NOBODY HAS A MONOPOLY ON GOOD IDEAS

I have worked for the past 3 years with a bunch of creatives on several projects. As a self-taught creative, I have through the years realized one truth: That Nobody has a Monopoly on Good Ideas; and that nobody is irreplaceable!

It is easy, when especially you are a group of friends working on a project or a functional creative business, to get into the tendency of believing what you want to believe; which in most cases is not usually a reality. When you believe so much in what you are doing and you are working 16 or more hours a day everyday on your job, inevitably it gets into your head. And this is the point where if you are not conscious enough stagnation will come in. If you are constantly telling yourself good things and always magnifying your successes, as it lifts your spirit, it also registers a false perception that you are too good. Not to say that taking stock of your successes is inappropriate, only that you need to put a balance between celebrating and moving on. You have to always remember that your previous success is easily your greatest current threat.

One dreadful mentality that you can ever cultivate in your mind is that you are irreplaceable. Yes, as a person you are unique in your own way, but as far as your work you are just one among many, and very much replaceable! To believe that you possess an impeccable set of skills that only you can offer is to buy into a lie. And the worst kind of lies is those we tell ourselves. The truth is what you can do someone else can do it as good or better.

When I see a creative who thrives so much on a past project, usually it’s a red flag for me. I mean simply anyone can get lucky one time, two time or three; but to show consistency it needs much more than luck. And perhaps that’s the true meaning of being a creative. You have got to be constantly working, always creating new ideas. Whether it’s a sport, art or a career, you have to keep creating. Doing this does not only prove to your audience that your work is no game of luck, but it also allows you to make as much legitimate errors and learn from them. Ultimately you will become a master of your art.

FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE LOST YOU HAVE GAINED SOMETHING

Over the past few months, I have gone through a rough phase in my life. First, I lost my job and subsequently a few horrible things happened. Some of my personal projects I had started had to stop because either, obviously, I lucked financing to ensure their continuity or, and more so, because I became paranoid and made a lot of emotional decisions.

As I scribe these words I am having internal battles in my mind and heart whether or not to continue writing, and whether a few years from now I won’t look back and see this as immature; I have decided to continue writing because in this story I am saying the truth, and not just saying it to you who is reading this right now but, importantly saying it to myself. And even many years from now I won’t care if such a gesture seems adolescent.  

Those who may know me personally or are regular visitors on the blog probably know by now about my involvement with a fashion styling group called Neibaz. A trio, I was part of the founding members of this men’s lifestyle blog that used style to tell stories. Initially a group of friends from high school, we were brought together as a result of our thirst for art, we wanted to present a fresh outlook on the men’s fashion scene through combining our different backgrounds and perspectives; and thus Neibaz was born. Soon after inception we quickly grew ‘famous’. As we grew on the internet and also outside social platform, we realized that with a little more effort and organization, we could as well make a living off of our passion.

P R I N C E

My latest post explores the role of style as part of lifestyle on a childhood level. For most of us, clothing was introduced to us by our parents/guardians in our childhood as a statement in events, family gatherings, or typically on church day. Thus it makes us, as we grow into our adolescent and adulthood instinctively conscious about garment. The girl child on this has an edge since for her fashion/style is imposed on her by society and long standing history about girl adornment. But for a man style requires alternative thinking.

In this post, I talk about making a stylish man by chronicling the prototype from a child’s perspective. While doing so, I wanted to present this within the context of a child’s background so what I did was I took vintage pieces from our childhood games and put them together with what kids nowadays want to play with. This was important for me because connecting with a story is an important aspect in telling the story. I am happy to give you the images from ‘P R I N C E’ 

Model: Prince

Photography: Studio 90z

Set and styling: Haji Mutonye