All this work could be for nothing.

I'd like to start off by saying if you haven't downloaded Big K.R.I.T.'s new mixtape you're definitely missing out. If you're a hiphop head its definitely worth the listen/download. Great work. Know what? here's a link: http://www.livemixtapes.com/download/16042/big_krit_4eva_n_a_day.html

<sob story>  So, what's new eh? I'll tell you what isn't. Working to live and living to work. Living pay check to pay check with barely enough to fund your true passions and desires. I'm not talking about spending money, i'm talking about simply art supplies to keep creating and producing. It's frustrating to see people with more than enough opportunity in their posession and watching them fumble it, crash and burn. </sob story>

I talked with a homie of mine yesterday and he said I should just make another youtube channel of my struggle but I thought to myself that it wouldn't be a bad idea but, it'd be no different than my other channel except with more of a "feel sorry for me" aspect. 

Anywho,

I've been MEGA busy lately (not a bad problem to have) and haven't had much time to upload some of the stuff I've been doing. Just last month a good friend of mine (Brock) was in town and invited me to one of his Redbull events. It was super dope show featuring a handful of local and a couple non-local Dj's to battle it out on stage with the winner via crowd applause. I loved the setup, the drinks, the vibe and defnitely some of the DJ's. Here's a few shots: 

Also check out Brock's Tumblr

Bad habits

Sup yall? Still alive? Yeah I know I should update this thing more often but nobody reads this bull any way except my homies haha. I have been trying to keep myself busy lately and things have actually been less stressful, i'm getting ready to move back into my moms to save money. Not really, we got a new apartment across the bridge into downtown Kansas City and it's a great deal. 900sq/ft, hardwood floors, 2 bedroom for only $475. I'm pumped for the extra space to breathe and be as messy as I want (creativity wise).

I WILL have the 'Watch the Throne' and hopefully my Frank Ocean piece available in prints by summertime. I have couple shows lined up to sell them locally as well. I recently have made it a priority to do more drawing/inking and with that I actually started and almost finished a Mojo jojo piece from 'the Powerpuff girls.' Kind of an odd choice but he was always one of my favorite villains as a kid. Check it out:


 

On the other hand, my grandma gave me a book called 'Begin it Now' by Susan Hayward. It's a great pickup especially with as short of attention span most people have. It's basically a book filled with different life lessons or quotes per page. No long drawn out explanations, real quotes from legends as well as complete nobodies. I don't really like to read it page to page, I seem to get a lot of entertainment out of flipping to a random page and reading the quote for the day. It's not necessarily a fortune or a zodiac reading, just something to kind of put things in perspective? If you pick up the book, approach it with an open mind. Here's what I got for today:

"What's really important in life? Sitting on the beach? Looking at television eight hours a day? I think we have to appreciate that we're alive for only a limited period of time, and we'll spend most of our lives working., That being the case, I believe one  of the most important priorities is to do whatever we do as well as we can. We should take pride in that."

I also wen't out and played powerball today. Wish me luck :D

Shit. It's been a minute.

Just going to start typing and act like i've been posting on here regularly, then again I'm not really sure anyone reads these. Got too much going on to come up with a good title but I've been keeping busy and mouse clicking away on my new web studio (I hope to have up by the end of February) and my web store featuring prints of my latest paintings and what not (hope to have up by end of March). 

Other than that, I really haven't been working on anything other than coming up with excuses to take forever to get shit done. 

You know what's really been bugging me a lot lately? I just cant help but feel my particular field of work (graphic design, illustration) has been flooded with a lot of the same ol' same ol. Diluted might be a better word to describe it. Seems like everyone can claim that they are a designer, photographer without ever having done anything. The tools of the trade have become so abundant that the definition of 'graphic design' has changed. 

I dunno, i'll save the sob story for another day, after all, who am I? Nobody from nowhere.

Stay tuned i'll have some neato stuff coming out soon. 

Heres a hint:

2012 eh?

So whats new? Not a whole lot. Cool story.

This is where I write something about how 2012 is off to an amazing start and I can't wait to jump in and get started on some new projects. But i'm not. Shit sucks and it's super stressful, getting ready to move here in March so I've been looking around non stop for places to rent. It's occupying a ton of time a long with my lame part-time job (also subject to change soon hopefully)

I do have some cool stuff im working on though. I hope to have my web-based design studio up by february and upload a bunch of new work I just havent had much time to publish.

I feel like this is the era of entrepreneurs. The time for people to rise up against this terrible economy and bad energy and create something positive, in their own vision. There is a lot of awful shit going on in our world and I'm not sure how much longer it will last.




Thought/question of the week: I hear a lot of people talking bad on my generation and how were the A.D.D. Generation, ego-driven slackers, self absorbed etc. etc. I definitely don't deny that my peers haven't exactly set a good example and have made poor desicions versus previous generations but my question is: Is the y-generation now below the same par, set by previous generations? What I mean is 10 years ago before this technology revolution and the over-abdundance of cellphones, computers etc, before people were so impatient, were the kids/teenagers/young adults always unsatisfactory? It's hard to explain but think about this; when you're a senior in high-school and you see the freshman coming in you immediately compare your experience with how they present themseleves. When the freshman become seniors and the new wave of freshman come in, are they just as ignorant, dumb and immature? (I also mean overall not in the aspect of highschool)

thoughts and comments below. 

Shortlived

I've been woeking alot on my website and getting it all ready to roll out for 2012. This will probably be my last update for 2011 as well. I got a lot on my plate and i need as much time as can get right now. 2011 was a great year but very shortlived. Seems like it went by incredibly fast and only had a wink if nice weather considering its winter again and its awful. 2011 also might be amongst the rankings for 'most unproductive' year. I had some ups, had a lot of downs and some great projects but im ready to be done.  I've uploaded a lot of work ive done throughtout the year and updated most of the site, so feel free to browse around. (No touching please)

This new years I don't think i need to go out with a bang. No big party, none of my closest friends and family around, just me. Me, a drink and everything I need to relax. 

 

(vent time) I ran into and met a lot of people this year that really made me realize what I need to do with myself. Most of the people I talked to at art shows, or just out in general public and I describe what I want to do with myself and the goals I have planned. I tell people about my passion for visual arts, the photography I do on the side, a newly aqcuired interest in a streetwear brand ive been developing for the last couple years, the creative studio I would like to have open by february 2012 and ultimately in the future having something to house it all under one roof. Most of the responses I get usually follow the same route. "I had big dreams too when I was your age," "You have be more realistic" "that's great, good luck in today's world." And I can't help but become frustrated. "Being realistic," doesn't mean settle for less and in "today's world" money and peoples attitudes are at a new all time low but that shouldn't stop anyone from doing what they love and making the best of it.

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso
This quote can be applied to several different instances, not just art necessarily. I know i'll get where I need to be one day, and become a far greater artist than anyone ever expected of me.  2011 was defnitely shortlived and I most definitely could have been more productive no doubt but the amount of information gained over the course of these 12 months was almost worth it.

I also got you something for new years. I bring you 10 non carefully selected banners for your new facebook layout (if you opted in). The new facebook layout allows you to upload a banner or a 'cover' image for the upper section of your facebook profile. So here's a few to pick from. A selection of all original works of digital design, photography and paintings. (Sorry money was tight this year) Oh you like free stuff? If you have an iphone (or a phone with a similar screen dimension) feel free to get you a background or two. Tell a friend, they're free.

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