The Rise and Fall of Dynasty: A True Atlanta Story

Chapter 1: The shortest dynasty to ever live

Friends and family, I come back from Buckhead with a true Atlanta tale. One so laced with complexity, mystery and nuance that eventually I began to cherish it quite literally as folklore as much as I despised it for happening to me.

What I have experienced over the last few months, as I opened my concept store Dynasty and almost immediately chose to close it and move out, has taught me priceless lessons and in many ways redirected and reinvigorated my life.

I wanted to write about this here on my blog instead of doing it on instagram because I feel like its really important to me to let you guys know where I’m at… especially any of you out there who have purchased some art, print, or taken an art class, or supported Blooms Emporium or any of the events I’m always trying to do… I really feel like you guys are with me as I’m growing and trying to find the next steps. I want to overemphasize my appreciation for you, because I realized in this particular time in my life that you guys are the energy force, the fire, and the motivation that has given me a lot of hope and positivity during a more challenging and complicated time.

I also wanted to share more-so the personal experience I had in this situation and ultimately what it taught me, instead of the details of actual situation and characters themselves - for it is filled with holes and is shrouded in mystery - a mystery I quickly realized that I didn’t want to solve. To make a long story short, it came to a point with the entity that I was working with where I no longer felt it safe or a good idea to continue business there. Though the concept of Dynasty was so beautiful and the idea came together so wonderfully in its physical form, there was always a feeling I had about it like being a ball resting on a needle… right on the edge of… well something happening.

So, just after about a month of setting up my new space and new apartment in buckhead… after the grand opening, investing over $10,000 into the space in decor, locks, installations, electrical… Dynasty has returned to its original state… 2 empty rooms and an idea living in my mind once again.

If I have been out of touch, not responding, etc… I’ve been moving, and focussing on getting myself together. This situation has led me down an inward path of reflection, re-evaluation and searching, and in many ways disrupted my life in a necessary manner to help me see more clearly. And through everything, here are some of the things I’ve been learning:

CHAPTER 2: FINDING HEALING IN THE PRESENT

In our lives, things are going wrong each and every moment of each and every day. And every so often, those things that are going wrong are happening to you. Things break, things don’t work out, things change… and sometimes you are right in the middle of it all it seems. When I was wrestling with whether or not to continue Dynasty in Buckhead, I found myself engulfed in the worry of the future… thinking down every little path in which everything would end in a fiery inferno. I realized that I was preoccupied with a future that did not exist… and I began to realize it was robbing me of the present moment and was causing me to neglect the very beautiful and good things that were right in front of me.

I was looking at everything I had to do… having to run Blooms Emporium, staying on top of ongoing projects, worrying about making rent and paying off the new equipment I had just invested in for the business…just, constant worry. And you know what? On the Saturday during this whole time I had to pack up and leave, I had the biggest art class turnout I’ve ever had at Blooms Emporium. I was so pre-ocuppied and exhausted that I didn’t even check to see how many people were coming to the class and much to my surprise it was the most we had ever had.

I realized in this moment what I needed to do. Just be present. This epiphany is hidden in plain sight in our lives… that more often than not the answer to everything is right in front of you. I saw these students in the class that day and was filled with a moment of thankfulness… and I realized I was looking at my responsibilities as chores to get through rather than opportunities to inspire and impact others. I began to shift my mindset and to count the blessings more carefully, beginning to understand that power of shifting my perspective, especially in times of disappointment and failure. I believe that I experienced everything in Buckhead just to be able to learn this lesson about being present, or how we might say, “finding the light.” I learned that that more I focussed on the negatives - this ain’t gonna work, this sucks, I hate this, why is this happening to me? - the more I felt my heart closing off to the world. To find the light in life means to keep your heart open through pain and disappointment. And I know that sometimes it’s the last thing we want to do, but it is the passage through which one must walk to find the answer… which is most often outside of oneself… in the service of others or a greater purpose.

Within moments of great pain or crisis are hidden some of the most beautiful lessons about love, life, and purpose. In these moments we are most vulnerable and weak, but it is in this same moment that we have the opportunity to be completely open to what there is for you. After all, only when one is empty can they be filled up again.

I started to realized that I couldn’t fix my problems by worrying about them, and I chose a new value in my life… to just focus on the present. Every painting, tattoo, customer to come through Blooms Emporium… yall are my REAL life. The people in front of me and around me, my family, my staff, my friends… yall are my REAL life. Anyone who has ever supported me by buying a print, painting, or taken a class. yall are my REAL life. sometimes you need to climb down focus on what you can do right now and the things that the universe has given you right now, chances big and small, and you may find everything falling into place.

Chapter 3: the sun is always shining somewhere (YEAR OF THE DRAGON PAINTING)

Each night the sun retires behind the horizon out of site. Even though it’s not shining on you anymore, it’s shining somewhere on somebody.

In the original Dynasty design, the penultimate installation - the great cherry on top - was to be the sliding painting door. If you had a chance to see Dynasty, I was going to replace the door to the tattoo studio with a sliding painting of a dragon. I was so excited to work with my friend Conner to install this painting on hidden tracks, so it would look like another painting on the wall, except it would move.

During the last days of Dynasty, I was feeling pretty stressed and sad, but I figured I would at least squeeze one giant piece out of the whole situation. At every transition or great event in my life, I like to paint a dragon. In a lot of ways, it’s like a checkpoint as to where I am as an artist. With each dragon, I can see my understanding deepen and grow… and each of them mark a specific moment in my life. So, I went ahead and painted the big piece of wood that was to be the door. I locked myself in Dynasty and just put myself into it - all the confusion, pain, the feeling of starting over - I just put it all in there. I chose to do a black and white dragon because I felt like this whole experience was a lesson in understanding contrast in life - the light and the dark, and how they must both exist in union. Working in black and white is a study of value, since there is no color to break up the composition. To me, Black and white works contain a certain classic-ness and purity, and challenges your understanding the essence of the subject.

This painting is about a character who is learning to operate amidst the darkness through fierce waters, winds and clouds. Behind the clouds hides the sun, that is serving as his eternal hope and purpose in suffering. When we begin to understand our eternal purpose and identity, challenges in life become necessary moments that are meant to shape us, form us and prepare us for true glory. We open ourselves up to becoming an active participant in our growth, finding healing in our very willingness to believe, adapt and move foward.

I’ve finished it in time for Lunar New Years, the year of the wood dragon. I have it displayed in Blooms Emporium now if you would like to come see it in person.

Thank you for reading this blog. I wish I could say what the next steps are for me as far as tattooing and art… but in a way right now I’m not too concerned with all of it. I’m concerned with becoming the person I’m supposed to be and letting the universe take care of the rest. I hope that you gained something from reading this, and that you are reminded to stay present here in life. Live in the moment, live a real life, put your heart into it and what the world open up to you. The journey is not without pain, but it does have the opportunity to exist without vanity.

Love you guys, thank you for the continued support.