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.