September 1st marks the first year of the dream that I had of an eye looking at me. This same dream led to the creation of Specs Crew. I now reflect back to that dream. What made that dream so different than others that I had? It was just and eye. Why did I have the urge to paint when I had never had that desire prior? To be honest I still can’t answer those questions. For me the dream came at a time in my life when I had no true passion in anything. I had pushed all my interests such as writing, music and photography to the side in order to try to be the ultimate social worker. I found that when I pushed my outlets to the side I created a strain on the main thing I was focusing on. For me at the time it was my job as a Social Worker. What I try to focus on now is balance. I now know that to achieve this balance it will be a life long mission as balance changes from moment to moment.
The addition of Specs Crew in my life has made me extremely happy. I love everything about what I am doing. When I paint it relaxes me. When I spec people it brings me joy to see them excited about putting on specs and for some holding a Boombox for the first time. I smile now when I look back at the first painting that was taken with me holding “The Eye”. At that time I didn’t consider myself as an artist. I saw myself as a guy painting with oils and acrylic paint not knowing what I was doing other than trying to get this eye out of my head. I now look back at what I was able to do after I painted that first eye. To this date I have painted over 70 paintings. In the first 2 months I was able to sell my first painting for $260. To this date I have sold a total of four paintings and have given away over two. This journey began a dream of an eye and before the first year could end I had my first solo art and photography exhibit. Wow! I am so proud of myself. I remember the night I was able to mount all of my work in the gallery. I crossed the street and sat on the corner looking back into the gallery. It was a surreal moment. Is that my work in a gallery? I had already known that I was capable of doing anything I put my mind to do but at that moment I was sure I could do anything that I put my mind to do.
If I could tell you anything I learned during this infancy of Specs Crew I would say take action. It sucks to talk about something that you haven’t done. I learned people don’t want to hear what you are going to do rather they want to know what you have done already. And even when you tell them what you have done they want to know what you are going to do next. The cool thing about having a business and a passion that is based on your own creation and creativity is new things can come at any moment. Find your passion and run with it. Find your passion and take action. Seriously take action. Don’t be that person that just talks about it rather be about it.
This photo was taken by my niece on September 1st 2012. This is the eye that began the journey that is now Specs Crew.
This is the flyer for my first Solo Show at the Conrad L. Mallett Gallery in Hartford. The show was put up on August 15th 2013 and will run through September 6th 2013.
Specs Crew year in review:
1. October 2012: Specs Crew was invited by June Archer to paint during the 10th anniversary of Hot Chocolate Soul at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, CT.
2. October 2012: Specs Crew Educates was launched at Burr School in Hartford. The acronym: Support-Perspective-Educate-Creat-Perspective-Connection-Respect-Empower-Words was created in order to facilitate conversation. The program encouraged the youth to tap into there own innate abilities. Kareem did one of the very first Get Spec’d events with the students specing over 160 kids.
3. November 2012: Specs Crew was apart of a group showing during the opening of Open Studio Hartford.
4. November 2012: Specs Crew showcased his art along with many other artists during Open Studio Hartford.
5. November 2012: Specs Crew launched specscrew.com
6. November 2012: Specs Crew sold its first painting.
7. November 2012: Get Spec’d During the Hartford Hip Hop Festival @ Hartford Library.
8. January 2012: Get Spec’d during A moment with the Dream Chasers @ Hartford
Library.
9. February 2013: Get Spec’d event for the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford.
10. February 2013: Get Spec’d @ Symmetry Nigh Club for Neutral Grounds.
11. February 2013: The launch of Specs Crew TV.
12. February 2013: Specs Crew Educates and Get Spec’d @ Boys & Girls Club Trinity Campus in Hartford.
13. March 2013: Get Spec’d @ Jumoke Academy in Hartford.
14. March 2013: Get Spec’d during Thick Chronicles @ Western New England College in Springfield MA.
15. March 2013: Get Spec’d during Thick Chronicles Trinity University college in Hartford, CT.
16. March 2013: Get Spec’d Jumoke Academy on Asylum Hill in Hartford, CT.
17. March 2013: Four Paintings on exhibit at Opticians Unlimited on Pratt Street in Hartford.
18. April 2013: Get Spec’d during the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival in Hartford, CT.
19. May 2013: The creation of Specs Crew Comics and Animation.
20. July 2013: Get Spec’d during Storytellers at Manchester Community College Art Center in Manchester CT.
21. July 2013: Get Spec’d during Cultural Shock Connecticut at Nomads in South Windsor, CT.
22: August 9th: Get Spec’d sponsor at Written in Brooklyn
23: August 15th: My first solo art and photography exhibit. Specs Crew Presents: Get Spec’d an Art and Photography Exhibit at the Conrad L. Mallett Gallery in Capital Community College.