Lessons & Reflections - - a Journey in Pictures; The Promise in Perseverance

The Promise of Perseverance

When you undertake a career as a business owner, there is no guarantee that you will meet with the level of success that you hope for - - even more of a risky life choice is a pursuit of an arts career. You can be very good at what you do and yet find it difficult to reach important life altering, game-changing, financially securing milestones. However, there is a promise in perseverance as well as an audacity in hope. Yet in all decisions wisdom must be applied, goals must be set, and priorities must be in line. These images remind me of those things and solidify my belief that the best is yet to come.

Pictured Above (Top Left) The first image is a shot taken on the set of a short film titled "Keep the Engine Running." The film was written and directed by the Augusta, GA based filmmaker Tim Johnson. I have seen a rough cut of the film and it is superb. Working with people of his caliber remind me that "your talent will make room for you." I played an undercover cop named Dink...what appealed to me about the project was the story and the setting - - the script was very well-written and the film was set in the 1970's.

(Top Middle) - - This is a shot of a special effects makeup session with Carol Slay. She was creating a scar on a slave that had been beaten. This is only one of those iterations. Thinking about the an enslaved human's reality is humbling...coupled with that, I was born in South Carolina, the epicentre of the slave trade in the south, this type of brutality would have been a reality for many of my forefathers.

(Top Right) - - I have spent some time doing what I call experiential art. In this picture, I lived as a homeless man for a day. It was quite an eye-opening experience...it changed some things in me. I noticed how I was being treated when people thought I was homeless. Here is a link that provides the full context of that experiment: I Was Homeless For A Few Hours.

(Lower Middle) - Most of my creative time is allocated to writing, directing and producing, however I still take on a few acting roles that are meaningful to me. To that end, whose goal is always towards the internal and external construction of memorable characters. This image reflects some of the research and exploration into worlds and lifestyles that depart from my own.

(Lower Right) - - Because of the work I was doing in Augusta, I was recognized by U Magazine. It was quite an honor that equally affirmed and grounded me.

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Irrational Exuberance

As with any business, those of us who become successful have to build the right kind of infrastructure to make success possible. You have to develop marketable skill sets that rest upon a solid foundation and demonstrate a material amount of value that can be monetized. Then you nurture them into maturity.

Having been a part of many projects that did not hit the target and many that were never even finished, one of the key lessons that stands out for me is to guard against "irrational exuberance." What do I mean by this? Often I have been a part of teams that were so optimistic that we convinced ourselves that what we were developing was actually better than it was. We were distracted from due diligence by our own optimism. A positive attitude is key to winning, but there is no replacement for the work that actually has to be done.

Pictured Above: All these images reflect my work ethic, taking on different roles, wearing many hats.

(Top Left) This character Mo' was being developed for a project that was to be a part of an abstract spread for a cultural magazine. The magazine never gained traction but it was quite an experience.

(The two images in the middle) - - These pictures are from a web-series titled: "1000 Bullets" written and directed by Joshua Seymour. I played a savvy, yet savage Caribbean drug lord named Genghis Jiles, which is perhaps one of the best characters I ever created.

The series is currently on hiatus, as Josh moved from Augusta to Atlanta. Since that time, he has been planning the next phase of the series, which he expects will go into production soon.

(Top Right) - - This image was a part of my branding as a character actor. I wanted to explore what roles were best suited for me, so I could fine tune my approach. In the process, I learned how to cultivate my own opportunities which accelerated by move into writing, directing and producing.

(Bottom Right) - - This is another iteration of Dink from the short film "Keep The Engine Running." Right now, the film is the final stages of post production and will be hitting the festival circuit soon.

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The Do or Die Moment...A Point of Progress

March 8, 2008 - - This is the date when I became a full time artist...the moment when I jumped into my career with reckless abandon, when I decided and then made the move to "Thelma and Louise" my way towards a legacy. Sounds good doesn't it....but I had no idea what I was in for. I had the talent, but there were so many things that I did not have...things I did not know...things I didn't want to do. There were so many lessons that had to be learned...so many pieces that needed to be in place...so many people that I needed to know (and some that had to fall away).

Overall, It has been an often painful yet life affirming process...that has led to a thickened skin and a solidified resolve. The silver lining?..I haven't missed a meal yet, although there wasn't always much quinoa, kale or caviar on the menu.

Pictured Above and Below:
All of these moments were all captured around the same time. I had established a brand, built a team and we were doing work. Blue Bistro Creative was born. Working with a variety of others, we were doing film, TV, theater, advocacy, design and photography. I had found my lane...or better yet, I created it.

As I continue to move forward with my life and career, each of these images is a remnant, a lesson, a point of progress, an experience of experiences. They all converge as a reflection of where I have been, which helps to inform where I must go.

My final assessment of the industry and the outlook revolves around this understanding...In the film, television and theater industries, it has gotten to the point that if you expect a break thru, good no longer applies...you have to be great or in many ways you can forget it. There are just are just too many well trained, well equipped, brilliant creatives vying for audience and opportunity. To compete at the highest levels, it is necessary for us (me) to be better than we (I) have ever been...although there may be some weariness in our well-doing, we must be inspired by the promise of our perseverance, the audacity of our hope and sense a convergence in our creative cosmos...the journey continues.