1.4.22 / "knowledge is important, but only if we’re being kind and gentle with ourselves as we work to discover who we are"

this 35mm photograph (“000021180013”) was created january 7, 2019, in twentynine palms, california.

it was created with fujicolor 200 film with a canon sureshot 105.

what i love about this photograph is that overwhelming sky. the mountains are dwarfed by the sky, the clouds sliding over them. it makes me think of bradford young’s brilliant work in arrival (2016). yes…that shot… 

this mix was created on july 3, 2021 on the island of kaua’i.

it is a morning mix for inspiration + uplift (continued from yesterday!) featuring nubya garcia, kokoroko + lenny kravitz. these are all recordings of live performances.

i remember feeling excited for the day while making this mix!

this quote is by brené brown from “the gifts of imperfection”

i discovered this quote on december 26, 2017 on kiawah island, south carolina.

to me this means…nothing matters more than LOVE. there is nothing to brag about but LOVE.

1.3.22 / "it is the will to change that motivates us to seek help"

this 35mm photograph (“000047290005”) was created in April 2019, in los angeles, california.

it was created with fuji superia 400 film with a vivitar ps35 camera.

what i love about this photograph is the light leak across the left side + how it bleeds into the delicate pink blossoms of the tree as they’re offset by the sky. This is one of my favorite photographs that I’ve created / pink is one of my favorite colors and I love the way it pops in this image. 

this mix was created on july 3, 2021 on the island of kaua’i.

it is a morning mix for inspiration + uplift featuring robert glasper, yasiin bey, chris dave, derrick hodge, yussef dayes, alfa mist, mansur brown, rocco palladino, james baldwin, freddie hubbard + shigeto.

i remember feeling excited for the day while making this mix! “umi says” is another daily listen to me. 

this quote is by harriet lerner from “the dance of intimacy” taken from the preface of “the will to change” by bell hooks

i discovered this quote on july 2019 in los angeles.

what this means to me…no power, no talent, no skill, no smarts is worth love. 

BE LOVE. That’s all that truly matters.

1.2.22 / "peace must begin with ourselves"

this 35mm photograph (000072310014) was created on september 12, 2019, at toronto pearson airport in mississauga, ontario, canada.

it was created with kodak 400tx b+w film with a pentax k1000.

what i love about this photograph is that captures the process of self-portraiture, both analog and digital. i am much more comfortable creating images of other people, but i am grateful that i captured myself in this moment, as i was embarking on my creative retreat to london. i had such an amazing time, it was my first solo trip to europe and while i was there i created some art that i love.

here are some accompanying frames of this process, taken from my iphone. aka here’s what my phone saw…

this mix was created april 5, 2021 on the island of kaua’i.

it is a mix of john coltrane’s “a love supreme” - a straight playthrough if you will!

i don’t remember how i felt while making this mix…but i can surmise a few things. i know from my photo archive that i had just shaved my head 10 minutes before and i always feel very sleek and refreshed when i shave my head. 

i make a habit of listening to john coltrane’s “a love supreme” every day. i try to make it the first music i listen to every day because it serves as a mediation + prayer to GOD. i find it a wonderful way to start each day, channeling the intention + energy that coltrane poured into this masterwork. i will write more extensively about “a love supreme” as it is the most influential musical work that i have ever experienced…(i truly love this album)….but for now i’ll just leave you with the liner notes with coltrane’s letter to the listener…

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this quote is by thich nhat hanh from “your true home”

i discovered this quote on january 2, 2021 on the island of kaua’i

over the next 9 days, i’m going to be reflecting on the following verses (1-8, 13) from 1 corinthians. 1 verse each day + a reflection on what they mean to me.

for context, the full selection:

“if i speak in the tongues of men or angels, but do not have love, i am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. if i have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if i have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, i am nothing. if i give all i possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that i may boast, but do not have love, i gain nothing. 

love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

love never fails. but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

- 1 corinthians 13:1-8 niv

“and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. but the greatest of these is love.”

- 1 corinthians 13:13 niv

a word on spirituality: in this journal we will explore a variety of teachings from various faiths, including christianity, buddhism, islam. there is not intent to covert or to mediate anyone’s spiritual walk…faith is a personal journey for each person + i wish everyone well on their journey. the hope is that these teachings will inspire + uplift…this is not a place of judgement or condemnation. i am just a fellow traveller trying to make sense of what it is to be human on this earth in this time. as i have studied the christian bible the most, many reflections will come from the bible. as i spend more time with other texts and teachings, i am excited to share what i find. and i welcome all conversations + recommendations - i am here to learn + share what resonates with me. i have no interest in advocating for or defending one particular spiritual path. 

as for me: i am a man of faith. my spiritual walk is an intrinsic part of my life. it informs + inspires everything i do. everything - the art i create + curate, my business, my personal + intimate relationships, and yes…my sex life (we’ll be talking a lot about this because i think there is so much harm perpetuated by modern religions when it comes to sexuality + shame). 

i am proud to claim my relationship with the creator + i am grateful for the ways in which my spiritual walk has enriched my life, brought me comfort in my lowest moments + inspired me to seek satisfaction + fulfillment beyond my personal self-interests. 

but…i was not always proud to claim GOD. there were many years that i was ashamed/embarrassed/hesitant to be publicly known as a christian. i saw the judgment + hate that so many “so-called christians” poured into this world…towards those of different faiths, sexual identities + gender expressions. i felt that judgment + felt ashamed of parts of myself that i was told that GOD would hate. i did not want to be identified with their hate…and so i didn’t speak openly about my faith. i ceded the ground to these “so-called christians” (s-c c) and let them spit hate while claiming the banner of unconditional love.

no longer. i’m tired of their lies.

any behavior that is not rooted in love + respect for the humanity of all human beings, regardless of status, class or life choices, is contrary to the teachings of JESUS CHRIST. love is the only thing that matters. that’s how i read the bible + that is at the core of my relationship with GOD. 

so! in summation, today’s verse means to me…if you’re not talking love…you’re just making a lot of noise.

“if i speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, i am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

- 1 corinthians 13:1 niv

LOVE is all that matters. be LOVE.

1.1.22 / "happiness is a function of compassion"

this 35mm photograph was created september 2019, on kiawah island, south carolina.

it was created with kodak 400tx b+w film with a pentax k1000.

what i love about this photograph is that it’s the first of the roll which gives the drastic light leak that cuts the photo in half. my mind fills in the hidden symmetry of the window pane…i can almost see it in my mind… it feels like a stolen, half-forgotten memory…only enhanced by the grain of the film. 

this mix was created july 11, 2020 on kiawah island, south carolina.

i remember feeling excited while making this mix! this is one of my favorite songs i’ve ever created…i had played around with using excerpts from james baldwin’s “the artist’s struggle for integrity” in the days prior to this mix…but i had not yet experimented with looping balwin to emphasize feeling and resonance. i couldn’t believe what i was doing…and i loved hearing the track unfold live. you can watch the creative process unfold here (i recorded this session!)

this quote is by thich nhat hanh from “your true home”

i discovered this quote on january 1, 2021 on kaua’i

don’t be afraid…just LOVE