As a kid, the quickest way to my heart was a promise of McDonalds and a trip to the mall. As I grow older things get difficult, more challenging and a lot less simple. As an adult, intangible things like emotions, bonds, memories, chemistry and love take over our lives and lead a path to our hearts.
I am not an easy person to reach but I’d like to send this to a man who has never stopped fighting for me, my happiness and my safety.
My number one, my hustler, my best friend, my biggest fan, my hero, my pops. Since I can remember you’ve been the strongest man and the strongest person I have ever and could ever encounter. I know that we are very different people but if only you knew how much I’ve adopted from you, how much you have taught me.
Originally this post was supposed to be an update on how I was doing in New York...but now I feel like there are more significant and current things to talk about.
So, Florida...I wake up this morning hearing about some shooting in Orlando. 50 killed, 53 injured? So 103 people physically harmed from this massacre. According to articles I read this is the worst in US history. A lot of articles I am seeing are brushing over the fact that it was indeed a gay club and so automatically this incident is associated with hate crimes. After speaking to the parents of the alleged shooter, his parents say he "would become angry when saw two men kissing," giving him a bit of irrational motive.
Today marks my official first Day of summer break. Somehow all of my finals ended up being on the same day and now I am done until the end of August. You guys, it has been such a long semester you have no idea how relieved I am right now. I have learned so much, met some great professors and now for the summer...I am headed to New York.
So the topic has been coming up a lot lately and I've been seeing confused faces left and right about it. What is cultural appropriation? It's just hair, right? Just clothes with fancy patterns, its just jewelry. So I am going to do my best at explaining what cultural appropriation is and give my opinion on why and how my people get offended by it.
So first off, cultural appropriation at its most basic definition is when one culture adopts elements from another. America is a melting pot of diverse cultures and people and a lot of time the cultures rub off on one another. Which in a lot of ways can be a good thing. Cultural appropriation, however, is an issue, a very complicated issue, but an issue nonetheless. I think that part of it depends on the context, and keep in mind that this is a subjective issue, a lot of us might not agree. Even still, people are being offended so it needs to be addressed and understood.
This is a series of images I took on whim one night with my friend Michelle (who you've seen before). Having some fun with color and practicing with studio light, background consistency and composition. We're getting there y'all. Baby steps!
I was served lemons...but I made lemonade....not until I saw Jay Z's grandmother speak these word's in Beyoncé's new visual album did I actually understand the concept of this phrase. For me the phrase has always been just something to say, I'd never actually put thought into it or tried to evaluate it. So I am thinking that this phrase lends itself to say that lemons are something negative. Sour. And lemonade is something positive and sweet. It is a simple concept so don't think I'm patting myself on the back or anything for just now getting this. But I get it, I do. We, all of us, are given some type of hardship and it is sort of our responsibility to try and make something good out of it. Out of everything.
Apparently we "lost" Prince today. I'm having a Long Island on my lunch break with my coworkers when I get a text from my dad saying "Wow Prince is dead." The restaurant got a little cold at that point.
I wasn't yet born when he was at his prime, but I grew up with his music and stories of this legend nonetheless. I've been affected by his influence. My dad would tell me stories about his childhood and how he was influenced by Prince and how he looked up to him. He'd tell me how he'd do his hair like him and wear these leather boots to school. I used to watch my dad watching The Purple Rain with a smile on his face like he'd never seen it before, waiting to go out until it was over.
Lately I've been coming across different people who have different ideas of what self-love is or what it means to love oneself so I thought I might share mine.
For me, as a person who certainly loves himself, self-love is about forgiving and being comfortable with who I am. I think its easier to talk about loving yourself as if you are someone else. So humor me for a second...say you have a friend...Your friend has all these great qualities, they are kind, they are open to growth, they have nice hair, a unique sense of humor and a whole lot of ambition. This friend has flaws and makes mistakes too. They've cheated on a lover, shops too much, forgets to call grandma back, they don't visit home enough, they don't work out everyday, they break out every now and then, falls asleep at work and loves to argue. Is this friend less worthy of your love because of these qualities? Be honest, are these things that will make you stop loving your friend?
Some artists like to approach their work with a minimalist's eye. Keeping essential parts and omitting anything extra. With this approach, they come up with a clean, crisp result that is easy on eyes. Just the same, there are people who like to keep a minimalist lifestyle. Keeping focused on a certain goal, executing it effortlessly and moving onto the next. Making it all look so easy, you know?
I've been thinking a lot lately about the things I like about being a college student. Part of this may have to do with the fact that I just found out I won't graduate until 2019, but that's another story. Another day. Another three years...Anyway, one of my favorite things about being in college is the amount of creative people I get to be surrounded by. Since I started school I have become friends, partners and acquaintances with so many creative people who have without a doubt changed my life.
I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity (even though I am paying for it) to be surrounded by so many inspiring people with their own minds and creative visions. I've come across designers, musicians, dancers, painters, glass blowers, writers, activists, stylists, models and so much more. Oh, and photographers, some awesome...awesome photographers. A few short weeks ago I worked with a friend Nico Ciani (nicociani.com | @nic_doug) who I'd met last spring in class. He slays.
This weekend it got pretty warm in Ohio! Yay for us! Next weekend it's going to snow again though so I tried to take advantage of this lovely weather before that happened. I've been talking a lot of shit lately so I figure I'll give you guys a break and just post a few outfits—no politics.
Oh, by the way, I have a new redirect url, just a little easier. lackwhen.com! I'm getting there y'all!
Ever since I can remember, masculinity has been questioned and challenged. Both mine and the men around me. For some reason, unknown to me, when someone challenges or goes against the typical idea of what a man is supposed to be, or of how a man is supposed to act, the world starts to crumble just a little bit. Or so it seems. While I like to believe that I live in a progressive society that is open to change, I cannot help but remember and acknowledge all of the criticism I have been exposed to directed toward men who don't fit a certain mold. As with women, men are born and immediately assigned a role. Immediately wrapped in a blue blanket because that is a "boy" color. We are raised to believe that playing sports makes us more of a man and that liking something artistic like dance or painting makes you feminine or even gay.
So, the word around the net is that today is the International Day of Happiness. The United Nations planned for this day for years and finally in 2013 declared March 20th International Day of Happiness, making today the 3rd anniversary of the holiday.
By now, we should all know what it is...but for those of you who are unaware, Black Out (Day) is a a social media campaign that in a nutshell...celebrates Blackness. Carefree, unapologetic, uncensored, Blackness. I noticed that the first Black Out Day (March 5, 2015 - Happy Anniversary by the way) started around the time when we finally started getting tired of images of unarmed Black people who were killed by police being so unnecessarily negative. By that, I mean, the media pulling negative imagery from god knows where to associate with Black people, criminals and victims alike.
So last night, basically my first time out of the house or classroom all semester, my school hosted it's annual Rock the Runway Fashion Show/Competition. Basically, a bunch of student designers, whatever year, whatever major, can submit pieces and be considered to be apart of the show. This year, 13 designers made the cut and showed their mini collections to a packed house under the theme "The Jacksons". Each year there is a different theme and basically the contestants were to create a 3 piece collection with the umbrella "inspiration" being "The Jacksons" - meaning anyone apart of the Jackson family (Michael Jackson in case you are still confused).
I've gone the last three years and it is always really exciting to go to (especially if you at least moderately know any of the contestants). I'm not sure I am actually qualified to review a fashion show but I took some pictures of the show last night that I really wanted to share.
I have been dragging my feet for a while now on starting to blog because I am a little OCD. It was starting to look like I would never start and Wednesday was the day I said I would start. It is now Sunday and I am releasing myself from my slight disorder and saying what the hell. I figure I can start off a little bad and develop over time. Feel me?
So here it is, my first blog post. Things may change over time as far as layout, the link, the header etc. but for now here I am! I recently went to New York Fashion Week and got really inspired by the Quann twins (urbanbushbabes.com) - I was thinking to myself...well we sort of share a name, both black, both have big hair, both human, both love fashion so why couldn't I do what they do? So here I am going for it (feedback welcomed btw).
Without further ado (that’s how you spell it, I googled it)... my first blog post is going to be a closet post. Meaning, I am going to talk about a personal outfit. I promise, all of my post won't be full of narcissism.
