We skipped the New Year’s resolutions this year, and turned to action.

On 1.11.2020, I packed two bags, and made my way to the mecca of the Southeast – Atlanta, Georgia. In the most quiet way, I prepared for this journey only three months prior to actually leaving what was my home of three years, Charleston, SC. Aside from living in Japan in 2014, I had never not lived in South Carolina. Having access to a close knit community, my family and getting involved in helping to shape and transform the creative scenes in the Holy City and Columbia made me very comfortable with that choice for a long time. But after awhile, something clicked: It’s time to step out on faith, see the world, and get closely aligned with my purpose.

It sounded so out of the blue at first. I mean, nothing was perfect about my journey in my home state, especially these past few years, but given the good and the bad, I wasn’t unhappy. But I later realized, it wasn’t unhappiness that made me feel that way, it was being and feeling unfulfilled in certain aspects of my life that only I could really change.

I push myself very hard., and I work even harder. But given what this past year has taught me, I’ve got to move with a whole lot more intention. What is the purpose? Why do the project? Does this work align with your purpose and end goal? Is the work helpful or hurtful to your brand? What is the cost (to your mental health, physical health, and financial health) of doing the project or partnership?

I love telling stories and showcasing the journey of others. I didn’t feel at first that it really even needed a price attached to it – I just desired to do the work. But 2019 granted me a number of valuable opportunities that shifted my focus from just moving, to moving with intention. And being CONSISTENT.

In a previous blog post, I discussed my happenstance opportunity to work the REVOLT Summit with P. Diddy in Atlanta. Being surrounded by his knowledge and great work, along with the knowledge of other celebrity guests really opened my eyes to seeing the massive impact I could also create with the visions that I have for my company, Conqueror Movement, and my personal story telling avenue through Life Through Art Media. It wasn’t that I was ever blinded to the opportunity, but I definitely had my focus set on what was the modern day way of thinking about success and sustainability. I worked in news for 6 years, and had a great background in producing content. I always thought about solely taking that world by storm, and that my other talents were just a bonus of the craft. But given how much of a direct impact my brands have made on my community, and surrounding areas, it was time to rethink that plan, and have a little more confidence in ME.

After discussing the possibility of a move like this with my SC support system, and new relationships in Atlanta, I had no choice but to go for it.

Not seizing this opportunity would only lead to regret, and that’s not the life that I want to live for myself. In 2019, I told myself that 2020 would be very different. No longer are we being afraid to step into the forefront. We will not be afraid to take chances. We will embrace failure and learn from it, and be thankful that we even tried. We will honor ourselves and our work. We will be proud of the legacy that we are creating.

With this move comes some very intentional changes to this blogging platform, and my brain child, The Conqueror Movement.

Here at Life Through Art Media, I will be making it a point to get more community involvement into my writing. I don’t just want to let out my feelings and share my advice with you on tough topics, but I want to bring in the voices of those you look up to in your community and have genuine conversations with them, and expand how we tackle those tough topics as a community. You will see a lot more behind the scenes of what this journey for me here in Atlanta looks like – the good and the bad! We’re not holding anything back. And lastly, expect some pop up events all across the Southeast.

Actions speak louder than words. Welcome to my world.

 

 

Here are just a few photos from my Atlanta experience so far. As you can see, we had a lot of foodie ventures. I’m also now even more in love with Ponce City Market and will be a regular visitor. Cheers to new experiences!