Hey Paradigm, I move quick—are you ready to run with me?
I am still here at Urth, what a serene location. I decided to get their food for dinner, and I do not regret my decision.
Right now, I’m deep in the trenches with a bug on my website. It’s a small thing, really: the music player in the footer restarts the song every time you click on certain elements. But it’s one of those details that keeps me up at night because I want my work to flow seamlessly. These are the kinds of walls I hit when I’m working independently.... although breaking those walls leads to breakthroughs in my art.
For the past year and a half, I’ve lived in isolation, slinging coffee at various shops and landing at Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters, a favorite spot back home. This mundane experience forced me to reckon with myself and observe who I am honestly while the isolation allowed me to focus on my craft. My nearest friends were an hour and a half a way for most of my time there.
Living with my parents was hard; we’ve had a complicated relationship since my teens. But I grew so much. I learned to love the parts of my family that needed love and to communicate to them how I receive love.
For much of my life, I’ve been quiet—uncomfortable with things as simple as making eye contact. But this city has changed that. There’s something about being here, about the energy and intensity, that has made me feel more seen, more grounded, even though I barely know 5 people. Now, I can look people deep in their eyes and feel secure in my endeavors. It’s a silent gesture, but one that is monumental to my growth.
I left Colorado with a mission: to make a real name for myself, to create meaningful work, and to get in front of as many people as I could quickly and with no convictions to hold me back. I’m at a point in my life where all my work feels potent and consistent. Unlike most of my peers, I’m making original art rooted in practice, culture, and admiration.
I’ll admit, sometimes I wrestle with how my words come across. I hate sounding arrogant, but I also know the value of what I bring to the table and its urgency. The issue is, I’m not interested in crawling through the parade of aimless “talents,” I’m here to prove that my work is prescient, meaningful, worth platforming, and capable of moving mountains. It's just a matter of having the right team, and I have no time to waste...
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