MISTERSOUL216

Online I spell it as "mistersoul216" because the period in the "mr." can sometimes throw things off in the net world. I tag it as "mr.soul" because it's quick and simple. It represents my style of art and my personality. And the 216 represents Tha Land that I am from..."Thieveland™". If ya don't know, betta ask somebody...

Where did the name come from? I'm asked this many times, so here's the official story, complete with a fresh new piece I will be using to further brand the name and myself.

So, back in '95 during my creative creep on a come up in Cleveland, I was the go-to guy for my homeboy and Cleveland legend DJ CENTIPEDE. 'Pede was known for throwing the very successful MIX MASTER MASSACRE DJ Battles back then and he provided me with the opportunity to get my work out by doing the flyers for the event. In the process of this, 'Pede used to always call me and say, "What up Mr.Soul?". It was his version of greeting me as my company (which was Visual Soul). I never really thought much about it, but then I moved to Atlanta, and my homeboy BJ Kerr followed suit. So I took it as something to embrace and to represent..

So at that point I decided that I had to give it meaning. I carved out a few acronyms to further break down the SOUL, one of them being Student Of Universal Law/Love. The others I can't share yet because there are people out there sharpening their teeth, waitin' to bite!

In addition to the acronyms, I decided that everything I designed or created should embody the definition of soul. It should be fluid and have movement, invoke emotion, and MEAN SOMETHING. I was heavily inspired by the movement of Atlanta's Dungeon Family around the same time, and so that music background provided me with the motivation and inspiration necessary to create. I wanted my artwork to visually represent what I heard through the music of Outkast, Goodie MOb., Society Of Soul, etc.


And so that's how the name came about and what it means! And now, the art...









"You know who it is, you know what it is...peace out."

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME..

..i shouldn't have left you!

Greetings people. So sorry for the 2 month hiatus on my blogisms. A brotha been bus juggling a few projects and sanity. A lot has gone down since the last post, so much that I don't feel like updating EVERYTHING...lol. But I'm going to try to keep up again.

Stay tuned!


"You know who it is, you know what it is...peace out."

PASSION

Passion is and ingredient that allows dreams to come true. It is a very important component in everything we do because without it, we wouldn't have the motivation to press on. It is required in achieving our goals and having healthy relationships with others. If you are passionate about you craft, as in my case art, you will walk through hot coals to reach your destination. If it is your friends, you will sacrifice any and all that you have to ensure they are well taken care of when in need. And if you are passionate about someone you love, you will go through extreme measures to express that to them so that they know you're there for them, even when it is assumed.

Your passion is what keeps you up late at night working on multiple projects...or what keeps you in front of a canvas for hours upon hours, leading into days, to complete a masterpiece. It's what allows you to give your last $10 to someone because your desire to help them is greater than helping yourself.

I've been passionate about a lot of things early on in my life. My art, my family, my friends, the pursuit of truth...these are things I would die for. I remember me and my creative crew use to take chances looting art stores and hardware stores for supplies and paint because we were determined to be heard through our art. We couldn't really afford those things at the time, however our passion drove us to expropriate these items because the ends justified the means. Although many of us have taken different routes in pursuing our dreams, I can look to each one of them today and see that their passion has continued to carry them on.

I've always been very big on my family and friends. It is a great fortune to have such a supportive network of people around you. Family and friends, if they're true, will always continue to motivate you and remind of you why it is you're doing what you're doing. I know sometimes I get so caught up in playing circus clown, juggling all these responsibilities, that I sometimes lose my focus. But it's usually someone close who reminds me of what I've set out to do, and why it is important to keep going strong. They remind me that I've always been passionate about my work, even when I don't think I am.


Some people lack passion, or operate on a half tank of it. They try to pretend with themselves and others that the are deeply involved in things, but you can tell by the fruits of their labor, or by how it rubs off on you. At some point it will become evident that they are not only posing, but risk the chance of sucking you dry of energy necessary to achieve your own goals. Be careful of these people as they often lack purpose and will detract you from yours.

So what are YOU passionate about? Is it someone special? A project you've been working on? Helping another person when in need? Whatever it is, identify with and latch on to it real strong. Use that to get through those tough times...and at some point all that hard work and focus will manifest into positive things.



"You know who it is, you know what it is...peace out."

PROJECT: 382 Financial Group

382 Financial Group is a loyal client I've had for a couple years now. Ariaka came to me through a longtime client and friend, BJ who actually gave me my first big shot in Atlanta by providing me with a plethora of work from Patchwerk Recording Studios 12 years ago. I've come a long way since 1997 and have continued to provide creative services for Patchwerk and BJ's various ventures.

So 382 Tax & Accounting is helping you get your taxes together this year! Give Ariaka a call to have her work it out for YOU! Tell her you found her by visiting my blog and she'll show you some MAJOR love...by humbly thanking you for coming to support a Black business!




"You know who it is, you know what it is...peace out."

Ready 4 The World...

Finally, my own blog! I've been saying I was going to do this for a few months now since a few people very close to me have been up and runnin' at it. Now that I somewhat have this figured out, I can keep you posted on the developmental stages of projects I'm working on, or you can just peep to see what's on my mind from time to time.

It's 3:20AM, and I've spent much of the evening and night getting familiar with how to customize my new "home", so I'm rather burnt out right now! But there are a lot of important things going on this week, so I'm sure I'll have some good stuff for you over the next couple of days!

Stay tuned, visit often!

"You know who it is, you know what it is...peace out"