MAKING OF AN ART STAR

Phoenix Rising - Five Years In Atlanta - Failing Forward, Revelations, Lessons Learned

2015-10-16T17:38:00.000-04:00

Trigger warning: Sexual Assault

ATL is poppin' y'all! Yes indeed. I went to the Organized Noize exhibition at Gallery 72 last night, part of Elevate 2015 - Forever I Love Atlanta curated by Atlanta's own Fahamu Pecou. The gallery was packed with members of Dungeon Family, affiliates, and fans. The retrospective of the music collective's history kicks off this year's festivities followed by a block party tonight. Yee!

Five years ago last week, I moved back to Atlanta from LA. The city was foreign to me with new construction, businesses, restaurants, night-life, and so much more. In truth, I wasn't excited to be back at all.

Out of the six galleries that represented me nationally, three went out of business and two still owe me money. Yes, I'd fallen on my face pretty hard. But I was excited to reconnect with the art community that I so dearly loved, with old friends from college, and exploring this "new" city while revisiting Southern roots. After all, I am an authentic "Southern Asian" raised in the Deep South.

Boy was I in for more than a few surprises. The community that I left, was certainly not the same community that I returned home to. Valuing kindness and sincerity, having others' best interest in mind is how I live my life.

I didn't understand why folks I had such wonderful memories with would be so snarky to me. I cared about them. I missed them while I was away in California. Did I do something that I ought to apologize for? I couldn't think of anything. Did I offend them somehow? Not that I know of.

Someone once told me, "Bunny, as you grow your career it's not that you will change, but the people around you that will change." So true. They did. They hated me. Well, the ones that turned into jealous, envious, unrecognizable haters certainly changed.

I didn't know who they were anymore. Certainly not the people I had such wonderful memories with. What was clear, was that they no longer had good intentions for me. So I responded accordingly by hopping away permanently.

Doing this cleared my life of negativity and fake people, which allowed room for more like-minded people. I was able to focus more on the long-term friendships that are meaningful to me, after having clarity of which friendships to invest in.

So much has happened. A lot of good stuff, a lot of bad stuff. Then a lot more bad stuff that I've turned into good stuff. Life is really about how to turn doo doo into gold right BunBuns?! I've been consistently active with my art, for the most part really operating with "no box". Feeling truly unlimited with the possibilities.

It took two years to come full circle after I was sexually assaulted. To heal from the immediate trauma of the incident itself, and be able to digest that some of the closest people I confided in blamed me. It took six weeks before I was able to say the word "rape". Before that I was afraid to leave the house to even walk my dog, Bebe. I remember being curled up in fetal position in my bed, unable to move for weeks. Just completely catatonic. Freaked out whether my rapist had given me HIV, I had to wait three months before the tests would give a 99% accurate reading. I was pro-active about my healing, including getting professional counseling and medication. I'm no longer in counseling nor taking medication, but considering group therapy as part of my continuous healing.

Every time I speak on this, I'm encouraging a survivor to also speak, to be one step closer to liberating herself / himself. I have absolutely NO SHAME in sharing this. As a society, we can't afford to make the subject of rape taboo. The act itself is what's taboo; furthermore our ignorance and reluctance to rectify the problem with efficient solutions is what's really unacceptably taboo.

I choose to be inspired by what happened to me. Yah, I went through some serious adversities, but I flexed my mental toughness muscles and strengthened them. Without it, the YeeQuality Movement wouldn't have come together. Now I'm compelled to find a viable solution through the help of community to bring justice to survivors of acquaintance rape. Of course I'm scared but the regret that I'll have when I'm old, laying on my deathbed will be much greater than the fear I feel now if I don't take action.

"Art" can be anything. Art inspires people, evokes, impacts, stimulates, can serve as a muse for innovation, or be a source of comfort and healing. Why does it have to be 2D, 3D, video, film, or some other solid medium? Could art not be an impactful social movement lead by creatives that fulfills a dire social need? This activism IS the artistic process. In finding a solution, the art is completed. Until then, it's process.

I LOVE TO FAIL. Right now my mind is limitless, so I'm willing to try things for the sake of it just to see what the end result will be. Trying is winning. The end result is an answer to the exploration, not necessarily failure (even if the results are disappointing).

I look forward to "failing" as long as I implement well thought out plans. Because I'm after that end result. The end result is the data I need to make my next moves. Not gonna lie, I failed a lot this year. I made a bunch of moves that didn't yield the results I wanted. But I have all this data to work with, so I know exactly what I need to do to keep it moving.

Everything I need to do, is right here in ATL or accessible from ATL. Our city is beautiful, robust, and booming. Now that I've let go of unhealthy influences and relationships, I give myself permission to let go and surrender.

I love you ATL, and can't wait to see what we do together...

Call To Action For Solution Regarding Acquaintance Rape - Please Share

2015-10-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

Trigger warning: Rape

BunBuns, when God grants you your destiny, it may take a

little time to digest and accept it. This week I accepted a

challenge from God that took a lot of deliberation to accept, but

there's a sense of knowing that I MUST do it.

When I was raped on July 1, 2013 I thought "I'll be content to just file a police report and move on with my life". The District Attorney's office told me I didn't have enough evidence for them to press charges, so my case is closed. The nurses that performed my sexual assault exam said, "Yun, from what you've told us your rapist has done this before, he came with the intention of raping you, and he will do it again." My rapist is walking the streets ATL, he is out there and he roams free. Who will his next victim be, someone you know and love?

This understanding that my rapist, and many like him are roaming the streets here in America raping women repeatedly and the law can't touch him hit a nerve. I think of all my sisters that have been raped under similar circumstances and the laws don't give us justice. Society blames us, the victims, in turn causing the majority of us to be silent. One of my best friends I reached out to for support told me I was "disgusting".

Filing the police report knowing my rapist is out there raping repeatedly didn't satisfy me. This adversity motivated me to start a social movement to raise awareness on the importance of men supporting women and helping to alleviate the challenges that women face. The ball fell organically, in Hiphop.

I'd met Big Rube and Rico Wade of Dungeon Family years ago through a fateful chance meeting, not knowing who I was meeting. DJ Jelly and I met on Twitter and I didn't know who he was either. A friend asked me to look after the merchandise table at a hiphop show and that's how I met Yamin Semali, trying to charge him for his own CD at his own show because I wasn't aware he was the artist on the CD.

After I was raped, I reached out to Big Rube and DJ Jelly for support. Not only were they there with their encouraging words and presence, a few months later DJ Jelly asked me in the most caring encouraging way possible "Yun you know you have to go public about this right?" I was horrified about the thought. No way, how could I ever go public about this awful experience? One of my best friends told me I was disgusting, I was berated by others that it was a huge mistake to have gone to the police, that if my case went to trial my art career would be over. If those who I thought were my friends reacted like this, how could I ever tell the world?

Two years later on July 1, 2015, I did it. I released a YouTube video sharing my experience. My brothers Big Rube, Rico Wade, DJ Jelly, and Yamin Semali and I kicked off the #YeeQuality Movement, a movement encouraging men to support women as part of strong male leadership. We are all learning and evolving as we raise our own awareness of the gender wage gap, domestic violence, rape, discrimination, etc.

But this week, I told myself that it's still not enough. Thinking of the millions of women, men, and transgendered who have been told, "There's insufficient evidence, the case is closed"- is simply not an unacceptable answer anymore. It isn't.

70% of rapes are done by someone the victim knows and has earned their trust. Which means all the rapist has to say is it was consensual and the rapist walks free, allowing him to be out there raping repeatedly over and over.

This is a CALL TO ACTION to victims, law-makers, politicians, leaders of non-profits, and anyone who feels we need to begin this conversation in seeking effective solutions regarding (specifically), acquaintance rape. It is a gray area that our current legal system fails to provide the majority of rape victims justice.

In finding an effective solution to this gray area, we will also find the solution to address the majority of rapes in our country. If we do not begin the conversation now, if victims continue to be repressed into silence because of stigma, nothing will change. The laws won't change if victims are not heard. Rapists face no consequences because we as a society allow them to get away with it. We allow it by brushing it under the rug, not being aware, remaining silent, and blaming the victim.

If we build a brain trust of phenomenal minds and expertise, we can come up with HOW acquaintance rape can be proven in a court of law, propose solutions and have laws put in place in all 50 states.

Since America is land of the free and home of the brave, let us free the millions of victims who are shamed and repressed into silence, and let us be brave in having this uncomfortable but necessary conversation for a better America.

Please share this post, my email is info@yunbai.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

A big heartfelt thank you to the Pillars of the YeeQuality Movement for being the amazing leaders that you are, and all the friends that stood by me throughout the healing process with your continued support and encouragement. Let us come together so we can turn pain into light that will liberate millions.

- YUN BAI aka YunnyBunny
Visual Artist & Activist
info@yunbai.com

My "Bun Life" Vision Board, Feeling Free

2015-09-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

Haha so I titled my vision board "Bun Life", a spoof off "Thug Life". lol Every time I look at my vision board I feel peaceful, lifted, happy. A sense of knowing, certainty. Life is absolute.

In October, I celebrate 5 yrs of my return to Atlanta from LA.
It's exciting to share, I've completely gone off the deep end in the BEST of ways!

Planting seeds, making moves, doing things that really scare me. Pioneering, exploring different business models, learning how to scale my art practice, discovering and implementing the Blue Ocean Strategy.

A lot of folks told me I was crazy to leave all 6 galleries that represented me. In fact, there was a lot of opposition, side-eyes, put-downs. But being represented by 6 galleries wasn't getting me where I wanted to be (gallerists heavily discounting my work and splitting an additional 50%, not getting paid, gallerists taking off with work, etc.). It's flattering to have 29 more galleries that want to show my work, but what's the point of working with galleries if they have control over how your work is sold as your sole avenue of distribution? Forget ROI. The risk assessment alone was too risky for me to try to earn a profit as an artist.

So I jumped ship into the deep end of the Blue Ocean and never looked back. Why did I do this? Because I didn't want to quit. God gave me a much bigger vision and destiny for myself than the little box galleries wanted me to fit into.

In doing so, I FREED myself. From the bullying haggling collectors that threatened to "destroy my career" if I didn't give them a bigger discount. From the gallerists and I arguing about discounting my work heavily to meet the affordability of their small collector base. In holding off on showing with galleries, I was able to discover other ways to distribute my work.

I FEEL SO FREE. To make and sell art on my terms to a global marketplace from Atlanta. It's brought me back to why I became an artist in the first place- to express and be happy, to share my revelations and inspirations with those that appreciate it.

Yee, Amen!

How does your vision board make you feel when you look at it BunBuns? Have you completed your vision board? I procrastinated for the longest time until I took a break to finish mine and it adds so much value and motivation!

Cultivating "FB Friends" Into Real Friends

2015-06-16T01:22:00.000-04:00

We all have FaceBook "friends" that we've never talked to, but something was cool about them that made you want to connect.

I finally took the time to reach out to Sharon D. Meadows and sent her a quick note. So glad I did! We were blabbing away on the phone, bonding in no time.

In fact, she was speaking in downtown Atlanta and invited me to hear her speak. I went and was so inspired by her story, her triumphs, as well as the wisdom the other ladies had to share. I could tell every woman in the room had some kind of priceless wisdom to teach me, oh how I wish I could sit and connect with each one!

Sharon D. Meadows is the epitome of class. You can feel her love, support, and devotion to those she cares for when meeting her for the first time. The biggest golden nugget during her speech was when she said, "Nothing is more powerful than a made up mind." Yee!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hashonah Lockett (who, by the way, has the presence of a Queen when you're around her). Dr. Lockett invited me to service at her Church in Stone Mountain and also to an event where we worked on our "vision boards". Both experiences were incredibly uplifting, gave me new insight and rejuvenated me.

This weekend Dr. Lockette and Sharon will be speaking at "Love Your Life", an empowerment conference. I hope my BunBuns can connect with these amazing ladies. Whenever I'm around them, I know I'm around excellent role models of the kind of woman I'd like to be. Yee!

Connect with Sharon here:
Website: www.sdmeadows.com
Twitter: @SharonDMeadows
https://www.facebook.com/sdmeadows

Living An Unlimited Life - Lessons Learned, Decisions Made

2015-06-11T16:12:00.000-04:00

My first few years in America, the beginning of a wonderful childhood growing up in Tallahassee, FL. #SouthernAsian #CountryBunny #TBT

Today, I embrace living a truly UNLIMITED life. Recommitting to my commitments. Feeling great about the decisions I've made when challenging crossroads presented themselves. What are they and what have I learned?

1. Releasing myself from people who didn't value/respect/cherish me as well as those who didn't have my best interest in mind. Especially those who don't wish well for you.

The more I learned to love myself, the more I cut out those who simply didn't deserve my love, attention, friendship, support, knowledge, resources.

2. I began sharing my newfound art biz strategies with artists and art world only to be met with criticism and doubt bcuz it was so outside the box.

Regardless, today I feel so secure and confident about my art career and the direction it's headed than I've ever been. In learning new ways of thinking and allowing myself to innovate, making bold decisions and taking bigger risks is what's necessary for bigger shifts and ultimately, bigger rewards.

3. Be rock solid in what I stand for and walk the talk. As an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, artist advocate, and human rights activist, there is a dire need for all of us to learn more, do more, be more.

America is not the melting pot that we claim to be. America is a country where a lot of different types of oil and water co-exist in a pot, segregated and oblivious to each other's struggles. We must get out of our comfort zones and melt. Be aware and act for the common good.

In learning these valuable lessons and making these decisions, it's time to SHINE. To truly embrace an unlimited life and allow myself to create, innovate, contribute, and impact on an unlimited level.

I've come a long way since the little girl in this picture, and absolutely loving the woman I'm evolving into. The biggest gift I've given myself (and allowed myself) is this gift of living an unlimited life and all that it means to me.

Thank u everyone, for ur continued support of the Bunny I'm becoming. I only hope to make u more proud BunBuns!

Why I Refuse To Work With Mean People (And Agree With Paul Graham That 'Mean People Fail')

2015-05-28T04:42:00.001-04:00

Art Buddy: "YunnyBunny, I can't believe you turned ______ down for gallery representation, he's HUGE!"

Me: "I only work with nice people and don't deal with mean people. Period."

Art Buddy: "But he can really help your career. He can open doors, he can make you a lot of money. I think you're making a huge mistake by not considering it."

Me: "I really appreciate your insight and always consider your suggestions as I know you're coming from a place of love. Thank you for that. But one of my business standards is that I simply will not work with mean people, regardless of what they can do for me. I can make myself a lot of money and open doors on my own, because in the end if it weren't for my creations and artistic talent, no one is making any money off of me. In fact I don't even want to think of it that people get to make money "off of me", they get to make money with me.

As for ____, I don't like the guy. And I don't deal with people who have egos. Cuz I know they're the first ones to throw you under the bus no matter who you are. I don't like his lack of integrity, how he lies about artists, how he bullies them and insults them to get them to show with him, it's not what I'm about. It's even more disturbing that assholes like him are held in high regard and given leadership positions. Real leaders serve and that's not servitude to me.

It's just not my business style and goes against what I stand for, which is loving your way to success. Plus, mean people are small. Why would I want to do business with a small person that tears others down, much less have someone small like that represent me? What does that say about me and my brand?"

Every once in a while my kindness is met with the most scathing, demeaning, belittling jerkass behavior. Out of nowhere. For no reason. Perhaps for interrupting someone's bad day in an effort to bring them value, or simply because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe I bruised their ego in speaking my truth. Or maybe whenever they see me, they perceive me as a threat of some kind. Who knows.

I thought about why people are mean (unwarranted, unprovoked). Don't get it twisted, I can be quite tough when provoked. I know how to get "wolfy" and will show some serious teeth when I need to and will set someone in their place when I absolutely have to. But we are talking about pure shrewd mean behavior, for no reason...

What is it that causes someone to consistently belittle others - and how is this a detriment to our society when they lead businesses and organizations? Most of all why do we put up with it, allow it, support it, reward them and give them power for it?

Reflecting on all this brought me to Paul Graham's blog post, "Mean People Fail". This concept never even crossed my mind. Just in what ways do mean people fail? It made me recall a recent incident when I was reaching out to people I knew in my FB network to see what their business goals were for the upcoming year.

I'd come across quite a few people with disposable income but no art on their walls. I felt as an artist it's my duty to welcome them into art world, educate them, and cultivate them into fine art collectors. I mean, do they really need a seventh flat screen television? They asked me to refer them to someone that can help teach them to build an art collection aside from myself.

I reached out to one art consultant who I'd known (as acquaintances) for fifteen years, since my college days. A summary of the convo:

Me: "Hey! I'm reaching out to my network to see what everyone's business needs are for the rest of this year, what are you working on and how can I help?"

Art Consultant: "Why are you trying to be best friends with me? What do you want?"

Me: "I don't want anything from you. I just want to help."

Art Consultant: "What do you mean 'How can you help'? What, you want to come clean my house?! You're going about it all wrong Yun, it's really obnoxious, you should offer to take me to lunch."

Me: "Wow. That's really mean, and unnecessary. I would love to have taken you out to lunch, but I haven't even had a chance to get to that in this conversation. I wish you the best."

Mean people are just grown bullies who are small. The gallerist lost the chance to ever show my work in his gallery, the art consultant missed out on a lucrative referral. Paul Graham's blog post is right on, mean people do fail. Learning this is humbling because it makes me reflect on the few instances I've been mean, especially when it wasn't warranted. How did I fail in those instances?

Which brings me to leave these thoughts with you BunBuns. Let us check ourselves in how we respond to the world, myself included. Kindness is confidence, welcomes opportunities and abundance, something the world needs more of. When you are kind, you are able to inspire more. The people you inspire are more loyal, passionate, work harder with you, which ultimately leads to better results and productivity. Simply because they are happy and enjoy working with you.

As entrepreneurs we have freedom to choose exactly how we want to create our business. One of my favorite books, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets Of The World Class talks about hand selecting who you network and do business with. That the world class hardly does business with people that aren't world class. Paul Graham also points out in his blog post that he himself doesn't know of many mean successful people - amongst the most successful. I guess once you get to that level, mean people just don't make it there. Whew! lol

I love our world and the people in it soo freaking much. While I have compassion for mean people (and at times tolerance), I make sure they are eliminated naturally by the high standards I set for myself. The majority of the world tears you down. I want to lift you up. That's what I stand for.

We can make the choice today to no longer tolerate mean people nor their behavior. To not support them, nor their businesses and organizations. To no longer allow them into leadership positions without impactful servitude. To not brush their crappy treatment of people under the rug. There has to be a level of accountability. If we frown upon bullying when it comes to children, why do we allow it as adults? Onto ourselves?

Not too long ago I was catching up with an old friend of mine. We used to work together as makeup artists back in the day. My friend has since moved on and doing fabulously well in film/television. She said, "Yun it is crazy out there. People are vicious, mean, it's nuts." I said, "True, it is rough out there. But you have to look at it this way - you don't have to deal with those people. You have to look at it that they simply don't meet your business standards when you choose to only work with kind people." I was so excited for her that her light bulb went off. Yee!

How has this post inspired you? If you're mean, did it raise your awareness to be less mean? If you've been tolerating mean people too long, will you say "Enough is enough" and raise your standards? No, YunnyBunny isn't perfect - I'm certainly no angel according to society's standards and can get wolfy when provoked. But I truly believe that the world needs more kindness, especially in business.

Adventures With Friends, Fahamu Pecou At High Museum

2015-05-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Day BunBuns! With spring around the corner, I got all excited and actually came out of my Bunny hole and poked my head around a little. lol For those that know me, y'all know I'm extremely low key and quite the happy hermit.

Enjoying a wonderful meal with mom and friends.

Been quite grateful for all the cool people I've come across that add so much joy and love to life lately. We ate at mom's recent favorite discovery, TJ House. The food here is really authentic Chinese food. Good food and happy faces, it's all I need. :)

The next evening I had a GREAT time at my homegirl Ro's party. Even though I don't get out much, I always try my best to go to her party because she's awesome and I don't get to see her often. It's sweet, sentimental, special, and endearing. It's been wonderful meeting new friends while bumping into old ones.

Sweet Ladies.

Maria and Tangee.

Love her smile! With Ro.

Happy with Carlton, Kat, Shana.

I just couldn't resist when my long-time friend whom (I haven't seen in forever) was in town and asked to meet up at the High Museum. This was perfect because I've been wanting to check out my buddy Fahamu Pecou's show there.

After we got our squealing girly "hello's" out of the way (ok I was the only one squealing), the girls and I were soon lost in our own little reflective worlds. I felt peaceful, inspired, excited, moved.

Wilfredo Lam biographical timeline.
High Museum Of Art. Atlanta, GA, USA.

The Wildredo Lam show was inspiring in that it made me realize just how much one can get done in their lifetime. Reading about Lam's biography and being able to see his expressions during that period of his life was incredibly interesting. Seeing what was going on in history at that time gave the experience even more depth. Definitely cool that dude was part Chinese too. Heee.

Fahamu Pecou, High Museum.

It's been a pleasure watching Fahamu Pecou's art evolve over the years, it just keeps getting better and better. Can't help but love the guy - he hustles his ass off, is a friend as well as a pleasure to work with. This is an exciting moment for those that cheer him on and celebrate his progress. Yee!

Jose Parla and Fahamu Pecou collaboration. High Museum.

I absolutely loved the collaboration he did with Jose Parla. Parla's paintings are incredibly beautiful. The color combinations are interesting in each painting, but overall they are incredibly admirable. I just want to sleep in front of them at night and wake up in the morning to them.

I love this pic of us. It really was a fun, simple, sunny girly day. The best.

Afterwards the girls and I took pictures spinning around in these fun, colorful, interactive sculptural pieces. They were so much fun y'all, I had a grown big kid moment and that's when you know you're really living. Hee heee!

All in all I had a blast, really need to get out more but this is good for now, back to the Bunny hole. Will come out soon! ;)

Haven't seen this beautiful Lady in over a decade! With Toya Northington.

Love meeting new friends, with Carrie Beth and Toya.

Couldn't resist their colors.

Bunny feeling grateful in the sun.

Cheesing with Toya.

Extra cheese with Carrie Beth.

Bunny Update: Art Papers Magazine Auction, WonderRoot Exhibit, Doo Gallery, VavaVoice Article

2015-04-20T23:44:00.001-04:00

Ohhh my God I've been sooo busy in my Bunny hole hustling and bustling along in life. Here's what I've been up to, I love u!

Back in February I volunteered at the annual fundraiser Art Papers Magazine Art Auction. I try to donate at least three hours of my time just once a year to support this awesome cool publication. All the love, amazing content, all it will grow into, all that it's been. If I can help keep it going by helping out for a little while just once a year, it's a beautiful thing and so worth it to me. It's so fulfilling, it makes my heart pitter-patter. Yup.

With old-time collector Jonathan Simon, visiting from NY.

Smiling happy with sweet homegirl, Tene.

With big brother Eric Daniel.

Gotta love those who've watched you grow up, helping you get to where you are today.

Had fun at the "Asian Artists Exhibit" at WonderRoot back in March, that was cool. It was really fun and chill working with Ziyi Zhang and Jess Bernhardt, lots of Bunny love there! Only great memories with the folks over there. Here's some previous podcasts I've done with WonderRoot, shot out to Floyd Hall too.

Also had a one night pop-up show at Doo Gallery, Dean Thomas invited me to be in it, in alignment with International Women's Day. I thought it was cool a dude put this event together in recognition and celebration of this important day in an act to support women. Doog, the owner came and gave me a big hug, said he was a big fan. Met the gallery's marketing guru Brandie, we had instant rapport. It's instances like these that keep me going, meeting happy smiling people who are glad to meet you because your art inspired them in some of way. It's those little successes that make you go home feeling accomplished and fulfilled. The evening was full of new and old friends, laughs, even romance; it was a joyful, memorable evening.

I met Kimberly at a networking mixer and we really connected as entreprenuerial women. It was fun and energizing connecting with Kimberly and her staff. The interns were so sweet, I really enjoyed the camaraderie with everyone it was incredibly nourishing. It's so important for us women to have the genuine support that helps us soar. It makes a world of a difference when you have that kind of support.

Kimberly is owner of VavaVoom, a special sassy place where your sexy parts get primped and trimmed in case you have an unveiling planned. Hee hee. They specialize in designer waxing, personal skincare, below-the-belt body art, organic airbrush tanning, and good conversation over pink drinks and gumballs.

I am incredibly grateful to Kimberly and VavaVoice for covering me as one of their feature stories. Check it out HERE. Bebe (my dog) looks great though I'm always a little shy hee hee. *bashful Bunny

Other than that y'all I've been keeping busy and enjoying life, being aware and taking action! And really trying to get adequate sleep. It is soo dreamy yesss.... Zzzzzz.

My Most Effective Business Secret - What Is It?

2015-03-29T12:07:00.001-04:00

"LOVE YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS"

Yup! That's it. As I reflect on my 12 yr career as a professional artist, and reflecting on what has worked, that is the most important thing that comes to mind.

Everything I've gotten to be at this place in my journey, I've gotten simply from
being nice. Sharing & caring.

I've learned that having a big heart opens endless doors, sincere intentions are sometimes doubted but eventually appreciated bcuz they are so rare, being known as someone who always has others' best interest in mind gives you an edge, that it pays to be sincere and sweet.

A friend and I were chatting about it being cut throat "out there" and how to navigate one's career. I told her "Yes it is cut throat out there. But u have to look at it this way - these people simply DO NOT MEET UR STANDARDS to do business with you. They simply don't qualify."

So what has being kind brought me? A point in my career where I feel completely free to do whatever I want exploring opportunities I never imagined were possible. Several projects currently underway I've been wanting to do, with amazing allies wanting to sponsor and assist.

It was all bcuz of LOVE. I care so much for those that I work with, that they know when I am up at 4am I am working hard to make THEIR dreams come true. My teammates also play hard for my dreams. It's amazing what can happen when you love, you attract big hearts that help u win!

A BIG HEART LEADS TO BIG BUSINESS, LET'S KEEP ON LOVING OUR WAY TO SUCCESS BUNBUNS!

Spotlight: Tony Hong (Visual Artist)

2015-02-25T18:07:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while, I like to "spotlight" fellow creatives that inspire me.

Tony Hong is a LA-based artist whose technical skills blew me away when I first came upon his work back in 2009. While strolling around downtown LA, I entered what looked like a pop-up show.

I was drawn immediately to these meticulous trees so I rushed to take a closer look... My goodness BunBuns! Couldn't believe my eyes! Each circle, curve, and line was drawn with painful precision, taking you on a never-ending swirl adventure. I didn't know where to look, every branch had a story to tell. I was so inspired!

There are so many interesting elements to Tony's work - one being, I couldn't tell if the artist was male or female. Flowers, swirls, was the artist a chic? Yet the trees weren't overly feminine. The work reminded me of art nouveau; I could see some graffiti elements; and it certainly had pen and ink qualities.

What I love about Tony's work is his controlled obsessiveness. Every line drawn has a purpose, leading you to another branch of eye candy in his story poem. The closer you look, the more you're drawn in, deeper and deeper.

So I reached out to Tony. I had to meet this amazing artist! We chatted on the phone and discovered there was a lot in common. A fellow Asian artist, his Korean upbringing influenced his art career goals - to make a living as an artist so he can honor his parents and family by supporting them financially. I empathized with this as my goal was to also one day honor my duties of filial piety.

Tony was so kind, sincere, and genuine, you can't help but like the guy and wish him well-deserved success. Make sure you stay in the loop for new developments of his work here.

1. Tell us about your art. What is your art about, the message behind your art?
Despite the amount of detail, I'd say it's relatively simple pieces when it comes to the ink work. One color, working in line. I'd like the process to resonate and speak about the piece just as much as the final image. Hopefully there's a synergy between the two. The motifs I use in my work are organic, nature inspired. Rare to find man-made objects in my pieces. If there are (i.e. birdcages) they're there to highlight the organic.

2. What inspires you?

I want to share stories. Timeless and universal are big words but that's what I strive for in my work.

3. Tell us more about your art process.

Career doodler. Line Maker. Storyteller. I marinate a lot.

4. What's coming up for your regarding happenings, new work, art stuff?

Color. Figuring out this whole watercolor thing and working it in with ink.

5. If you were an animal, what would you be (hybrids are ok)? Why?

A one winged pegasus... I can't fly straight but I keep swerving to the side. I'm a bit of a meandering turtle too. So maybe a cross eyed turtle is what I am.

Galleries: Are You Maximizing Your Artists' FULL Potential In ALL Ways Possible?

2015-02-02T18:12:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday BunBuns!

This is an exciting time for everyone in art world, especially for us visual artists. What I'm going to express in this blog post is merely insight in sharing my business strategies with the intention of igniting light bulbs for both artists and galleries. While some may think what I have to say is outlandish, others may think it's really on point and congruent with current trends in contemporary art. I just really want both artists and galleries to re-evaluate what is most efficient in their business needs and whether it's time to "Move With The Cheese". Yee!

People ask me all the time "Why would you ever leave all six of your galleries Yun? That was a terrible mistake." Was it really, or was it the best thing I could have ever done for my art career? The latter. Definitely. I've never looked back.

The truth is this - the traditional artist-gallery business model of splitting 50/50 is simply outmoded to be efficient in our current day. It became popular in the 1940's/50's and sustained well as a business model until this wonderful invention called the internet came along that revolutionized how business is done across all industries, globally.

Think about it. Would you build your business around equipment from the 1940's to grow your business today in 2015? There are exceptions but chances are, probably not. So why would you cling to this outmoded business model that doesn't even consider all the amazing things the internet can do? Right BunBuns?!

The traditional artist-gallery business model wasn't set up for me to profit as an artist in this day and age. I'm not sure it's set up for galleries to profit either, here and now in 2015.

Just on risk assessment alone, working with galleries was too risky for me. Forget ROI ("Return On Investment"). The risk itself, was simply too high. Everything from not being paid to losing entire bodies of work, shipping the work there and never getting it back, the horror stories are endless as we all know. It just didn't make sense for me to stick with this particular business model anymore.

I had bigger aspirations for myself as a visual artist, something my galleries just didn't get. I wanted to see my work in a beautiful coffee book, my "Porn Flowers" on merchandise, give talks to share my experiences as an artist, license out my designs to other brands, and exploit all the possibilities that I deserve as an artist.

But the galleries just didn't get it. It broke my heart to see gallerists I cared about (whether they represented me or not) stressing out, often confiding in me how they don't know how they're going to pay next month's rent, etc. While I tried to offer suggestions, they weren't able to hear what I had to say, understandably as they were in dire straits.

I witnessed galleries adding more and more artists to their rosters in hopes of offering more variety to their collectors for sales. I also saw a lot of artists (including yours truly) leave galleries because they just weren't getting any value out of having representation. Sadly, we've lost a lot of galleries - permanently. We've all witnessed galleries dropping off the radar all across the country. Even big names.

In my experience, I gave galleries sole control to build my career (and brand) as an artist. They were also my sole avenue of distribution (how my work was sold). I didn't even consider selling my work through the internet back then. Whenever I had an "out-of-the-box" idea, it was quickly shut down. I found myself and my art being crammed into this limited, outmoded, inefficient business model where no one was making money and everyone was stressed out.

So I got out. I said "Fuck it". lol Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result. There I was, frustrated and insane (by the above definition, hehe), desperately searching for answers and asking lots of questions. Whenever I tried sharing my ideas with fellow artists and gallerists, they gave me their version of my "Chinky side eye". lol

What are ALL the possible ways you can maximize profit through your current situation and through your artists' brands? Aside from selling original works of art, how are you leaving money on the table by not doing so? I know some galleries rent out their space for event rentals which is a great idea to supplement income, but I really encourage you to consider exploring the following as well.

Selling Original Art - Yes, you're doing a great job of it, keep going! Does your gallery have an online global presence that makes it convenient for anyone in the world to buy from you? At any given time? How can someone from the other side of the world buy from you if they can only come to your physical location or attend an art fair in order to buy? Right BunBuns?!
Publishing - Have you considered self-publishing beautiful books with gorgeous art from your stable of artists under your gallery's name? How about publishing opportunities in general? I linked my art with Enitan Bereola II's book "Gentlewoman: Etiquette For A Lady, From A Gentleman" which has helped broaden my audience. Whoever reads his book also sees my Porn Flowers. Whenever he's out promoting his book on book tours, I see hits on my website. Not to mention, it was a perfect fit in adding more sophistication to how my work is perceived. Right BunBuns?!
Merchandising - We are all intrigued by cool products and innovative design. Putting your artists' designs on unique merchandise is a great product offering to all those fans who love your artist's work but "can't afford" the original. This way your artist's fans will walk away feeling happy and inspired instead of sad and rejected. Which is what you'd want for all of your artist's fans. Right BunBuns?!
Lectures/Appearances - Each one of your artists has an amazing story to tell. Who they are is what drew you to represent them in the first place. Why not book speaking engagements for them as an income stream for the both of y'all? Right BunBuns?!

Endorsements - Brands LOVE creative people. They need us. So far, mostly musicians, actors, and athletes are getting those endorsement deals. Why not secure an awesome endorsement deal for your visual artists? Sit down with your artist and see which brands they resonate with and include it in your plan to build their brand equity. Right BunBuns?!

So here's my suggestion to galleries. I know, jaws are gonna drop.

Decrease your artist roster. Choose to only represent 6-10 artists at most. I see galleries with so many artists on their roster, can you honestly say you're doing all that you can for your artists' career in making them profitable? Is your artist even profiting? Be honest with yourself here. By simplifying and concentrating your efforts, it also prevents you from being spread too thin and going insane. :)
Sit down with each artist. Ask them about all the things they've ever wanted to be and explore as an artist. Really listen. Are there opportunities there that you haven't considered but need to?
Come up with a strategy for each artist. Really customize it. Work on it together with your artist, get their feedback. None of my galleries ever asked me what I wanted for my career, much less how I wanted it to go. I really wish they would've. They just assumed and tried to fit me into a box that I clearly didn't want to be in.
Implement. After you have a great strategy mapped out for each artist, then you have to "Go BunBun go!" "Run Forrest, run!" lol

Are my ideas progressive? Absolutely. Could it work for you? Maybe. Was I scared shitless in getting out of my comfort zone? You bet. It took a few years before I stopped listening to nay-sayers and got the courage to finally implement something different.

The thought of going back to the traditional artist-gallery system honestly, makes me anxious. Who cares if there's twenty-nine galleries that wants to show me?

The point is, I don't want to be INSANE anymore. So I restructured my career based on the things I wanted to explore as an artist and found the right people who understood my vision and is now helping me implement a well thought out strategy.

I LOVE galleries. I really do. Galleries are an important part of an artist's distribution in how our work is sold and reviewed. There are so many gallerists that I love and respect, with such big hearts for art and artists, I really have a lot of love for them. Which is why I felt compelled to write this post. It hurts me to see gallerists struggle. It really does. It hurts me to see them stressed and depressed.

It's not that I don't like working with galleries, it's just that I need galleries to BRING MORE VALUE to my career in order for me to work with them. I know I'm not the only artist that feels this way. The things listed above are just some ways galleries can bring more value to their artists' careers to ensure a more rewarding, efficient, and profitable partnership.

I had no choice but to step out of my comfort zone and explore the unknown because I just couldn't afford to be INSANE anymore; doing the same thing over and over again banging my head against the wall. Let me tell you, it really was the best decision I've ever made. And I've never felt happier, knowing where my career is going. Which is why I challenge gallerists to do the same - get out of your comfort zone and bring more value to your artists in ALL the ways possible. Aside from just selling original work.

Right BunBuns?!

*If you got value out of this post, please share it. We will never be any less brighter in helping someone else light their candle. Thank u BunBuns!

Artists: Do You Introduce Your Art Collectors To Other Artists? Why Not?

2015-01-29T13:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Day BunBuns!

I woke up this morning wondering how I can bring more value to others, be more impactful, valuable, and just bring more light around to others in general.

One thing I'm stepping up my game on is introducing my collectors to other artists that I admire and believe in. And bringing collectors to gallerists that I think they would enjoy buying from. Everyone can use more collectors right BunBuns?

This decision was inspired by my amazing late friend Charles Nelson. Back in 2003, I had an open studio and Charles brought his collectors to come and buy my work. It meant the world to me. He believed in me, liked what I was doing, and believed in me enough to go the extra mile in bringing his own collectors just so they can know that someone like me exists.

What great confidence, expressed through such kindness! That kind of kindness is truly an expression of his own confidence in himself and his work as an artist.

Charles came from a place of love, abundance, and spirit instead of fear, ego, and scarcity. Even though a lot of artists choose to keep to themselves, unwilling to share their success strategies with other artists and often competing fiercely with each other, Charles set an example of the kind of artist that I want to be.

How much better will your life be as a result of doing this on an ongoing basis? How many wonderful things are you missing out on by not doing this?

Are you afraid your collector is going to buy other artists' work and not yours? If that is an insecurity and concern (and understandably so), you have to realize that YOU ARE IRREPLACEABLE. You're an apple, this other artist is a carrot. This other artist can never do what you do the way you do it so once you realize this, no other artist is ever a threat. You also end up being more inspired by other artists after you realize you can never do what they do either. When you accept this, you're then able to bring value and abundance to others, confidently and kindly.

I encourage my fellow artists to pick out a few artists and galleries that you believe in and admire, and start bringing your collectors to their studios and openings. Do it for the rest of the year and let's all take note of the positive results from giving confidently, kindly.

Yee! Let's get it BunBuns! Love your way to success!

* Thank you in advance for sharing my posts if you feel they can make someone's life better

New Year, New People - Are You Letting The Right People In?

2015-01-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year BunBuns!

I hope everyone had a safe and warm celebration last night!

Wanted to share my "Friend/Dating" filter with you. I was catching up with one of my most cherished girlfriends from college the other day, telling her how this filter has helped me assess who to allow into my life.

Just like when you go to the club, you can only go into "VIP" if you're allowed through the velvet rope. Well we gotta pull that velvet rope up on who we let into our lives BunBuns!

The first set of standards are qualifications a person has to meet in order to be my friend. The second set are my standards for dating the opposite sex. Whenever I meet someone new, I observe closely and put them through these filters (not everyone deserves Bunny luv you know?!)

I hope this set of standards can protect you from people who do not help you grow, nor those that don't have your best interest in mind, and especially those who have the potential to wreck havoc on your beautiful life.

Does this person have the privilege

of having you in their life?

Friends

• Is this person responsive? (Do they call/text back?)

• Is this person ambitious?

• Is this person dependable? Consistent?

• Is this person trustworthy? Honest?

• Does this person gossip or do they protect my privacy like a mastiff?

• Is this person positive?

• Does this person add value to my life?

• Is this person there for me when I need them?

• Does this person respect me?

• Does this person add energy to me or deplete my energy?
• Does this person celebrate me or tolerate me?

Man Filter

• How do I feel after I’ve hung out with him? Do I feel good, or do I feel bad? Unfulfilled?

• Does he fulfill me sexually?

• Does he make effort to make me happy, do romantic things, etc?

• Is he supportive of me and my art? Is he patient with where I'm at in life?

• Am I fulfilled with him? Does he meet my needs?

• Is he engaged with what I’m doing, what’s going on in my life?

• Is he available, engaged in us, present when he spends time with me?

• Is he a good listener?

• Does he disappointment me (often)? Is he ok with disappointing me?

• Is he ambitious? Does he know what he’s doing? Does he invest in personal development for himself?

• Do I feel secure with him? Or am I always on edge, doubtful of who he’s with and what he’s doing? Does he give me anything to worry about?

• Does he respect me and my time, my engagements?

• Are we moving forward at a comfortable pace?

• Does he make me feel like I can do anything?

• Does he want kids?

• Does he remember my birthday and our anniversary?

• Is he a gentleman?

• Is he entrepreneurial?

• Is he health conscious?

• Does he love the world? Is he good to other people?

• Does he want to meet my needs and is he capable of meeting my needs? If either answer is no, run!

• Is this man GOOD SHIT or BULLSHIT?

Bunny's Badass Hair Mask Recipe

2014-09-16T12:37:00.002-04:00

Hi BunBuns!

I've been busting butt in the studio, to the point of exhaustion. Last night I pampered myself with a well-deserved, much needed Bunny bath. I was a dirty Bunny! lol It was soo indulgent. Vanilla sugar bubble bath w/ shea butter, pink bath confetti, I threw some potpourri in, a little bath fizz, good smelling candles, listened to female vocalists on Pandora; I hooked it up!

Wanted to share my Bunny hair mask recipe with y'all. It's incredibly nurturing with lots of protein which is great for hair, each ingredient has a purpose. This morning I woke up and I couldn't stop touching and smelling myself (my hair, that is) lol.

Okay. Y'all ready?

Don't worry about measuring, it doesn't matter how much you put in of each ingredient. If you want more of one ingredient that's fine, you can customize it to fit your hair's needs (put more avacado, bananas, olive oil if your hair is dry). You will need more if you have longer hair, not as much if your hair is short.

• avacados
• bananas
• yogurt (plain)
• honey
• olive oil or coconut oil, or both
• raw eggs

Mash all the ingredients in a big bowl and mix well. You can do this with a mixer or manually. Put on dampened hair from roots to ends and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Shampoo and condition as usual, rinse well. Make sure your water isn't too hot, cuz it'll cook the egg on your head. lol

That's it! I made a big batch and poured them into small containers, then froze them. So whenever you want to do the mask, just pull out one of the containers and defrost in the fridge til it's ready to use. You can do it every two weeks, or weekly if your hair is really dry or fried.

You can put a little argan oil, coconut oil, or olive oil after shampooing as a leave-in treatment. Just put it on the ends if you have oily hair, all over if you have dry hair.

Gentlemen, you can use this recipe too. Let me know how it worked for you LuvBuns!

NO MORE SEXISM - Calling out "Sexist Offenders"

2014-08-04T04:15:00.000-04:00

Made a life changing decision over the weekend. Reached a point where I absolutely refuse to tolerate any kind of sexist behavior in my presence no matter how small and insidious the offense. The old me would've let the "small stuff" slide. I used to stay silent, not ruffle feathers in fear of pissing someone off. Eventually holding that silence began eating away at me. SPEAKING UP not only allowed me to free myself from myself, but will eventually start rubbing off on both genders to no longer accept sexism in any capacity.

As a regular recipient of sexist remarks (at least 9x last week) I've observed some men attempting to make women inferior in order to feel secure about their masculinity within themselves and with each other. By allowing a sexist remark to slide, there aren't consequences to face by the "sexist offender" so there's no reason for them to change their behavior. Acceptance of this chauvinist behavior often exacerbates into misogyny; which can then lead to rape, domestic violence, even murder.

Letting a sexist remark slide is a disservice to both women and men. It's a disservice to women because by allowing it, it sets the tone that more ill treatment will be allowed in the future. It's a disservice to men who want the support and contributions of women (especially in business) but aren't willing to provide an atmosphere that encourages women to voice our opinion (much less encourage our male counterparts to support us neither). Ultimately, it's the project or business that suffers because if women can't speak, how will we ever be able to contribute? And without resentment?

Concerned friends lovingly pleaded with me to "stay silent Bunny, let it go". They warned, "You'll piss people off, they'll say you're crazy, you'll lose friends. You're going to fight a huge battle all by yourself. They'll come at you hard because they're not used to women standing up challenging them. It can be emotional turmoil." I experienced all of that, indeed.

There is a silver lining though. Things turned around last night. I received a genuine apology from a man that stood up for a male colleague that kept hurling sexist remarks (8x) when I stood up for myself after the initial insult. Yes, I did piss them off. I did drop someone whom I considered a friend. I did fight a battle. They did come at me very hard. Yes, it was emotionally traumatic. The impact I made was definitely worth it; the sense of personal victory, empowering.

The biggest consequence to ourselves as women is to continue supporting "sexist offenders" through our valuable attributes, character, and work. Ultimately, they have always viewed us as inferior therefore we will never be able to speak our minds nor contribute our best benefactions.

Male peers who don't limit women in our expressions receive the best contributions because we are able to participate fully. Sexist tensions are non-existent which allows for true collaboration in making things happen. Yee!

Learn how to stop sexist remarks here.

Does Your City Have An Organization That Helps Creatives Become A Successful Business?

2014-01-22T03:55:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all, today I wanted to share with you how important it is for us creatives to embrace the business side of things so we can earn a profitable living from our talents.

I must say, even with a basic business background I had to go through some serious trial and errors to navigate my career as a Visual Artist. There weren't any real resources to teach you how to make a living off your craft except a handful of books. After buying all of them, I was still lost.

Well let me tell y'all about one of the best resources I've come across to help our dreams come true BunBuns! C4 Atlanta is a non-profit organization that connects arts entrepreneurs to the people, skills and tools they need to build a successful artistic career from Atlanta.

They welcome all types of creatives, not just visual artists. So if you are a musician, rapper, MC, vocalist, DJ, dancer, instrumentalist, performer, writer, film director, animator, illustrator, anything creative, this is for you!

C4 helps you look at your business from all aspects; helping you customize strategies and introducing you to new tools. I was grateful to qualify for a scholarship offered through C4 which allowed me to take the IGNITE class. As a member, you can apply for the KP Bridge Program, designed to help artists obtain affordable health insurance for you and your family (for those that qualify). The TechSmarts meet-ups teach creatives all the different ways technology can advance your business. Their AIM (Artist in the Marketplace) workshop helps you create a custom marketing plan; it addresses how to effectively let people know about your business and what you do. C4's Website Bootcamp guides you on how to build a website using WordPress. They offer many more resources, so go check out their website for more information.

So let me tell you what their IGNITE class is like. It's an eight week class that strictly focuses on the business side of what you do. The class helps you envision what you want your business to be like in such detail that you will create your business as you've never known.

C4 helps you come up with your mission statement, creative offering, vision statement, core values, value proposition, they go over industry analysis, even helping you assess threats to your business! They help you evaluate who your competitors are, help you create a marketing plan including publicity and promotions, how to negotiate effectively with integrity, they even go over the different types of business entities to help you figure out which one is right for you (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, etc.)

The class size is small, so there's a lot of interaction with one another, and you get to meet new friends. Yah, it's an intense class, only for those serious about their profession. It was really what I needed to propel my career to the next level.

By the time I finished the class, I had an amazing business plan more detailed than any other business plan I've ever written. Of course business plans are always evolving and changing, but I had a real basic foundation. This class allowed me to create a bigger vision than I ever thought possible. I actually developed a logical, realistic strategic plan showing me how to make millions off my art! Yee!

You may hear from IGNITE alumni how this class has changed our lives. Here are some amazing results I've achieved with the help of C4 Atlanta.

• Created a business plan that I feel really good about, strong enough to show to investors and new business associates to make a powerful first impression. We have to show them how serious we are BunBuns!

• We did a little presentation at the end of class explaining our business plan. C4 invited two very knowledgable guests to give us feedback. One of the guests scheduled a studio visit and offered me a management deal on the spot after he saw my work.

• The other guest invited me to do a podcast interview at WonderRoot, a non-profit organization that also serves creatives.

• I've attended other classes regarding social media, blogging, Google Analytics, etc.

• C4 sent us emails to free classes offered at other organizations such as how to shoot videos if you have no idea what you're doing (that's me!). They introduced us to other classes that covered various topics pertaining to business enhancement too.

• From one of the classes C4 Atlanta referred me to, I met an amazing lady who really loved what I was doing and invited me as her guest to an Eve Ensler book talk. The lady I met has become a real big supporter of what I'm doing, and excited to open new doors of opportunity for me as a business ally.

• I got health insurance through C4; super affordable world-class healthcare through Kaiser Permanente. Hospital visits has never been so luxurious. For real!

• Joe Winter, Deputy Director, introduced me to a video director who is going to shoot all my videos. Yee!

As a proud alumni of the IGNITE program, this experience was absolutely necessary in helping me develop a detailed comprehensive strategy. It's improved my life. Personally I think this class is worth at least $5,000 if not more.

Organizations such as C4 Atlanta are a vital necessity to creatives' career development. The amount of value they contribute to the Atlanta creative community is immeasurable. Jessyca Holland and Joe Winter have worked tirelessly with the Board of Directors to see this come to fruition and the impact it's had on C4 members. The amazing thing is, it all started with a passionate vision - an idea to fulfill a substantial need.

Does your city have an organization that helps creatives become a successful business? If not, why not start one? Yee? From the sprout of an idea, an innovation like this helps develop more prosperous creatives from your city. ATL represent! lol

That is why the Power2Give initiative is so important in helping to raise funds so organizations like C4 Atlanta can really expand and further develop their capabilities in serving more creatives. In this case, the agenda is to provide more scholarships so creatives like you and me can really explore just how far we can go. C4 Atlanta has two weeks left to meet their goal so they can provide these scholarships. For every dollar donated, the Power2Give sponsor will match it. Don't you want to quit your day job and fire your boss BunBun?!

As a fellow creative who has gained so much value from C4 Atlanta, I definitely want more creatives to know about this resource. Perhaps this blog post can plant this concept to artistic communities in other cities in creating an organization that helps creatives with business education.

The IGNITE program definitely lit a fire under my ass. I'm so excited for all of us BunBuns! With organizations like C4 Atlanta helping us, we are a few steps closer to making our dreams come true!

Yee!!

*Feel free to share this post with fellow creatives in Atlanta so they know about this valuable resource. Thanks!

Does It Really Matter Where You Live To Become A Successful Artist?

2014-01-13T01:48:00.002-05:00

Happy new year BunBuns! Hope everyone is rejuvenated and focused on making our dreams come true this year, Yee!

One question has been driving me crazy for the past three years since returning to Atlanta: "Do I really need to be in New York or Los Angeles to make this art thing work?" I keep contemplating whether I should stay in Atlanta, or move back to Los Angeles, or go to Europe, or hang out in my birth city, Beijing (China). I even thought about going to Mongolia to learn about my Mongolian roots, since I'm part Mongolian. Most likely, I've probably asked you whether I should stay here or go back to LA. lol Is the grass really greener on the other side?

Then I thought about what success really meant to me. Do I consider myself successful if I'm happy? Would I be considered successful if I became an art mogul? Or is success measured by a person's contributions to society and level of philanthropy? Could raising a joyful family be a measure of success? Could really knowing yourself be considered success? Is success making a full time living as an artist? How do I define success to me?

To me, success is defined by my level of happiness. If I'm happy, then I'm successful since that's my ultimate priority. As long as I can make art and support myself and my family from my craft, I think that's a measure of success.

But is that enough? Should I want more? Should I go for those big dreams of being in museum shows all around the world, more collectors eager to buy my work, making a shitload of money, more money than I can ever imagine? Should I want that?

Finally I decided that there are two levels of success... Success measured by happiness and having an amazing family, the minimum level of success. I'd be completely content living this way, forever. After all, it is a career milestone and an accomplishment to make a full-time living as an artist...But it's too safe. After you reach this milestone, then what?

So I decided to go all out for the big dreams. Life is short; when we hit a milestone it's a celebration of our purpose. It reminds us why we did it. I'm not going to lie, I totally want to make loads of money because I want to put it towards philanthropy. Even thinking about the dream is so fulfilling.

Looking at what I define as success, I realized it could be done from anywhere. There were some amazing times in LA though. Meeting Barbara Kruger, John Baldessari, Jerry Saltz, and Orlan were very memorable moments in my life. It's good to have roles models; people you look up to and respect.

Meeting Barbara Kruger was cool, I went to a lecture of hers. I was completely immersed in what she had to say. My mentor wouldn't give me back my drink unless I went up to Mr. Baldessari and introduced myself. Gotta love your mentors for that. :) I was hella nervous, I think he got a little freaked out too. lol So finally I said hello, and he was really nice. He reminds me of Santa Clause, that kind of good energy.

I met Orlan in Miami during Basel actually, but I would not have been there if it weren't for my LA gallery taking me there. She came in and saw my work, I want to think she grabbed my hand, and she told me "I will remember you". Yeeeeeeee!!! Can you believe that? It was so motivating. It was one of the best moments of my life.

I met Mr. Saltz at a lecture, he gave me his email. I emailed him some images and he totally wrote back! He gave me some amazing ideas and feedback. I feel I really learned something with what he had to say.

I wouldn't have had those experiences if I weren't in LA. Were they amazing? Of course. Could I have experienced those things traveling there instead of living there? Absolutely.

Big cities have their low points too. High rent and expenses in general, crime, it's not all rosy. Did I find some amazing opportunities? Yes. Could I have networked when visiting the city and online to get amazing opportunities also? Yes.

I look at Atlanta and find a kind of peace. The kind of peace that only your roots can give you, what it means to be Southern. Yeah, it's weird. lol There's comfort here; a relaxed pace, and damn good BBQ.

Doesn't mean I'm not productive. You can be just as productive being in Atlanta than any other big city. You just have to get your work out there. I think Atlanta is a good home base; real estate is affordable. I can say the quality of life is better down here, I definitely believe that.

So one day back in 2008, when shit was really hard, one of my mentors came to gently give me encouragement; to get me to be more motivated. I was in a serious pit of depression. Okay, I whined a little bit. He was blunt, direct, and made so many points at once when he said " Yun, everybody has their sob stories. It's ALL about the work. That's the only thing that matters."

When I heard that, it put into perspective the scope of my problems. I was still depressed, but I knew I'd get out of my funk by focusing on the work. Even now when I start whining to myself, I remind myself of what my mentor said.

If it's all about the work, does it really matter where you make the work?

What Will You Take With You Into 2014? What Will You Leave Behind?

2013-12-31T03:24:00.000-05:00

BunBuns! How has your holiday season been so far? My staycation ended up being two months instead of two weeks. lol Although I can't say I'm back in alignment fully, I can say I'm definitely focused and ready to dive into this art adventure now that I'm well rested.

As we come close to ringing in the new year, I've been reflecting on 2013 observing what I'd like to bring with me into 2014 as well as what I'd like to leave behind. After taking a good hard look at my life, it wasn't easy making the decisions I had to make. I had to let go of a lot in order to make room in becoming the Bunny I want to be.

What must I do in 2014 to lead a life of quality? What new attributes must I acquire to strengthen and refine my character? What fears must I overcome to get to the next level? How do I gain the strength necessary to lead a controversial impactful movement collaborating with fellow creatives? How will I serve those who believe in what we are doing? The answers to these questions were easy to answer. I know exactly what I intend to do, very confident and sure of where I'm going.

The hard part was letting go of certain people and releasing things about myself that didn't help me grow, that brought me down, or simply didn't deserve my investment. I felt heavy and toxic, but not quite sure why I felt that way. After listing all the things and relationships I wanted to leave behind in 2013, I felt empowered and ready to fill life up with quality experiences and genuine quality relationships.

It was sooo difficult letting go. It still is. I had to get rid of a lot so my heart would be lighter. Yet I was so afraid to let go, fearing a feeling of emptiness. What would be left in my life after I unload this toxicity? How do I fill myself back up again to nourish my soul? While my list got longer and my heart felt lighter, the fear of emptiness grew.

How do I let go of friendships I've had for over a decade, people I once loved with all my heart and shared so many wonderful memories with? To keep investing in a friendship/relationship that's not reciprocal simply because we've had so much history? When in reality I don't even know who this person is anymore? Those people have become familiar strangers to me. But was it healthy to keep these negligent strangers in my life just because they are somewhat familiar?

I knew I had to let go in order to move on. It was time to clean house. Choosing to put my energy into meeting new people, building new friendships while nurturing existing ones that are the most meaningful and sacred to me was a much more comforting thought. The kind of people I want in my life are genuine people who value me, my heart, my sincerity, those who celebrate me and value my loyalty, those who are positive and supportive of the Bunny I'm growing into, those who protect a friend's privacy like a mastiff. Most of all, friends who are true champions in life and are the first to courageously show up for you in your moment of weakness. Such people are incredibly rare, wouldn't you agree?

What will you let go of on this last day of 2013? Who and what will you take with you to be a part of your fabulous life in 2014?

Later I'm going to do some meditating to forgive (and ask for forgiveness), forgive myself for the mistakes I've made, be grateful for the lessons and clarity from those mistakes, bless all and release with love.

The only thing I'm taking with me into 2014 are the memories. Just the good ones, and putting them in a special place in my heart. It's a true celebration in honoring those I've had history with.

Improving Creativity And Everything Else With A Staycation

2013-10-29T01:30:00.002-04:00

Hi BunBuns, I've missed you!

I'm on my first "Staycation", a vacation where you stay at home and/or the city you live in. Been working non-stop when I suddenly realized I was burned out. Evidently it creeps up on you, due to prolonged stress. One day you wake up not wanting to face the day, nothing seems to motivate you, your life becomes passionless and everything feels like it's working against you, productivity decreases, you don't want to play with your pet, declining social invitations and dates, y'all know exactly what I'm talking about. Just so brittle, dry, and crusty, burnt to a damn crisp!

My staycation started today and ends on 11/10/13, two weeks from now. I felt pretty decadent and unproductive, not sure what to do with myself. Sleep schedule has been out of sync for a while now, going to bed at 6am and waking up at 7:30pm lately. So I knew something had to be done and told family, friends, and my manager that I'm on vacation for the next two weeks to decompress.

Last night I made a list of all the things I wanted to do on my staycation: give Bebe (my Westie) a bath and groom her, clean and deodorize the house, take a bubble bath and have a spa day at home (total body exfoliation, moisturizing Bunny body, mani/pedi, face masks, doing eyebrows, deep hair conditioning, facial, etc.), finish writing in my journal and start a new one (onto Volume #19!), get my friend to teach me how to make earrings, take Bebe to the dog park, download some ringtones, read, paint, make a list of all the things I look forward to doing/accomplishing, cooking, working out, watching TV, embracing my free spiritedness some more, booty shaking my Bunny buns around the house, reading about how to love myself more, spending time with Panda parents, and planning a clothing swap with my girlfriends. So many things I can do, the fun possibilities are endless.

For most people including myself, it's the guilt of taking time off to do nothing that prohibits us from going on a staycation. The focus here is to achieve pure happiness and elation in every cell of our bodies; every part of our being.

Just taking the time out to dream again. No work related stuff whatsoever unless I want to read up on stuff that will inspire me. When people contact me about work stuff, I reply that I'm on vacation and will be back in two weeks and leave my manager's contact info. It's a great feeling. :)

There are tons of great ideas for singles and families if you Google "staycation". And the cost of my amazing staycation? $0! Free ninety-nine. I know my work and winning attitude was suffering due to burnout. Not to mention a massive artist block that lead to resentment of my work. Does that sound like something you are going through?

Here are some tips for your own unique staycation, anytime you need it. All you have to do is decide that you deserve it! Yee!

• Start with your weekend beginning Friday night and go all the way until late Sunday night. If it doesn't give you pleasure, don't do it. That includes house cleaning.

• For those with erratic schedules (your days off aren't consecutive), make every one of your off days your staycation days.

• For those that have day jobs while pursuing your dream career on your own time, go home and force yourself to do something aside from your craft. Even though we love what we do, at some point we have to admit it's still work. It's not like it won't be there when we step back in a week.

For us painters, it's always good to come back to your work with a "fresh eye" a few days later and continue working on it. I imagine it's the same for musicians, writers. To come back with "fresh ears" and take a fresh listen.

• Explore another creative avenue. I'm a painter, but I'm super excited to have my friend teach me how to make earrings. She makes amazing jewelry so we're going to spend a girl day making earrings and stuff.

Make visual art if you're a musician, make music if you're a visual artist. Or write poetry. If you're a writer, paint something. Y'all get the idea.

Don't worry about it being "good" or not. I see so many people never attempt to create something because they don't think they're good at it. It's all about the release. The act of expression. Hell I get gonged off the stage at karaoke but that doesn't stop me from singing!

• Budget challenges? Come on y'all. Free ninety-nine is the cheapest you're gonna get. No excuses on this one. lol

• Rub some self tanner on yourself if you have to. Get some coconut oil going on. Whatever you need to do to get in the mood and be excited about your staycation!

• Make a list. Just like how you would make a list of stuff you have to do to be productive, make a list of all the things you want to do for fun! If it's fun, it goes on the list. You don't have to stick with it and you don't have to do everything. Just wake up in the morning and pick something off the list you want to do that day. Easy as blueberry pie.

• Spend time with your family. I don't have kids yet but I have my dog. I can tell when Bebe wants me to give her a belly rub, she lays on her back with her paws up and gives me the saddest puppy dog look. I'm sure your kids would enjoy a belly rub too. ;)

• Treat your staycation just as you would any other vacation. Turn your auto-responder on for your email if you'd like, turn off your phone, but definitely let people know you're not doing anything except playing and relaxing for the next two weeks. Take yourself seriously and maintain distinct boundaries. If it ain't about play, then no way. lol

For those that say you don't have time, you're gonna have to make time. And get everyone else to respect that time. Just say "Hey, I'm going on a staycation until (enter date). I will be in town and would love to see you, but only if we do something fun. Otherwise I will see you when I come back as a more refreshed, happier, more productive, and more lovable me!"

Do you really need more reasons to take a staycation?

• You will be happier. You will always have that "I just got laid really good" glow everywhere you go. People will tell you how great you look. They'll ask if you got a haircut. They'll notice something different about you, but won't be able to put their finger on it.

• You will be irresistible to the opposite sex; they will flirt with you shamelessly. The glint in your eye will have them mesmerized. You will be like melted chocolate gold to them. Your spouse won't be able to keep their hands off of you, you WILD THING! ;)

• You will feel great because your body will be rested and relaxed - mentally, physically, emotionally. You will be in total and complete alignment with yourself, those around you, and how you respond to the world. You will get along with everyone flawlessly or they will miraculously disappear as nothing in your world will be out of alignment.

• You will be more patient. Bullshit and bullshitters won't get to you because you'll be so high on life that their stank will just glide right off you. That's what happens when you come back smelling good from your staycation, that potent bullshit repellent seeps from your pores and the stank has no choice but to go somewhere else. Yee!

• Others will love your attitude and good energy. You will attract all kinds of free food and money. It happened to me, I manifested chicken fried rice!

• When you come back from your staycation you will be more alert, energized, focused, motivated, rejuvenated, and clear headed with your agenda. You will know exactly what you need to do. You won't be stuck on making decisions or be confused about anything. You'll be SURE.

• You will love your work more than ever before. You will be more passionate about what you do, your mission, your purpose. You will have an unspoken conviction that silently persuades others to say "Yes!" to whatever you're pitching. It'll be smooth like butta.

• You will have a million ideas on how to improve your business/career. Creatively, you'll be unstoppable. Ideas will flow like Niagara Falls.

• You will be completely organized. You won't misplace anything, ever again! lol

• Your kids will think you're the best parent ever. They'll actually think you're "cool". lol Right now, Bebe really loves me cuz she's never had so much bacon.

• YOU DESERVE IT! That's the biggest reason of all!

Okay, by now I'm sure I've convinced you with my staycation magic to go on a staycation yourself. Life is too short to not be happy and wake up everyday elated about your life. So if you're not waking up everyday absolutely excited about your life, it's time for a staycation.

Let me know what you ended up doing or what you have planned BunBuns!

Good Time Friends vs. True Friends - Who Is Worth Your Investment?

2013-10-11T03:44:00.000-04:00

As I embrace the new year with art and family being my main priorities, I began thinking about how much time, energy, monetary resources, consistency, and dedication it took to stay in the art game. To continue. Because anyone who has a dream isn't doing it just to casually dab their tippy toe in the pool to see "what happens". Hell naw. All the dreamers I know, including myself, are out there on the front lines everyday jumping into risks, getting rejected, taking hits, making punches. Nothing about what we do is casual - and we don't pay any mind to those who receive us casually. Which got me thinking about friendships and relationships. A friendship takes investment of time, energy, trust, vulnerability, consistency, and dedication just as much as any career focus. Yet why do some of us continue to invest in relationships that we know ended a long time ago? Or continue to engage ourselves and waste our precious life with superficial people?

A while ago, a friend told me how she had different types of friends categorized - there were "party friends", "girlfriends", "friends with benefits", "college friends", "work friends", "networking friends", "fake friends", "help-me-get-to-the-next-level-in-life friends" and last but not least, "true real friends". While trying to figure out which category I belonged to in her life, I wiggled my little Bunny nose in confusion and said, "Well the only type of friendship I invest in are real true friends. My intention in every one of my relationships is to be a true genuine friend so I guess it makes things easier."

But was it easier? Sure it sounded nice and simple, but I questioned which of my friends were genuine true friends, which ones were "good time friends", and then there are people we just happen to know but we would never consider them any kind of friend. Or those we thought were our true friends only to realize with disappointment that they are a better fit for the "good time friend" category.

We all know what a true friend is - those rare gems in society that support you in who you want to be as a dreamer, who you can count on with everything, who hurt when you hurt, who you can tell your secrets to knowing it won't go anywhere, who you feel safe with when you are at your lowest and weakest moments in life. You can assess a lot about who a person is in how they treat you when you are at your lowest - those who honor your dignity when you are down and out are our true friends.

So what's a "good time friend"? A "good-time friend" is someone who only comes around when life is good for you. They are friends with you because your lifestyle is similar to their lifestyle in some kind of way, or they could be intrigued by your lifestyle. The friendship is surface, light-hearted, and usually scheduled around some kind of activity such as clubbing, working out, book club, or some type of outing. "Good-time friends" are attracted to you because of who you are (when you're happy), what you do for a living, your lifestyle, your company, and sometimes what you can do for them. Their acceptance of you as a person is limited only to when your life is good, to ensure a good time with them.

I realized recently that some people who were in my life were attracted to me because I'm an artist. They were attracted to my lifestyle as an artist - being a creative free spirit, rebellious, non-conformist, unique, unconventional, and whatever else comes to mind when society thinks of an artist. Maybe they dig being around an easel and paintbrushes, the porn, who knows. lol

But once adversity hit, those folks scattered - nowhere to be found. Like a character on that tv show "Disappeared". Or when they did respond it was something like "Hope life is good with you!" knowing that life was not. Then you wouldn't hear from them again. lol

From my observation, it's easier for friends to be in the "good-time friend" category than it is for them to be a true friend. It's much more convenient to be a good-time friend. It takes much less bravery to be a good-time friend. Think about it - in order to be a true friend, you have to be incredibly brave to show up, show that you care, show that you're there, keep your word that you'll be there, and support your friend as they go through their adversity. It's incredibly rare.

A true friend said to me today, "Bunny, it's not that they're bad people, but they are weak people." Such incredible wisdom, don't you think? Those folks who we know are strictly good-time friends because they've proven to not be a true friend at all.

So my question is this - why do we invest in these "good-time friends"? When we know their friendship is both conditional, limited, and no longer sincere (was it ever, really)? To keep them around in case we need them for some superficial favor in the future? Or to be around when they need one from us? Because there's been history together?

Now, don't get me wrong. There are plenty of friends I have a great time with that remain unknown whether they are true friends. That takes time to build, develop, and evolve into. What I'm referring to are those friends that we specifically know are not our true friends because they've shown us who they are. Do you still stick around? Why? Do you still invest in something that you know won't be reciprocated? Why hang on?

Paraphrasing Joel O'Steen, "I'd rather have two friends that are 100% with me than 10,000 friends that are 20% there." Investment into anything and anyone takes energy. We only have a certain amount of time and energy that we can invest with. I used to be the initiator to keep in contact with a lot of people. Sure they would call back, but they wouldn't ever initiate a phone call or even an email. Which made me wonder if they were a true friend, or even a good-time friend.

The answer to that question? I stopped calling. I stopped initiating. I stopped caring. I stopped investing and wasting my energy. Some folks would call and ask, "Bunny! Where have you been? I haven't heard from you and was starting to get worried." That's when I realized they were a true friend who just happened to get used to me doing the initiating. ;) But nonetheless they picked up the phone to check in. The other folks, I just let them fade away out of my life to make room for more true friends. Yee!

It makes sense to invest in our true friends. Those that accompany you to the emergency room at midnight and stay with you until 4am even when they have to be at work in a few hours. Or going to the funeral to mourn with you in the rain. Or calling you when you're freaking out to remind you of your strength and how you can't let anybody keep you down, for you to not feel guilty about something that was never your fault. To hear the pain in their voice from your hurt. To know that a select few would take you in if you were ever homeless, no questions asked. To come get you out of an abusive situation and arrange a women's domestic violence shelter to come get you and refer you to legal counsel. This is the kind of thing my true friends have done for me, and what I've done for them. That's love, and that's better than any good-time friend I could ever want.

Wanna know how to tell the difference between a true friend and a good-time friend? A true friend can't stay away knowing that you're hurting. It's impossible for them. BAM!

PS - There's plenty of good times to be had with true friends, you know. ;)

* As always, much appreciation for sharing this Bunny blog post!

Bunny Buns Burning!

2013-10-05T03:18:00.000-04:00

Hi BunBuns,

Is it me or has the fall season all of a sudden kicked your motivation into high gear too? Or maybe I'm trying to squeeze in as much as I can before the new year because this whole year seemed retrograde to me? lol You too?

I've literally become obsessed with this art thing, including all the other aspects of my business aside from studio time. All I think about morning, day, and night is about art and creativity. It's the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before going to bed. I've been so consumed with it I don't even think about men, dating, or dick at all. Well, maybe a little. ;)

One of the most valuable skills I learned was how to manage people through servant leadership and how to delegate. I've been working closely with my Managing Director and maintaining close communication with my interns. I've been training my team and helping them acquire skills they can utilize in their own career endeavors by through challenging assignments to encourage independent thinking.

A wise mentor once taught me that it doesn't matter how much time I put into something or how hard I work, the only thing that matters is the end result. I've passed this philosophy to my teammates; it's how we measure our performance. Did we meet our deadlines? Why or why not? How was our end result? Did it meet our high standard of excellence?

The reason I've been spending a good amount of time training my team is to have them handle a lot of the administrative tasks so I can have more studio time to produce inventory. Admittedly I've been pushing all of us to perform out of our comfort zones enough to be challenged, but not overwhelmed. With five core team members and my long-time attorney as sounding boards, my Managing Director and I decided it would be wise to expand and look for a graphic design intern to lighten the workload. Yee!

Beginning now and throughout next year my Managing Director and I will be drilling each other to enhance our sales, negotiation, networking, and leadership skills. We will concentrate on one skill each quarter, in addition to completing what needs to be done. I encourage my team to think critically and independently. I ask them, "This is the end result we want to achieve. Here is our philosophy and what we believe. How do we make it happen? Remember, there is no box." I guide them in writing a proposed plan and give them a deadline. No micro-managing, just accountability.

Things are about to be really be on fire, we are all pumped up. My team understands that in working with me, they are acquiring skills necessary to aid them in becoming who they want to be. I've learned caring about people is the best way to earn loyalty. My internships are custom designed based on the interns' strengths and interests; various assignments ensure a well-rounded experience. There is a suggested reading list and they're encouraged to attend art functions that they may otherwise not have exposure to. But most of all I challenge all of us to think BIG. I encourage them to be absolutely unrealistic of what is possible. With that comes a world of possibilities of who we can become.

Our buns are burning and we can't wait to see what happens! Yee!

As always, thank you for sharing this post. :)

A Request.

2013-07-13T07:16:00.002-04:00

*This note is intended for anyone going through adversity, or knows of someone going through adversity. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider. Reposted from a FB note.

While the path of an artist isn't usually easy, it's been a blessing to triumph through numerous adversities. The blessing comes from having the opportunity to mold one's character, our ultimate work of art. The benefits of adversity include having a platform to train our mental toughness; having a point of reference to grow from; knowing who our real friends are; having intense clarity of our past, present, and of the future that we want.

Each adversity I've ever faced has helped me strengthen a virtue or acquire a new one. It's given me a chance to truly change, create, and become the kind of steel magnolia BunBun that I want to be. As we continuously evolve, the following two "life codes" I've adapted have helped me get one step closer to wholeness within.

1) Protecting my friends' privacy like a mastiff. In observation of how often someone would spill the beans on their so-called "friend" to a complete stranger (me), I found myself assessing my relationship to gossip. There were moments of self-actualization when I found myself lured in and participating in gossip, sucked in almost as if by quicksand. I didn't like who I was after the fact. I was ashamed and quite disappointed in myself, actually.

So changes were made. I distanced myself from those who gossiped about their so called "friends", stopped them in their tracks and called them out on it, or simply made a mental note to not ever tell this person anything about myself unless it was something I wanted broadcast to the world.

I ask my FB community to assess your relationship to gossip. What do you get out of it? Why do you do it? If we considered someone our friend, someone that we care about and love, then wouldn't it make sense to only gossip about their celebrations, accolades, and accomplishments? Why don't we do more of that?

2) The magic of a phone call. Reach out and call somebody, (right now). Reach out and return that phone call, (right now). :)

While the responsibilities of life keep us immersed with our priorities, it means so much to receive a delightful, positive, encouraging voice message. Thanks to the reminders on FB, I try my best to call folks on their birthday and sing them "Happy birthday" offtune, in Chinese. Or just call and let them know you're thinking about them and take the opportunity to tell them you love them. Honestly, it might be the last time we have such a chance - you never know what could happen tomorrow. So I make sure to tell those that I love, how much I really love them whenever there is the chance.

Genuine sincerity goes a long way in life. Encouragement, praise, kindness, and compassion does wonders for others. Especially if you know someone is really going through a hard time. A quick phone call, a happy encouraging message, a little sunshine to offset this crazy ATL rain we've been having lately can do so much.

I've learned that in loving someone, it's incredibly hard not to be there for them. To watch someone suffer as an innocent bystander knowing that we can help them in some kind of way doesn't make us so innocent. Especially if we call them our "friend".

With that said, I ask my FB community to be reminded that as we all face our life challenges no matter what they are, that it is simply another opportunity to mold our character in acquiring more virtues. While no one is perfect (I certainly have things to work on), having the opportunity to be the best that we can be is perfection in itself. As we triumph through our own adversities, let's make it easier for others to triumph through theirs by protecting their privacy and offering praises of encouragement.

Lemme Catch Y'all Up... "The World Is Yours"

2013-06-21T04:45:00.002-04:00

Can't believe my last blog post was almost six weeks ago, damn time flies. lol So lemme catch y'all up on the panel seminar, "The World Is Yours: Art Success From Atlanta" that went down May 4th at Erickson Clock in the Castleberry district here in Atlanta.

It was a complete success! So many happy faces showed up, pens and notebooks in hand, I'd like to think everyone walked away a little more inspired, including me. Learned so much from the panelists - a ton of great information, inspiring stories of how they got to where they are now, great energy. Neda Abghari of The Creatives Project hosted and gave a short introduction of each artist. Check out everybody in action below!

Fahamu Pecou taught us about branding and his adventure as an artist.

Sheila Pree-Bright shed light on how to build long-term professional relationships.

Jason Kofke gave us the low-down on how to apply for international residencies.

Pam Longobardi elaborated more on international opportunities.

And of course your favorite Bunny discussed personal development, Yee!

Special thanks to the artists, The Goat Farm Arts Center, The Creatives Project, Lunacy Black Market, and everyone who helped make this a successful event.

If you have any questions, please contact neda@thecreativesproject.com.

Art Love: Who Is King Carla?

2013-05-03T14:19:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all,

Wanted to show some love to my girl King Carla, who is having her show tonight at City of Ink 7-10pm. Some of her work below, awesome stuff.

1. Tell us about your art. What is your art about, the message behind your art?

My art is a pop culture based mythology reflecting how I understand and love dirty South culture. It's glossy, upside down and mythical because hypersexualized women become kings and creators while men become gods and monsters.

2. What inspires you?

Blackness, history, science, religion and culture all inspire me. They become themes within this pantheon of reversed power I've created. All of them are grand in the sense of all encompassing like an omnipotent being. They influence how we learn and interact so much that our human behavior is heavily influenced by these themes.

3. Tell us more about your art process.

I look at movies and television and browse the Internet all the time. I love them so much. I go through periods of rest, absorb and produce. I believe that art is a slow process. I'll make something and walk away for a while. Read a little. Converse with experts and scholars including killers and dealers. It all finds a way into my work.

4. What's coming up for you regarding happenings, new work, art stuff?

Up next is spending time reading and writing. Also, spending some time rephotographing my MFA thesis body and turning into what it should have been when I graduated.

5. What is your website?

My site is whoiskingcarla.com. Holler at a player when you see me on the streets, bitch. Bow down.

*All images courtesy of artist

A Vision Fulfilled: "The World Is Yours: Art Success From Atlanta" Panel Seminar

2013-04-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

In late 2010, I relocated back to Atlanta from Los Angeles to be closer to my father (his health was getting fragile), and to re-strategize my art career. Although I'd built pretty good momentum during my time in LA, I was still unsatisfied. How does a practicing artist represented by six galleries covering territories all over the US and Europe not be able to make a highly profitable living off her art? How was that possible?

As friends and family suggested with good intention for me to go get a "real job", I refused defiantly. There was no way that was going to happen - my career as an artist was my full-time job, my only job, and I intended for things to stay that way. It was either art or bust. To either sink or swim. Anyone who suggested that I go get a job, who was critical about my dedication and commitment to my art simply got cut out of my life with no regrets. I really was that serious.

You see, I'd made a commitment to myself years earlier after learning of how Julius Caesar burnt his ships in battle, leading to a victorious triumph. His men were weary; to eliminate any possibility of retreat, Caesar ordered all their ships to be burned so their only options were to either win or die. I was so inspired upon hearing this, I deleted my job resume that day - forever! The only thing I had was my curriculum vitae, a decision to make a living as a full-time artist, and a firm commitment to do so. Sure, I was scared. Sure, I quit my job. Sure, the only thing I had was artistic talent, a bunch of porn, and an iron will to swim and paddle my Bunny paws hard...

In remembering this commitment to myself, getting a "real job" was definitely out of the question. I'd built up a waiting list of folks interested in buying art, and had turned down international shows in the Ukraine, France, and Korea in order to reground myself back in Atlanta. All I had to do was stick to my dream and make art. Besides, I had no resume and couldn't remember the dates of the places I'd worked anyway. Plus, who was going to hire a visual artist who'd been out of the work force for five years choosing instead to collage flowers out of porn? In the Deep South?

About a year ago I was assessing my situation and asked myself, "Yun, you're back in Atlanta, you're not in LA or NY which are considered major art hubs, so what do you do now? How do you strengthen your international art career from Atlanta? Surely there are other artists wondering the same thing." Then a pink light bulb went off. Ding! Wouldn't it be cool to get artists based in Atlanta who are making moves on the international scene to share their business secrets and strategies? We could get a food sponsor and chow down - share, eat and learn! Yee!! *Excited squeal* I was so excited, and so were a lot of people after I posted the idea on Facebook.

Fahamu Pecou, Pam Longobardi , Sheila Pree-Bright, and Neda Abghari of The Creatives Project reached out immediately to show their support of the idea. Through our networks we reached out to The Goat Farm Arts Center, Burnaway, and C4 Atlanta to share the idea and get feedback. With great admiration for Jason Kofke, we asked him to join our initiative.

Our vision was for these panel seminars to be ongoing, to make an impact in educating and serving Atlanta artists so they wouldn't leave to other cities. In educating our local talent on how to build an international career, over time I envisioned these same artists popping up onto the international arts scene. One by one, the world will take notice that these artists are based in ATLANTA. Yee!!

There was a need for Atlanta artists to have this knowledge. The reception for this seminar exceeded my expectations, reflected in the number of applicants who applied. It's also piqued the interest of some members of national/international press. To me, Atlanta is a treasure trove of artistic talent comprised of dedicated, hardworking, fervent art advocates and deserves more recognition as an arts hub. All these amazing people with a passionate love for the arts in Atlanta came together in making this vision happen and it's going down May 4th! For almost an entire year, these Atlanta art enthusiasts donated their time and resources through numerous Skype meetings, phone meetings, emailing back and forth, coordinating back and forth - a true example of flawless cooperation and teamwork. Such amazing professionalism.

I'm truly honored to have worked with these art professionals in learning, being inspired by, and held accountable while given an opportunity to serve the Atlanta art community. I hope the artists that attend the seminar can walk away with a different mindset in how to approach this glorious art dream, knowing that success is not only possible, but possible from Atlanta. Most of all, I look forward to seeing more Atlanta artists stake their position in the global arts economy.

Below is an overview and summary of topics:

OVERVIEW:
Atlanta has an amazing and growing community of talented artists, and we have an incredible opportunity to become a leading international arts community. This series provides expert advice to help local artists build their international career based on efficient and unconventional strategies, shortcuts and valuable insights. Attendees will learn how to strengthen their international presence without leaving Atlanta and our burgeoning arts community will be able to retain the creative talent we’ve worked hard to nurture and support.

Saturday, May 4, 2013
10am - 2pm
Erikson Clock 364 Nelson Street Atlanta GA Castleberry Hill

*Submission deadline for artists has closed. If you would like to attend as a VIP or if you are a member of the press, please email neda@thecreativesproject.org

PANELISTS & TOPICS:

Fahamu Pecou
ARTIST AS BRAND: “Creating Your International Public Persona”
• How inventing yourself as a brand can further your international art career.

Sheila Pree-Bright
CULTIVATING ALLIES: “Strong Relationships Lead to a Strong Career”
• How to gain support from influential arts supporters and add them to your team.

Jason Kofke & Pam Longobardi
TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE BOX: “Going Global From Atlanta”
• How to gain international recognition and credibility to support your career.

Yun Bai
HEALTHY HABITS: “The Significance of Investing in Yourself”
• Why character / skill development is vital to your success as an artist.

Click here for complete PRESS RELEASE