You need to love where you live. And you know what they say about NYC, if you can make it here, then you’re good. Bushwick is my home, but the city is where I reside. I have always documented my life and creations. Instagram has become a great outlet to share those photos of my journey. It’s a chance to really connect with an audience that actually wants to see your art. Whenever I have a moment that offers a new perspective on my life, I once again become conscious of the fact I’m living in New York City. I have found people crave to experience the unique flavor that being here provides.
Then I get to thinking. It brings up memories of when I was in high school, I dreamt of living in The Village. I wanted to go to a school where I could compete in a stimulating, creative environment. At the time, all I knew about the city was Washington Square Park and Alamo, the giant cube you can spin on Astor Place. It was close the to the NJ PATH train. Being from New Jersey, it was all I knew.
I applied to Parsons New School because I believed it would be the place I could find myself. The city would give me an endless supply of inspiration. I ended up going to Kutztown University, all the way in Pennsylvania, almost the opposite direction, but I never regretted my decision. Things happen in their own time. I have no loans and I lucked out with terrific professors. The piers I studied with were very talented and offered the kind of artistic competition I desired. For me, it set the standard which still guides me today. But I always wondered, “What if I had?”.
After jumping around the country, Philadelphia to San Diego, I came back east to my roots. The city called me, and I started building. Moved to Brooklyn in 2006 and met so many interesting people along the way. Creating, especially your life, is a never ending process. It is also a precious gift. After 13 years, I definitively consider myself a New Yorker.
I am sharing a few of my Instagram posts of places I have photographed in the city. Perhaps it will motivate you to follow your dreams or come to the conclusion NYC is the only place for you to be.
🤔 Would you get this on a t-shirt?
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