“IN MY OWN WORDS”

I've had "Launch Blog" on one of my whiteboards for about four years. It’s been there all this time waiting for me to start it. Not because I didn't have anything to say. Anyone who knows me knows I always have something to say. I put it off because I was waiting for the right moment. The quiet moment. The moment when the dust settled and I could sit down and actually think.

That moment never came. So I'm writing anyway.

The past six years have been a blur, and I mean that in the most honest way possible. A beautiful, exhausting, humbling, exhilarating blur. There were seasons where I was building three things simultaneously and finishing none of them. Seasons where I was the only person who believed what I was building was going anywhere. Seasons where I had to choose between the safe version of myself and the true version, and I chose the true version every single time (even when it cost me). I wouldn't change any of it. Every season has lead to an even greater one after it. After so many seasons, I’m sitting in one where it seems like everything I touch turns to gold. That’s proof of the work that I’ve put in. The work that nobody gets to see.

That said, I actually want to admit to a huge mistake that I’ve been making. Throughout this entire time that I’ve been building, I’ve been extremely reserved and private about each new move. Head down, map it out, build it, repeat. I share my work, but not until after it’s done. (If I even share it then). Then a funny thing happened the other day, and I knew it was time for a change. I told my brother about a campaign that I had done for Prada, and his exact words were: “We need to get your work out there”. All I could do was laugh at the irony of the moment. The reality hit me hard. I’ve been TOO private. So much so, that my closest friends and family have no idea what I do, have done, or who I am in the art world. My WORK is absolutely “out there”. What I’ve kept private is ME. What I’ve protected is my story and journey. What I’ve hidden is the process. I now understand (for so many reasons) why it’s so important that I share. Especially when I could potentially be the reason someone else keeps going.

You see, most people give up on their vision right before it starts to make sense. Not because they aren't talented. Not because the idea wasn't good, but because building something real that is genuinely yours (from the ground up), without a roadmap is one of the scariest, loneliest and most disorienting experiences a person can have. Nobody tells you that. They show you the finished thing and call it inspiration. I realized that I had been doing that. That ends today.

I have hard drives packed with all kinds of stuff that I never share or post. Pictures and videos from every step along the way in this journey. I’m going to pull back the curtain. I’ll share everything. The great days and the hard ones. Things like: Adjunct days on campus at Columbia University. The building that I had my heart set on buying when I first moved, but didn't get approved for. Makeshift offices in my hotel rooms when I’m on the road. Evening walks around the city as I’m gathering inspiration. All nighter solo editing sessions in my home office. Behind the scenes on production sets. Just the overall ins and outs of bringing projects from my brain into fruition.

That's what this blog is. Sharing with you the work, the process, the thinking behind the decisions, and the lessons that only come from actually doing the work rather than just talking about it. I’m going to share with you why something you tried may not have worked, and why/how you should absolutely move forward with something you didn’t.

You've followed my journey through social media, through campaigns, and through the visual work I share on the site. However, to know me is to know I'm a writer first. Always have been. This is where that part of me gets to breathe.

I don't know exactly what every post will entail. Some will be about the creative process. Some will be about business and building. Some will just be observations about the world that I needed to put somewhere. What I can promise you is that each post will be honest, and each one will be worth your time.

Sooo…Welcome to the blog. I can’t wait for you to see everything that’s coming. July and September are HUGE months this year. Lock in with me!

- Karma