I’ve spent years trying to build and maintain momentum as an artist. Most of my projects require complete dedication and working around the clock for months at a time. The stakes are high and the deadlines are tight. Each project brings visibility to large audiences where the environment is intense,...

Looking back over the course of my career, timing has often felt like it was working against me. One of my first careers was in real estate, and once I was doing enough business to become an equity partner in my company, the mortgage crisis hit. In 2019 I started my own business to design experience...

There was a time when I held my ideas too tightly. I worried that if I shared them too soon they might be judged or dismissed, or worse, that I might run out of new ones altogether. It felt safer to wait, refine, and guard them closely until I was sure they were ready. 

Over time I realized that th...

We often talk about leadership as a responsibility, but rarely as a form of creative expression. For business owners, it’s both.

Early in my career, I thought being an artist meant doing everything myself: the concept development, the design work, the fabrication, even the photography and documenta...

The idea of following your passion sounds nice, but I don’t really subscribe to it. Passion isn’t something people are simply born with. It’s developed over time through curiosity and experience.

Think about the passions you discovered as a child. For me, it was drawing. I wasn’t just interested in...

As an artist, I know none of my ideas are truly original. Everything I create is shaped by what I’ve seen, heard, and experienced in the world. What makes my work unique is not the materials or the techniques, it’s my personal experiences and the story I tell through them.

Rick Rubin, in his book T...

I used to think that doing multiple things at once meant I was being productive. Like many people, I measured my output by how much I could juggle in a day. I’d brush my teeth while checking email, walk my dog while listening to an audiobook, eat lunch while watching YouTube tutorials on how to fix ...

I meet so many creators and entrepreneurs that are doing amazing things while also constantly selling themselves short. So many of us are indoctrinated into this idea of being modest, fitting in, and not drawing attention to ourselves. I believe this mindset is in direct opposition to what it takes ...

In the last newsletter I shared my story of being a young spelling bee champ and how my failures created lifelong regrets. Well, it wasn’t that bad but I learned some tough lessons at an early age that I believe prepared me for bigger things later in life. 

I’m going to shift gears this week to mak...

A couple of weeks ago I watched the Scripps National Spelling Bee and it conjured up so many memories of my childhood. 

This year’s winner was a 13 year old child of immigrant parents from India. He is also from Dallas, just like me. 

Back in the day I was very serious about the spelling bee. Sinc...

I recently got back from EDC Las Vegas, which was my 7th year bringing art to one of the biggest festivals in the world. This was also my biggest year ever. 

I was commissioned for a brand new experience, converting a school bus into an art car. I was also asked to bring back my other art installat...