Responsibility: Leadership

I recently went on a refreshing trip to Vancouver this past weekend. I boarded an Amtrak at the Oakland Depot, on a Wednesday night, and made my way through the panoramic Northwest to Seattle in about 24 hours. From there, hopped on a bus, crossed the Canadian border to Vancouver in about 3 hours, to reach my final destination @ midnight, where I was greeted by good friend Ashley. Ash is the homie, who I met at Current TV through Anthony Marshall of the Lyricist Lounge, and since then, our b-boy roots motivated us to visit each other when we could. I've been out to Miami to visit him and his wife during Goldenchyld's bachelor party, & they've also come out to SF for their 1 yr anniversary. However this trip to Vancouver was a little different.

Having gone through the hurdles of mastering my craft of motion design for the past 4 years, I've taken a plunge on this solo journey of learning, animation, effects, design, compositing, tracking, editing, 3d, particle animation, tackling various plug-ins & techniques, how to freelance, how to keep clients satisfied, raising the bar, and most of all being consistent in putting out quality content, year after year. I pride myself in my accomplishments, because really, this isn't what I went to school for. I was merely an illustrator, with a b-boy mentality. And this mentality carried me to where I am today. The point of this blog though, is to tell a story about the cycle I've been through. I started it off with noting that I went on a trip to Vancouver BC, and its for a good reason...

For the past 4 years, I've sacrificed a lot to acquire these skills. I sacrificed everything from friends, family, social life, personal life, personal health, mental health, emotional health, important events, and so much more, all for my passion of Motion. It wasn't until recently that I realized that I've reached those goals that were set, back in 2005. It's been a long time coming, and I'm proud to say that I've got a roof over my family's head, and I'm holding it down like the man of the house should. What's interesting is that I had to reach a slump to realize that I haven't given myself any credit for my accomplishments. My slump made me feel depressed. Everything was good on the surface but hollow on the inside, as odd as it sounds. I've given my work so much attention, that I forgot to give myself much needed attention along the way. So once I hit this brick wall, everything crumbled. My foundation was shook , and I literally didn't know who I was. So this trip to Vancouver was a the remedy I needed.

Throughout my journey up there, I came to realize more things about myself. One that stands out is that I have a responsibility to Leadership. Many times, I've come across friends, who have shown genuine thanks to me, for providing a source of inspiration from my artwork & work ethic. And I've always kind of said 'thank you' and moved on, not realizing that they're saying these generous words for a reason. I've made an impact in my community, and with that developed a reputation as someone who keeps hustling no matter what. Now that I've realized my role, I'm making it more of a point to articulate my position, and also be conscious of how to uphold this responsibility. As a Leader, I've got to be assertive and not give doubt to my ideas. I've got so many, but which ones do I pull out? As a Leader, I've got to guide those listening, to help see their own personal truths. As a leader, I've got to set an example on how to be a better person, inside and out. I lead by example, and those that know me, know that I'm not much of a talker and more of a doer. It's funny seeing people say they're Gonna do Somethin', and when that happens, its my cue to shut right up... and keep hustlin'. There really is nothing to it but to do it. I tell Don P constantly that, all you have to do is show up. All You Have To Do Is Show Up. Period.

So I've taken a break from my visible hustle, to work on the inner. So far so good, but like my boy Marco Bercasio said, he could already tell that I was getting bored of not hustling. I've still got some tricks up my sleeve, and I feel that with the skills I've possessed, I can do almost anything, with a little bit of time of course.

I'm back now with a fresher perspective on things, and I hope you keep following, to witness the growth process. Remember. Reclaim. Rebuild. Respect.

The Red Room

Painted the room last weekend, and this is just a day in the life. Props to MeezyArt for inspiring the red in me.

I Wonder :: Teaser

I Wonder :: Teaser from Ra on Vimeo.

I directed my first music video, and here's the teaser. The song: "I Wonder". Beat by Kanye West. Album: Edo's Japanese Graffiti Vol. 2. I can't wait to show the world the entire video, but being that I'm on a hiatus, it's been taking longer than expected. It's just the shit that artists go through. Sometimes we feel it, sometimes we don't. At least that's how i feel....

As for the video, it was a nice little experiment in the world of directing. I had an awesome team, thanks to Jeremy, Mark .T, Jared, Todd, Sean, Mark S. & Yas. I was told that i was well prepared, and honestly, for a rookie, I'd say i did a good job in orchestrating all of this. Don was very easy to work with, but that's also because he works with me on the regular, along with his natural talent to exaggerate his personality.

The scene here takes place at Bob's Circle-A skate shop in downtown San Jose. Bob even makes a cameo in the video and plays Don's Boss, where they share a very comedic moment. For my first experience Directing, i realized the best part is right after the shoot is all done. It's very enlightening, and I can't wait to do it again. Be on the look out for the final video very, very soon.


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Obama Deception: Review & Rants

Film: Obama Deception & other thoughts::

I watched it the the other week, and of course by the title, the content didn't lend itself to the "hope" and realness that I put on Barack. I didn't want to believe it, because i really felt through his words and energy, that some sort of change would eventually happen. Maybe it's too early to call it, but really, I've always felt that the President was always a puppet for the people really in charge. The 1%...

As far as the movie, Alex Jones delivers an impressive hunt for the truth. I'm not familiar with him or his views , but I can appreciate his spirit in "Questioning Everything." We shouldn't ever forget this. And me, well I'm just a forgetful dood. So sometimes, it takes a while to snap out of it. And often I find myself going in and out of this.. . because we're so distracted.
I find myself on facebook constantly.. and now twitter. I appreciate this technological social movement, but at the same time, feel like too much information is being passed through for our own good. But its the way of the universe. It is what it is, and we have to adapt to this speedy rampage for instant gratification.

Going back to the film though, I discovered that Obama isn't the person I thought he was. Maybe I'm just fooled and completely gullible, but my instinct tells me that Obama is really no different from the other Presidents... The film said, "Kennedy was our last REAL President.." I wish i was around in that era to understand what that really means and feels like. But what we have today is an imbalanced world. And the only solution is to balance ourselves within. That's the truth, and one oft he only truths know. Obama can only do so much. I'm sure he has good intentions, and playing the cards that he's dealt, but no matter what, i can't depend on him or anyone else to save me.

This kind of reminds me of a lyric from Bambu off of Exact Change, on a song called "Like Us": "Regardless of how much money you can clock/Jay-z and Barack, didn't change my block...." Take it for what it is, but i see a really true dude like Bambu seeing right through this. And i really appreciate that, someone i can relate to lyrically, can go against the grain. I like what he's sayin, even when i don't like the thought of it.

Hopefully, there's other like me who feel the same way... Who would like to make a change, and starting with themselves first. Here's my personal list ::
_. ease off of the daily social networking, perhaps set a day where i can check up, instead of my daily habit.
_. appreciate interaction with the world, daily commute, work,
_. take my time, single out the details in life, appreciate the art around me.
_. examine each move i make with scrutiny, and making sure its beneficial not just for me.
_. give back in some form: inspiration, motivation, praise..
_. stay mentally, physically, emotionally, healthy.
_. always question everything.
_. ....


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2009 Begins

Why do i waste my time making this ?