I did it for you

I don’t know about the others,
but I couldn’t do this without you…

I've been making unique items and embarking on adventures since I was a little kid. I was (and still am) pretty different—I looked, spoke, and acted unlike the other kids in my school, neighborhood, and city. That often meant I had to create my own fun.

The thing is, the more you do that, the stranger you become...

Even when I found my first community among skateboarders in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, I still felt like an outsider. My glasses would frequently fall off while skateboarding, and my trousers were always too big, held up with an old shoelace. I couldn’t afford the clothes and shoes, so I’d rummage through the bargain bins at discount stores for anything that looked right. It was a trade-off between getting the right look and the right size…

One day, I noticed some kids had decks with graphics designed by their favorite skaters. So, I went to my local hardware store, bought a can of black spray paint, and made one for my best friend.

Since then, I’ve been hooked on creating things for myself and my friends.

Whenever I make anything, I have one person in mind. Spiritually, I hope that whatever I’m making reaches them, and if I’m honest in the way I’ve made it, it has the same impact on them as it does on me.

If I want to grow, I need to create for others.

I still create things for myself. I take some time out each year to focus on the pure side of art. I disappear for as long as I can, waiting for my close friends to pull me out of the wilderness and make sure I don’t get too lost. Those months and years are for me—they’re for the internal artist who wants to stay hidden.

But they’re just my preparation for real growth, and right now, I want to see how much I can grow and contribute to my friends’ lives… your lives...

Hopefully, I’m still helpful.

In 2019, I started creating for people I didn’t know, and it was terrifying. I was vulnerable in a new way, exposing parts of myself that I didn’t fully understand. That vulnerability brings both good and bad—there’s always someone ready to hurt you when you show yourself to the world.

I also remember the first time my work ended up in the wrong hands. It hurt, but I knew I had to experience that pain to learn and grow.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had to think about what’s more important to me:

Making money and not caring who has my work, or ensuring the right people have access to it, even if it means making a little less.

Creating single editions of everything was the first step in ensuring that everyone who has my work owns something special.

Next week, I’m going to try something different, and I need your help.

We’re going to give someone in this newsletter a Vogue Mirror, but it will go to the person who deserves it most.

If you want a Mirror, fill out the form below.

I’ll choose one person this week and announce it in the next newsletter.

TL;DR

Answer Question; Win Mirror

Painting

I made this, I like it a lot.

It’s the third phase of my exploration of Violets and Purple.

We all have that friend who stays up later than everyone else and has crazy boyfriends but when you need her appears out of the darkness gives you some sage wisdom and saves the day. She’s cool, I made this for her.

I love the feeling of furled-up fabric in this color and how that makes me feel.

There’s backstory and inspiration on the slides, if you can figure it out you’re smarter than I am…

Music

My friend Nimino just released a Banger.

Check it out below.

Hope you have a great weekend

With Love,

R