Working With Your Back Against The Ropes
Because of the way I chose to operate during my formative years, I believed that there was no better teacher than experience; similar to Kanye's clique, I believed that books and other non-tangible experiences were a waste of time when I could just go do it and learn for myself. This ignorant way of thinking was remedied when I was having a candid conversation with an older white woman while trying to make a ridiculous sales pitch, and she said something that shifted the way I viewed experience. Initially, I was skeptical but when she started hitting me with stats and research studies, the probability of it being real started to make more sense. I did my own research and I came across the same case studies which changed the way I viewed people's stories forever after. I actively listen to and engage in people's stories, seeking to find new people and how they got to where they are in life at the current moment but most importantly, I listen to their losses and lessons to take pieces and apply to my own life.
As a result of this perspective, I began listening to interviews, reading pieces of biographies, looking for documentaries of artists that have become successful at their crafts to learn how to maneuver our creative minds but also watching how they grew into this perceivably perfected state of themselves is a good reminder that we all go through the same struggles. Last night, I watched the HBO Documentary on Steven Spielberg, cataloging his career from his first film to the present day and a lot of his career choices and in-process thoughts were reflections of things that I'm going through currently. For those that may live under a rock, Steven Spielberg's filmography holds some of the largest, most influential films in the history of film and every single movie he created was a giant risk that the industry deemed as outlandish. Outside of the shocking fact that Steven is human and he actually gets nervous during his creative process, one of the biggest take-ways was that trusting your vision pays off when you are consistent and unwavering with your vision and execution of your vision.
Another recent reminder of this very important lesson is Joe Budden's recent deal with Spotify. Yes, I am a Joe Budden fan and have actually been one since the release of Mood Musik 2 in 2006, this was around the time when Joe was the black sheep of the hip-hop industry. I watched him take shots at Jay Z, watched him get slapped by Wu-Tang, create Joe BuddenTV with Tahiry and then publicly shame her on Love & HipHop, joining forces with Slaughterhouse and a plethora of other creative endeavors. I remember him starting the podcast and thinking how entertaining it could be but also not knowing how long it would last because Joe being the creative that he is, has always created according to mood and feeling, in and out of moods that would later dampen his ability to produce a consistent product. Again, I myself fall victim to this way of creating so watching his dedication has not only been great for entertainment and for the culture of hip-hop but it also continues to give hope to the creative side of me that wants to create but not end the party early (Social Network-Jesse Eisenberg reference). I think the universe has watched me struggle with this concept over the past couple years and between Joe and Steven, the theme of the week has been remaining consistent and patience on the process because delivering a good product in the end always attracts attention.
This shoot with LaShon has been a testament to the practice of patience, more than any other shoot that I have done in the past. We initially shot this set back in December of 2017 and after a month of shopping it, I received a response from NUVU Magazine. After hearing back from them in January, it was a true test because the actual issue just released now, in August. Because of the way I’ve been accustomed to releasing content through IG, I grew tired of waiting and wanted to release the content at multiple stops along the way but the payoff of waiting actually feels better than if we hadn’t. The concept was to strip down our ideas of an angel and really attempting to humanize her from a basic level. The photos show an insecure, some-what vain portrayal of the ideal angel that we all envision - her beauty is there, he wings provide her freedom but still, she yearns for the same vain desires that we all do. Overall I am proud of both of us for our work in this set. It’s been a journey that I never thought we would see realized tangibly but we are here now.
Check out more from Shon on her IG at @thevanilladream & cop an issue for yourself at NUVU Magazine.
