The Art of Creativity

"Conceptualizing your creativity with high levels of transparency is one of the most challenging obstacles as an artist."

- Jalen Tarvin

If I were to say the word 'artist', you would probably think I am referring to a musician, or a painter. What if I told you that you are an artist in every day of your life? God is an artist, hence why some people refer to God as "Our Creator". God crafted the world using a craft that we still are unable to understand which is why we prescribe to different religions and such. As products of God, we are also artist and creators. 

Every day, we possess the ability to create and craft our lives however we want. The same way Kanye West crafted the sonic masterpiece known as "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". The same way Jean Michel-Basquiat crafted the illustrious masterpiece "Irony of Negro Policemen". We too, can create masterpieces.

The most powerful tool we possess is our brain, it controls everything we do. The brain is our pen, our tool of creation. It allows us to dictate our creations in totality. Whatever we think is what will happen. Similarly to the typical artist, we suffer from outside inhibitors marginalizing and deconstructing our means of creation. These inhibitors come in many different forms, such as family, friends, and co-workers. How many times in your life have you been told you cannot do something? 

This is where the marginalizing occurs. External questioning of your creativity often results in internal questioning where you begin to question yourself as a creative. Creative restriction occurs and you reach a slump that can be hard to get out of. Over time, we gather so much information from past experiences that we struggle to decipher what is useful for creation and what must be thrown out and put into the spam folder. This causes an issue of transparency, which becomes one of the biggest obstacles we face as artist and creators.

Knowing when and where to be transparent becomes the focal point of our creations, usually hindering us through the fear of being judged or undervalued. One example of this is being an African American in Corporate America. As a Black person in Corporate America, it is very common to run into the brick wall of fitting in and not acting too Black. This is challenging due to the fact that you sprouted as a creator in an environment that cherished your creativity rooted in Black Culture. 

At this point, the job becomes a power struggle, and your creativity suffers accordingly. This is why many people become unhappy at their jobs, because as born creators we often end up in positions that do not cater to our creative mindset resulting in the stagnation of our creative process and restricting creative transparency.

Finding a solution to this can be quite tough because you have to decide whether to assimilate or leave the situation altogether. The best solution will be what you believe will transcend you as a creator. A technique that I often find useful in my creative process is using those uncomfortable and unhappy situations as platforms for new creations. For example, sitting at a desk for 8 hours might not be ideal for your creative process. A short term solution would be to create small challenges and goals throughout the day to continue feeding your willpower during those 8 hours. 

The long term solution would be to invest in the job you really want by investing in your own business or gaining the necessary experience at your current job to transition to a position that caters more to your creative process. An important concept during this time period is to always conceal your creative intentions to mitigate external inhibitors that will distract you from reaching true self-satisfaction.

Another example where transparency is relevant to creativity is in relationships. The idea of two completely different artist working together to hone a compatible craft becomes a terror for most because it forces the idea of creative compromise and selfless actions for the sake of progression. Other times, the two artist are just incompatible despite being attracted to each other's art. How many times have you been on a date and knew within the first five minutes that the person was not for you? 

It happens more than we want, and as artist we must be accepting of the incompatibility with other artist. We often restrict our transparency as creatives to convince ourselves that we can create the compatibility we want with other artist. However, the result is often unwarranted and leaves us with baggage which we never learn to eliminate from our creative process.

In forming new relationships with other artist, we must take the time to learn their creative process before we impose our own. Learning to compromise your needs will be necessary because every artist is selfish. As creators, we produce a vision before we seek to create it and this translates into our relationships. 

Along with that, we should learn to accept the incompatibility with other artist and find anew. Prior to this, we must be comfortable in our own creative process before we begin to intertwine it with other artist, a timely process but a necessary process to create and develop those artistic relationships.

Managing transparency in regards to your creative process becomes one of the biggest challenges in your life. Over time, you will develop a natural ability to know when to conceal and unleash your creativity. The best way to do this is by examining past relationships with other artist and reflecting on the past creations that succeeded and the creations that failed. At my current job which is in Corporate America, I had to learn (and I am still learning) how to master and match my creative process with those around me. 

This also involves unlearning techniques that were once successful in past creative processes. Similar to technology, we must take old creations and ascend them through innovation. Every day you are given the opportunity to transcend your craft and create new masterpieces. When it is all said and done, what will you create that will be remembered when you are dead and gone from this beautiful canvas called Earth?

Bless up,

- young king

be sure to leave a comment. I would love to hear your perspective.

The Art of Spiritual Success

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life." 
- Buddha

I have been spending intensive time meditating on the concept of perfection. I came to the conclusion that I often find myself trying to perfect every area of my life. From meticulous details like making sure my underwear matches my outfit, to the alignment and order of the papers on my work desk. 

I attribute this to my connection with God. Delving even deeper into my conscience, I began to recognize the internal hierarchy of spirit and flesh. Naturally, I think we are perfect at birth, born in the image of God spiritually, but ultimately deterred by the flesh and worldly avenues.

In theory, every creature on earth carries a unique spirit, which is pure at the moment of conception. From the moment you are born, your spirit begins to clash with external spirits, resulting in either diversion or ascension of your spiritual connection with God. 

This starts the circle of life, a pure beginning followed by an engaging journey of reversion to that purity before you die. In the beginning, God created the flesh from dust, when you die your flesh turns back into dust but the spirit lives on forever. I credit this as the parallel of spirit/flesh and life/death.

The juxtaposition of flesh and spirit is signaled within your conscience. Whenever you're doing something wrong your conscience tries to revoke your decision, but for some the flesh becomes so strong that it wins the battle. In the Bible, this test is seen in the story of Adam and Eve where God tests them with the tree of knowledge.

 After being tempted by a serpent, Eve's conscience reminded her that she should not eat of the tree. The Bible described the fruit of the tree as "pleasant to the eyes," illustrating the influence of the flesh. Eve, along with Adam, gave in to the flesh, and ate of the tree, placing flesh over spirit. This is a simple parable that everyone can relate to.

Putting into perspective your success and goals, this concept correlates immensely. The things you want in life are born within your spirit, creating that hunger to reach those aspirations immediately. But frequently, worldly energies born of the flesh will try to contaminate your spirit with negative energies to deter you from your dreams.

A solution to this will be to invoke your conscious spirit to ascend to a level where you can deflect these diametric spirits. Think about the recent energies that have tried to counter your desires and aspirations, these are those worldly energies attacking your spirit (goals & success). Even old energies that you carry from the past can be detrimental, holding you back from your true spiritual success.

At this moment, write down the things that you feel are countering your dreams and success. For me, I write down the feeling of inadequacy. This is why I have spent so much time trying to perfect every area of my life. I often spend time fighting the feeling of inadequacy that I have vividly felt throughout my life. 

To combat this negative energy, I have focused on reaching a spiritual point of internal acceptance for who I am and what I want in life, regardless of the opinions of others. This is easier said than done, but being aware of it will help elevate my spirit, with the ultimate goal of permeating this energy into other areas of my life to maximize success.

You can do it too! Take some time, daily or weekly, to become cognitive of the energies attacking your spirit or the spirits you have carried with you throughout your life that holds you back from your godly potential. Becoming conscious of these energies will be the first step to ascension. 

Next, you must fill this void. That negative energy must be replaced with a reinforced positive energy. For me, I am working on replacing the feeling of inadequacy with reinforced internal acceptance. How will you begin transforming your spirit? Remember, God has already given you the necessary power to eclipse these worldly energies. Elevate your spirit and flourish accordingly!

Bless up,

- young king

be sure to leave a comment. I would love to hear your perspective.

The Art of Burning Fat

"Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live."
- Jim Rohn

We all follow a few people on Instagram who we deem #BodyGoals, or we have this picture perfect image in the back of our minds of how our bodies should look. Whether to impress someone or to make that morning mirror time more enjoyable, we all want to look good as a way to feel good. I remember being 230 lbs my sophomore year of college and being disgusted with myself. Primarily, I hated how I looked in clothes. I also hated being quickly winded every time I would hoop with my brodies. It was quite frustrating.

I want to share with you some vital tips to building a foundation in your fitness journey, simple fixes that can go a long way as you shoot for those #BodyGoals. Try these methods for 30 days to help build new habits and also to learn new things about your body as it relates to your diet. Remember that the ultimate goal of fitness is to improve your diet permanently, not to find a temporary fix.

-- THE 8 GEMS TO BURNING FAT:


GEM #1: THE ONLY WAY TO BURN FAT IS BY BEING IN A CALORIC DEFICIT

Meaning you must be burning more calories (food) than you consume. This does not mean starve yourself. The way to make this happen is by exercise and a thorough diet. The diet supplies your body with the right fuel for your workouts which in turn create the caloric deficit. In most cases, it is easy to eat more food than your body needs because we are not as active as we used to be. Technology has made everything very convenient, so it becomes necessary to get up and be active every day! Even a walk around the block or standing while reading can make a difference.

On top of that, you want to have a stable diet that not only fuels your body but supplies it with the right nutrients. Eating a nutrient dense diet for 5-6 days a week is optimal, with the 7th day being your cheat day (Yes, even God rested on the seventh day). Of course, there will be days where you mess up, but don’t give up, persistence will save you in the long run. Just try to find the balance of lean meats, complex carbs, and veggies as oppose to pizza and ice cream every day. Remember this, one bad day will not hurt just like one good day will not help you!


GEM #2: MORE WEIGHTS, LESS CARDIO

Many people think cardio is the immediate solution to burning fat, but this is not completely true. During cardio, you are only burning calories while you are doing cardio, mainly because there is little to no resistance and the only thing your body is working against is gravity which it has become adjusted to. So really the only thing you end up improving is your cardiovascular. 

If you want to tone certain parts of your body, then this part is for you. To truly burn fat and get toned, you must lift weights and do resistance training! Lifting weights and also doing high intensity interval training (google this) creates that toned look by maintaining the muscle as the fat melts away. If you just do cardio, you do not force your body to maintain the muscle, thus making it harder to tone. 

During resistance training (weight lifting and H.I.I.T)  your body breaks down the muscles forcing your body to burn calories intra-workout. But wait there is more!!! As opposed to traditional cardio, you not only burn calories during the workout but also after, sometimes up to 24 hours after resistance training! You do the math. Shoot for about 3-4 days of resistance training (weight lifting, sprints, swimming, etc) and watch your body evolve.

(Ladies, I know you think that lifting weights will make you look more bulky and like a man, but this is a myth. Women do not have the adequate hormones to get as big as men so don't be afraid to get in the gym and start crushing that iron.)


GEM #3: YOU CANNOT SPOT REDUCE FAT

It is easy to believe that focusing on a specific area will help kill the fat in that area. But this is one of the biggest misconceptions. For example, most people think if you do 1000 sit ups a day, you will burn fat around your stomach but this is false. Body fat is one big cell, making burning fat an accumulative process. This means once you begin to burn fat you can’t control where you lose it.

Depending on genetics, some people are able to burn fat in certain areas faster than others, this is because everybody stores fat differently in different places. So instead just focus on burning fat and improving your overall physique rather than just focusing on one area or you will drive yourself crazy (trust me I’ve been there). Usually the stomach is the last to go for most, especially for men. For some women, butt fat could be the last to go.


GEM #4: DO NOT LET THE SCALE DRIVE YOU CRAZY

This is important because there will be days where you work your ass off and eat perfectly, but when you hop on the scale it has not moved down or it even had the audacity to go up! (Like what?!?) Because of this opt for paying attention to body changes, by looking at your body in the mirror and by taking pictures, preferable in the morning before you eat or drink anything. My ideal situation is right after I wake up, post morning-pee, in nothing but underwear.


GEM #5: DRINK MORE WATER

This is probably the easiest tool for burning fat. Put down the sodas & sugary drinks and only drink water. Burning fat becomes so much easier when you do not drink your calories (remember we have to burn more calories than we consume). Outside of that, your body is 80% water, meaning water is very important. 

Drinking more water will also make you look leaner by cleansing your body of all the toxins and sodium that give you that bloated look.  Water also increases your metabolism meaning more fat burning! Keep in mind that proper hydration is indicated by light to almost clear urine. You want to drink about 80-120 oz of water a day for proper fat burning. 

I know initially, you will be peeing every 10 minutes, but eventually this will stop. Try to accommodate a schedule of drinking water where you do not have to chug it but instead drink it gracefully throughout the date. I like to get most of my water in right when I wake up and during/after my workout. This is when your body is the most dehydrated. Also drinking water before a meal can help with portion control and overeating. I think the saying goes: "Drink water and flourish."


GEM #6: SLEEP

This is probably the most underrated technique for burning fat. Sleep is the best time for your body to burn fat mainly because you are not consuming any food and because your body is in maintenance mode. By depriving your body of sleep, you begin to stress your body immensely, which results in your body not being able to burn fat. So remember No Sleep = No Fat Burning. Aim for at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day (including naps). 

Personally, I need about 7 hours to functional at 100%. Your sweet spot may be 6 hours or even 9 hours! Try turning that TV off at night, putting down the social media a hour before bed, and reducing the amount of carbs you eat before bed for a better nights rest. Scientist recognize blue light as the major killer in the quality of sleep for most people.

 

GEM #7: EAT MORE

I know this may seem like a weird gem but so many people struggle to eat consistently on a regular basis. Not eating consistently can negatively effect your metabolism, resulting in you not being able to maximize fat burning. Just by eating consistent, nutritious meals you will fuel your metabolism for prime-time fat burning. 

A good way to do this is by regulating when you eat. I like to prioritize when I will have time to eat each day, one day in advance. Typically, your schedule will follow similar patterns, so try to figure out when you will be able to fit in meals at the same time each day.

Another great technique is to find about 4-5 nutritious meals that you can cook or buy that you can eat at any time. Ask just about anybody who has succeeded in fitness, they probably have about 4-5 meals that they eat regularly. It removes the confusion of what you will eat day in & day out and also helps you figure out how different foods effect your body. 

Over time you will be able to incorporate new meals to broaden your diet, but start simple first. Find about 4-5 nutritious meals to be the staples of your diet that will help you burn fat.


GEM #8: HAVE PATIENCE

This is probably the most important step because everyone wants to get their dream body overnight but that is not realistic. Getting your dream physique is a process and requires great patience & discipline. There will be days and weeks where you might not see progress, but you must remember that giving up is not an option! There are many different techniques to get you to where you want to be, and once you figure out the best one for you, you will be on your way to your #BodyGoals.

If you are truly serious about achieving your goals, I recommend tracking everything you eat and what exercises you do. One way of doing this is by using the app ‘MyFitnessPal’ (Youtube how to use). Or you could just write it down in a journal. 

Tracking your diet will help you create those good eating habits because you will start to hold yourself more accountable. I promise you if you write down everything you eat and drink for 30 days, it will be the best decision you have ever made.

Remember, everything will not be perfect right away but with effort and discipline, you will be able to not only improve your body but your confidence as well. I have faith in you, if you apply yourself you can accomplish any goal. If you have any questions or topics you would like to see discussed in a future blog drop it in the comment box or contact me on any social media platform @jay_dreamin (except Facebook).

Bless up,

- young king

be sure to leave a comment. I would love to hear your perspective.

The Art of Pain & Pleasure

"Most of us have created numerous ways to feel bad, and only a few ways to truly feel good."
- Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

I remember it like it was yesterday, pressing my favorite white dress shirt. Fastening my new orange tie and shining my new wingtips. I purchased a spring grey slim fit suit just for this special day. The day I graduated undergrad with a BS in Electrical Engineering, the happiest day of my life. Just writing about it provokes a joyous feeling like no other. Often times I think back to this day to bring back the jubilant emotions I felt when I walked across the stage. I want to share with you this tactic and how to utilize it to promote better success in accomplishing your goals. 

One thing that is certain in life is that there will be challenging situations, many will be unavoidable. In certain instances, we can not control the timing of certain hardships. But we can control our response to these hardships. In my recent learning, I have discovered that your life is immensely dictated by emotions. Emotions are present in every decision we make, sometimes limiting us from our true potential. 

Managing these emotions becomes the strenuous task that most people encounter both consciously and subconsciously. It is almost unfair to yourself to let emotions dictate your life when you have full control over them. Now this is easier said than done, but let me put the concept into perspective.

In this very moment, if you smiled as if you have just won the lottery, you will feel a striking feeling of happiness. When God created us, he gave us the ability to shift our emotions in an instant. This shift is made possible through the way our brains are wired. We attach emotions and feelings to certain ideas, images, and sounds. 

If you at any moment started to imagine a joyous moment in your life, it would undoubtedly bring a feeling of joy and happiness into your present state, possibly even making you smile. Contrarily, If you were to imagine an unhappy moment in your life, you would feel your mood darken. Let me explain why. 

The two emotions that dictate our life the most are pain and pleasure. The things we associate pleasure with are where we usually find the most success and they often bring us the most joy, while the things we associate pain with brings us fear and hesitation, often times resulting in failure. Thus, addressing those areas of pain and boosting the areas of pleasure becomes a tactic to promote more success in your life, by removing doubt, fear, and hesitation and replacing it with joy, confidence and triumph.

For example, a past relationship of mine failed because I began to associate more pain with the relationship than pleasure, causing me to give up on it. I lost faith in the pleasure of the relationship and only associated pain with it. This is a position many people find themselves in during relationships, they reach a breaking point. But the difference maker is whether or not that pain breaks them, or if they are strong enough to replace those painful experiences with pleasurable experiences. 

This is what you must do with the goals you want to accomplish in life. You may be in a position where you have associated pain with exercise and eating healthy because you have constantly failed at staying consistent or seeing progress. Or you may have failed at approaching someone you were attracted to because you could not find the courage. That lack of courage causes you to associate pain with approaching people. Over time, the cascading effects of these painful experience begin to hinder your approach to these goals. 

Instead you must challenge yourself to create pleasure with the goals you set. Find a technique that works, don't be afraid to try new ones either. Remind yourself of your success often as a confidence builder. No one has ever got better at something by staying the same. 

As humans we have only been able to evolve because of the new and constant challenges we face and the evolution that follows. Once you start approaching those attractive people or start sticking to that diet plan you keep putting off, you will then begin to remove the painful experiences and also begin to build the confidence and discipline necessary to be successful. Find success and joy in the goals you set, no matter how small. 

As a way to promote more pleasure, I challenge you to not view something as 'painful' but instead as a 'challenging situation'. When something bad goes wrong, instead of thinking "Why?" think "How?". Ask yourself "How can I become better?". Asking yourself "Why?" is more of a question of pain, whereas asking yourself "How?" will promote cleaner emotions and evoke your brain to find an applicable solution. It is your God given ability to find a solution to any problem you face, as humans we have been doing it for years. 

Think back to the Civil Rights Movement. If those glorious leaders would have sat around asking "Why" no progression would have been made. Ask yourself "How can I lose 10 lbs this year?" and "How can I hit my work deadlines early?" and watch your brain do the rest. Remember that Faith without works is dead, so don't forget to complement this tactic with some hard work and dedication. 

Now that I have supplied you with this new tool in accomplishing your goals, go out and start putting it into action! You will always find yourself trying to accomplish new and challenging goals, and by adding this tool you will be more prepared. Every day is a chance to become a better version of yourself! Love.

Bless Up, 

- young king

be sure to leave a comment. I would love to hear your perspective.