 How have the Arts impacted your life?
One of the greatest art forms for me is music. Music is everything to me as I'm sure it is for many people. I've been singing ever since I can remember. In high-school I was in show choir, I even auditioned for American Idol Season four back when I was in my early twenties. If you think about it, there is a song for every emotion that we could possibly go through. If you don't quite have the words to express how you feel about someone, there is probably a song that can help you convey the perfect message. How many times have you said, "Oh that's my jam?!" How many times have you used a song to help you get through something? That is the beauty and the art of music. Tell us about The Love Dr? I'm just a solid, down to earth good dude. I'm just trying to be the greatest husband, father and leader of my family that I can be. When I meet someone or someone has an interaction with me I try my best to make sure they walk away feeling good about my energy towards them and the value of the encounter. I'm just trying to be the best version of myself that I can be and the man I promised that I would be.
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 What role have the Arts played in your creativity?
The arts throughout the years have played a huge role in my creativity. Also, especially music and literature. I find much of my inspiration in music. I turn to music to help me unblock my creativity when experiencing writer’s block. What inspired you to become an author? I have always loved reading. I’ve actually been a writer since elementary school. In the 9th grade, I read Sista Souljah’s Coldest Winter Ever which became one of my biggest inspirations and influences. This book kept me completely entranced. From this entranced feeling, I knew the kind of impact I wanted to have on readers. Tell us about your latest book. My latest book is called Girl Secure Yourself, It was actually written just before the debut of my non-profit also named “Girl Secure Yourself.” It is a coming of age tale of a young woman who thought she had found herself because she had luxuries and an amazing lifestyle, yet she was yearning for the things that money can’t buy. Girl Secure Yourself is a fictional story with an amazing message. The main character who is a woman secures herself in every area of life and always fumbles the bag.  How have the Arts impacted your life?
The arts have impacted my life tremendously. Being in the fashion industry, I’m always thinking of new and creative ways to take my brand to the next level. Art plays a major part in my creative process. Tell us about your company and merchandise. Famous Apparel is a unisex sportswear line. I specialize in graphic tees, sweatshirts, hoodies and more so recently sweatsuits for men and women. What inspired you to become a fashion designer? I’ve always been into clothes. Getting dressed was always more than a task for me, it was a moment for me to express how I wanted to be seen. I got voted best dressed in high school and thank God I did, because I was always late to school because I was looking for something to wear. I didn’t intend on being in the fashion industry at all. I went to school for television /radio production and it’s still very much a passion of mine.  How has the Arts impacted your life?
Art was how I communicated as a child. At 4 years old, I did not talk in kindergarten. The teacher requested to meet with my parents and show them a drawing of a kitten I had drawn for my father. She had never seen such a drawing from a child. It was determined then that this was my form of communication. Now as an adult, Art has reached out to me, and now after a decade of fighting inner demons through psychotherapy, Art is now the main instrument for communication once again. How would you describe your style of art? I do the work. If it’s perusing paint or as my latest sculptural pieces pushing charred bone and rust. I am mostly defined by my piers that I push the limits of abstraction. What inspires you to create art? Inspiration comes from many areas for me. I have been inspired to work on a piece by experiencing a simple gesture of a touch which might be a soft water color or as strong as being thrown against a wall like a rag doll after a car bomb detonated in my vicinity in the early 90’s in Lima, Peru inspiring me to use body bags covered in charred bone as a sculptural piece. |