syncopated cacophony. Powerful, bold, smooth, pushing boundaries, beauty!” - Karen Young

“Cool…. Just like her… syncopated cacophony. Powerful, bold, smooth, pushing boundaries, beauty!”
- Karen Young

IFE - While capturing the beauty of this bold and radiant young woman, I asked a few questions about her passion for dance.

Why is dance magical?
Dance is magical because it transcends the physicality of the dancer. To see someone dance is to experience their truths, histories, identities, epistemology. It is raw, organic and unforgiving.

What impact do you want to have on the dance community?
I want to provide access and professional opportunities to/within the arts, especially for black and brown bodies.

Who is your favorite famous dancer?
Currently, my favorite choreographers are Parris Goebel and Chris Gayle.

Who is your favorite local dancer?
Locally, my favorite is LeDarius Parker (Greensboro).

What Opportunities have come with being a full-figured dancer?
Opportunities that have been pre-professional work, attending the inaugural MFA Dance Program at Duke University, running my own company that travels and performs showcasing physical inclusivity in dance, teaching - getting to guide people to a fuller version of self.

What myths would you like to dispel for full-figured dancers?
Plus-size/full-figured women are able to do whatever the fuck they want to do! Intentionally. Confidently. And without need of approval.

See more of Ife here.

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A Handful of Flaws...

My goal is to read 12 books this year. So far, I’ve finished one book that I started in December, and I started a new book that I learned of from The Tim Ferris Show podcast. The book is The One Thing, and the author is Gary Keller, founder of Keller Williams Realty.
I may do a book report when I complete the book, but I wanted to share something that I thought was simple, and hopefully useful.

One of my goals this year is to read 12 books. Maybe I should do Book Reports.

One of my goals this year is to read 12 books. Maybe I should do Book Reports.

Typically, with self-improvement, I strive to focus on building new positive habits, and the books drops some gems about making it easier to build good habits. But this sentence struck me in an interesting way:
“A pioneer of quality-control management, [Joseph M.] Juran had noticed that a handful of flaws would usually produce a majority of the defects.”

The focus of the chapter was basically, the Pareto Principle, efforts, and results, but this sentence struck me, because it got me thinking in the opposite way I’m usually working.

If a handful of flaws produced a majority of the defects, what if in life, we first aimed to set up little actions or systems to eliminate the habits that don’t serve us? For me, a lot of times I try to develop a useful habit that may be difficult to train, but what if instead, I first worked on ways to make it hard for me to make certain bad decisions.

Examples:
- SPENDING LESS TIME ON MY PHONE is a worthy goal, but what if I 1.) Buy a watch (My Father would be happy to hear this, which will be a blog post when I buy a watch). A watch would help because right now, I have to pick up my phone to keep track of time. 2.) Only put the interesting apps on my iPad (which stays in my studio) 3.) Keep magazines in the bathroom (so i have something to look at other than Instagram)
- DRINKING A GALLON OF WATER DAILY would be nice, but what if I bought Sparking Water or tea (which, for me, makes it easier to drink less beer.)

And perhaps I’m just thinking about it in reverse, but the thought is, if I first focus on making it harder to make bad decisions, significant improvements can come before I’ve accomplished the challenging work of building a “positive” habit. And perhaps that improvement can give the momentum to build better habits. I’ll give it a shot and let you know how it’s going.

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In A Bit Of A Funk...

Some random lines, and familiar text work. It feels good.

Some random lines, and familiar text work. It feels good.

I haven’t created anything with my hands in over a month. I’ve been shooting with my camera (which has been fun). I’ve organized my studio (which feels liberating). And I’ve given a lot of thought to how I want to move forward in my creative life. But as far as the process of creating with my hands, I’ve been blocked. So today, I’m wanting to be in the studio and to do SOMETHING. No plan. No concern with results. Just do some shit. Pick up a brush and marker, and put some marks down.

The image above was the first thing. It feels good. I’m going to continue for the evening.

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Taking My Inner Artist On A Date

I don’t fancy myself a musician, but I love music. And often, the process of creating music is the way my mind connects to creating visual art. I can have much longer conversations about musicians and their process than I can visual artists.

For a long time I’ve wanted to “tinker with sound”. Not necessarily make music with any grand ideas, just be able to come home after a long time and put together sounds that captured the essence of a day that I’d enjoy listening to later.

More recently, I’ve also wanted to start an informal podcast. Just something where I get to talk to people I like, share an experience, and record the conversations.

So for my Artist Date, I went to Sam Ash off Tyvola Rd., in Charlotte, NC,

Here are some things I learned from the experience.

  • I like the knobs, dials, and craftsmanship of instruments and audio equipment.

  • I was nervous about taking pics in the store (I know why, but that shouldn’t matter. You can ask me about that if you want to know)

  • I don’t know anything about music (so it makes me want to research specific equipment and learn more. Inspiration)

  • Ask “stupid” questions. It’s an easy way to engage people.

  • Approaching people as an complete amateur allows people to be an expert and if they know what they’re talking about, that enjoy that.

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Unexplained Necessities

Something I have been thinking about a lot lately - and a response to a conversation I had yesterday with another artist who felt the same way...

Artists often feel compelled to create things that don't demand to be created - other than to scratch their own itch, satisfying some unexplained compulsion. Often it's to see something tangible that only exists in their head, sometimes it's a response to the world around them. It can be a myriad of prompts, but creators gon' create! 

I think when I get too focused on where I will be showcasing work, and how I will show it, I start to get stuck in my head about why people NEED to see it. Often that's not a question I can answer. But when I consider the entirety of my creative experiences and what they do for my life, it makes me realize that the answer is within the question. It needs to exists because I felt a need to make it, and its existence serves me - even if it serves no one else. 

 But chances are, if I needed to see something this bad, then someone else needed to see it too, or it would at least be a catalyst for some necessary dialogue. I feel that my creative life should show up in ways that don't first require me to explain why. If I create, then it should be somewhat rare that my consumption is not affected, or "polluted" by my own creative process. The home I rent or buy should look like MY home, the clothes I buy should look like MY clothes, I should have writings, music, and performances that speak to my vision of the world, and make it very clear WHY these things needs to exist. The existence of anything I can and will create should be as absolutely necessary as my own existence...

Because you know what?! I do not NEED to exist, but I'm here, and I'm sure as hell going to behave like the world needs me!

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The Hunt For Inspiration

Something I haven't been doing nearly enough lately... Photo Walks. A great way to just take in my environment, see things with fresh eyes, and capture images of things that fascinate me. I quickly pass by so many things that capture my interest, without 'stopping to smell these "roses"'. Today while in Atlanta, I did a bit of walking with my camera, and here's what I found. I'll spend this evening sketching ideas these images inspire, and hopefully, I'll see these things find their way into my creative process.