To never subdue creativity is a metameme taught to me by Anthony Ward.
New Years Eve (07-08) I spent the evening doing one of my favorite things--watching my favorite group STS9 put on a show. I brought along my little brother to Atlanta to enjoy the experience. Because of anticipation, we would arrive super early, 5 or 6 hours before the actual show, and hang outside the venue to people watch--something we both love to do. There were the neo-hippies, the frat kids, the gangster ticket scalpers, the shady characters trying to sell everyone balloons full of nitrous oxide--you name it, they gathered outside this venue. Many exuded an aura of trying to be different, creative, and unique. As my brother and I waited in line to enter the venue and the crowds began to gather, I noticed a tall African-American man calmly walking back and forth outside of the line, glancing over the crowd. He was very well dressed, with a bit of personal flair that demanded my attention--who was this guy? Even in the middle of this eclectic crowd, this guy was different.
After a few more rounds of walking up and down the line, I recognized him--Anthony Ward, the floral artist who back in the early days of STS9 would arrive on stage during a concert and construct large floral arrangements in step with the music being played. While STS9 no longer did this, Anthony still travels to a show on occasion and on that night he came back to watch his old friends perform.
You have to understand something about me--I grew up watching Nascar, playing baseball, wrestling in high school, and wearing American Eagle because it was the only decent store in town. Nothing about a stylish African-American male from New York City assembling floral arrangements resonated with my upbringing. I never knew anyone remotely like Anthony growing up. That is why what he taught me that night is so remarkable.
I called out to him and asked him if he was who I thought he was. He said he was and we began talking. We talked for 20 minutes about STS9 like two school girls gawking over The Twilight Series. It was hilarious. But suddenly, the conversation changed--he got a very straight face and turned his attention to my life. What was I doing? What were my plans? I told him that I was studying construction management and wanted to go to law school. He asked me if I was happy. I told him I was, but I don't think I sounded very convincing. He then asked me what I really wanted to do with my life. I told him that my dream job would be to do what STS9 was doing--creating music and sharing it with everyone. I told him that I created music all the time in my head, but that I never developed an outlet to let it out, and share it with people.
He challenged me to do it, and to do it now. I shared with him my concern that I would love to, but that economically, it probably wasn't the best use of my time as the chances of being able to support yourself through music are very, very slim. He then taught me an important lesson, "never subdue creativity because of its economic value. Don't go through life avoiding the things you love because there isn't a sufficient economic value placed by others on what you want to do." I thought about that a lot. I also realized that making floral arrangements probably was't the most lucrative occupation, but this man exuded happiness.
Red Spectral was born. http://www.redspectral.blogspot.com
I try not to place an economic value on the music I create and blessed with the opportunity to perform. I don't want it to interfere with my happiness. http://www.beingwithflowers.com/
