Umm.... "Hip-to-the-Hop" ...?

I'm in "beefing up my book" mode; I love it. Last Thursday, I had the privilege of working with my good friend Nick Bravo, hip-hop artist, and Semp Eternity band members Anthony and Kim. Special thanks to Anthony for allowing me to use his awesome studio space for the shoot! Keep a look out for their new CD, available May 2009. It's going to be amazing!

I really couldn't be more pleased with the images. For personal projects, I tend to gravitate toward people whose art, work ethic, and/or character I really admire. Thursday was no exception. Nick did such a great job of walking me through his process of writing and recording. His lyrics demolish today's hip-hop culture cliches, and encourage listeners to rise above adversity and mediocrity, and to become more. And how he makes it all rhyme, is faaar beyond me. To top it all off, Nick was so laid back and completely real in front of the lens-- a perfect subject to photograph.

Here are some of the highlights from the afternoon. I've also included some images of Anthony and Kim toward the bottom. Everything just turned out so beautiful!

How Did I Miss That?

...I found myself wondering as we departed the corner of Fourth and Main. That was perhaps, the most entertaining and inspiring night I've had yet in L.A., and I've been here for nearly two years. We walked to rapid rhythms of spoons tapping old washboards and tin cups, shuffling our way through the hordes of people--in and out, and in and out. I felt like a fish, forging upstream. Galleries no bigger than an average studio apartment went on for blocks, and vendors of all kinds strategically monopolized the precious remaining sidewalk space. The crisp, cool evening smelled of cloves and incense. From the moment my feet hit that sidewalk, I could feel the air charged with creativity. I mean, I went to an art's school, so I can comprehend being around a lot of artists. But this was incredibly different. Musicians and photographers, magicians and painters, inventors and installation artists...the list just never ends.

The Downtown Art Walk--every 2nd Thursday of the month. Go. Do it.

Famous Last Words

As the balmy afternoon faded into the cool of evening, the three of us sat amidst the scattered mess of tattered covers. leafing through pages and building piles. It wasn't long after we had begun, that we lost ample light for our eyes to enjoy the randomness of friend David's library. Books in Old English, books of classic poetry, books on plumbing, Shakespeare, swimming, Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, even a few on "ways of the samurai" (or something like that); he had it all.

For a good a hour, we kept to ourselves enjoying the quiet. Breaking the silence, David randomly began reciting lines of a text that contained the last words of famous folk. I first thought it a bit unsettling to hear the words of someone who was on their deathbed, but quickly realized the value in such speech. It was da Vinci's last words that resonated with me most:

"I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have."

It's amazing to think how anyone as great as da Vinci could ever have such regrets. After all, he did create the Mona Lisa and Last Supper, perhaps the two most well-known paintings in history. I mean, how could anyone trump that?! I find it incredibly difficult to fathom such regret dwelling within a man as accomplished as da Vinci.

So, I marinated on the quote for a few months...

I've kept da Vinci's words in my pocket, pulling them out from time to time in attempts to relate them to my own journey. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized a link. I've had his same mentality at different points along the way, allowing the feelings of inadequacy to hinder my progress and my drive. Comparing myself to others, which is a hard thing to avoid in this industry, almost always puts me in such a funk. But more importantly, I realized that by taking such thoughts captive and viewing them as a challenge, rather than a hindrance, growth and progress never fail to prevail. It's okay to feel mediocre for a short time. But it's not okay to allow that wave of mediocrity to seize you, for you will surely drown.

Maybe someday I'll find out what da Vinci truly felt when he uttered his last words. But for now, I will take them, and forge them into the key for my future successes.