-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?

My artistic journey from sewing, designing, composing music, to writing, was inspired by many people and a few circumstances. For me, it all began with my recovery from the fall when I was five years old. There was a Persian Silk Tree in our front yard, where I was playing with cousins. We were playing in the tree, hanging from the tree limb I was swinging my body, when I lost my grip and collided with a root growing above ground. My right orbital bone and the cartilage in my nose were shattered. It was during my recuperation at home that I came across fashion mags my mother had lying around. She would sew clothes for us when she got home from work. The correlation between the clothes my mother made and the clothes I saw in magazines began at this point. She inspired me to concentrate on sewing clothes. I still vaguely remember her saying, “This will make you feel better, papa”. This inspired me to create apparel that would make others feel good about themselves. I clearly recall changing the lyrics to the 1981 song Endless Love after listening to it on the radio for about a month. I decided to use my writing abilities when I started to grow annoyed with songs that radio stations would play over and over. I shared it with a neighborhood friend at the time, he was shocked at what he read. I regret not saving the paper because things were thrown away as we moved to new homes. I started drawing body shapes gradually by the age 11-12. I had become aware of Prince and Sheila E. and as I watched their performances I paid attention to the details. The staging, costumes, and apparel inspired me to continue being creative. They also inspired my desire to compose music. Having had piano lessons early in life, I squeezed my way into junior high band. The majority of pupils enrolled in band classes at the start of the academic year. I exerted constant pressure to enroll in band classes at the conclusion of the Christmas vacation. Following visits to every level of the school office including the principal, assistant principal, teachers, and counselors, eventually after Christmas break I was able to enroll in band class. I never showed any disrespect whatsoever. I simply couldn’t wait for the start of the new school year. For me, writing has always been something I feared. Constantly hearing criticism of improper particulars from people use to confuse me. I began to doubt everything and everyone as a result of what I was taught at school verses what I read on the tv, billboards, and read the details in lyrics that Prince and other artists wrote. 

Just before Christmas and the tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean of 2004, I lost a number of family members and friends. I’ve never been one to give up on something or pause because of tragedy, so writing myself out of the beginning of depression was sparked by the terrible effects the world was going through and my own personal losses. This is what brought “Thankful” to life. From this point forward I began putting down ideas that gradually developed into full-fledged work that has been awarded IPAs – Best Inspirational of 2016. Which lead to me writing the screenplay which has achieved just over 40 awards and accolades to date.

-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?

Yes, for a true artist I believe there is an expressive revolution within them. This is what makes art fans around the world realize the numerous powers that true artists agree or disagree with. A true artist is aware that their work takes time to develop and become innovative. That in itself marks the start of the revolution. Similar to the art itself, a lot of work goes into it that is hidden from public view. One hopes that the culmination of all the construction, irritation, rework, and groundwork will be what is known as an overnight sensation.

-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?

Respect for one another and balance have always been my two main beliefs when it comes to bringing about any kind of healing. I think that if people made art that represented these two ideas and shared it across technical platforms, i.e., social media, video, tv, etc… people would be compelled to believe in one another. Rather than competing with one another over whose ideals are superior to or inferior to theirs. I think that if artists concentrated their work on these two perspectives, the world may gradually mend.

-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?

I usually have three or five projects going at once because I’m constantly working on new ones. Design wise: I’m getting ready for a cover photo for the December issue of Fashion Art Media Magazine, a Scottish publication. I’m producing a number of items that I’ll be featured in photos in. I worked with an artist on one outfit and he made a 3D printed crown to go with a king’s robe. I have hand-sewn the robe’s edge detailing for 562.5 hours. The 3D artist is among the few who have seen the king’s robe in person. As far as he is aware, no one has ever replicated this same robe since the film. In addition I am working on a few of costumes for a magician. For a separate client, a bespoke Santa costume. I came up with the notion of what I call the Velcro Santa, which is created with detachable fur that can be cleaned independently of the velvet costume. This design is meant for a client who performs as Santa Claus around the holidays. From what I understand he brings holiday cheer by floating around to different hospitals, charitable activities, and other gatherings. There are a few collections floating on the table in between writing, promoting ongoing projects, and custom designing for clients.  Writing-wise: I switch between four different stories. One work of fiction is a prequel to a tale from the late 1970s. Another is set in the late 1700s and early 1800s and is based on Madame LaLaurie. One is a contemporary drama / relationship of convenience love tale. There are countless tales of love, grief, and the discovery of genuine love following a heartbreak. For the same concepts as a traditional romance, this one is a little different. The most recent manuscript, “Unity – New Traditions for LGBT Nuptials”. I am still working on this project, fine-tuning the specifics till it is published. In observance of long-standing religious customs, heterosexual societal norms, and wedding traditions, I have completely redesigned the nuptials for LGBT couples. This undertaking is enormous! There’s a lot of work to be done between locking in couples to coordinate the newly designed Unity and promoting the music for the Unity project, for which I composed and directed the music videos. Furthermore, I failed to mention the documentary “Unity – The story of Us” (the tentative title). Slowly between designing, sewing, writing, making music, promoting, eating, and finding time to sleep… I jot down story board ideas and directions I see the documentary film going in. Yes, there is a tiny peek of the King’s robe that displays about 200 hours of precise hand stitching. I’m not sure what will happen to this project after its debut. I don’t envision renting it out to anyone. I have considered selling the piece or releasing it for auction.