Creative Artist Eklipz
Divine origins in this current energy signature
I took the liberty of adding another word, as I can’t be confined to 6 words. Besides, 7 is more aligned with my number.
The book is called Hip Hop Homage
I have had the distinct pleasure of working with an amazing publisher - BWL Publishers. Jude Pitman saw something in the creative project I called the “Essence of.” It was about eight or maybe even nine people who not only allowed me the pleasure of photographing them, they also went deep down and shared some incredible stories, challenges and Gems in their lives.
In fact, if you search for the “Wisdom of Ordinary People,” you will find almost 2,800 years of shared wisdom, lessons and gems that we can learn from.
It was a nice surprise when we were able to convert the good feelings into a second book titled “The Passion and Purpose of Ordinary People.” Wait, it gets better and better!
There were so many people from the judo world, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Greg Butrey, that we had to spin off a third book that was approved, called “The Essence of Judo.”
The momentum is building, and more and more ideas are working their way into future projects - like the “Everyone has a Story” tour. Stay tuned for that exciting new workshop and speaking tour.
As the first book became a finished project, the uptake for the second has taken on a life all its own. People from all walks of life, friends, neighbours and strangers became not only candidates for the new book, but all of a sudden, people have been approaching me with people who are deserving of being highlighted. In fact, on a recent trip to photograph my son Chris playing in another band in Halifax, the universe aligned, and I met three candidates for the Passion and Purpose book, three people I didn’t even know before that trip.
It was with that spirit of “YOU HAVE TO MEET…” John and Karen Sakala introduced me to Eklipz. John brought me a whole presentation of this person who has been a lifelong friend of them and their son, Aaron. I was really intrigued. I reached out to him, and lo and behold, I have an incredible new friend.
It is no longer a simple exercise; I feel like I am on a mission. This is something really big developing and is perfect for my transition into retirement.
Enough about me and my mission. I met Eklipz at his home for the first time in September. I then had three of the most hectic months, including a major trip to Egypt, a bout of bronchitis, and a transition into retirement. We took some pictures, but the highlight was meeting this personable, thoughtful, deep-thinking person while breaking bread with him.
Maybe there is another book called “Breaking Bread with Strangers. Meet Eklipz
At some time, you reached a fork in the road. At that time, it didn’t feel like it, but looking back, you realize it was a big moment. One that changed your life. Describe yours.
My fork in the road came from external influences rather than my determined inner vision. I was playing high school football and aiming for a scholarship to play in the US, even though I spent an entire season with a broken toe to build highlight footage. I got a great opportunity to be recruited by Penn State, but I would need to attend a junior college first to gain weight and adapt to the speed and impact of the game at a higher level, as I hadn't been hit much in the school division I played in.
After my mother found out about my scholarship, even though she had said she wanted one of her children to attend university, she disagreed with my going to the States. She expressed concern about what could happen because I was accepting the scholarship.
At the time, I was also in a serious relationship, and my girlfriend was planning to move out there with me to work. During a call, she told me she had second thoughts and suggested I go ahead, while she would join me later. I sounded very unsure, and the coach informed me that if I didn’t confirm my itinerary, he would have to go with another recruit they were talking to. As a result, I decided to forgo my dream of playing professional football.
My high school coach called me and tried to talk sense into me, but I couldn’t hear him. With my perceived career now laid to rest, I opened a Hip-Hop clothing store after graduating high school. It was the first of its kind in the city; it was called The Boom Spot, and it became the foundation for learning so much about myself, business, and the world in general. It would grow into a community hub and the epicentre of Hamilton's Hip Hop scene. So, although I made a choice that might have looked like a bad decision at the time, in retrospect, I gained an incredible family, a supportive community, and my mental and physical faculties are pretty much still intact.
The action of describing or portraying something precisely. "the artist's exquisite delineation of costume and jewelry."
synonyms: portrayal, description, presentation, depiction, representation, picture, portrait, account
The action of indicating the exact position of a border or boundary. "The eventual delineation of the border between the two states."
What has been your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?
Some of the major challenges I faced growing up were self-doubt, which led to insecurity and manifested as anger for a period. I grew up in an era when black people were less visible in the media than they are today, and the broken family structure was common and affected my own family. Coming from a single-parent home with a loving mother of Jamaican heritage, we lived in government housing. During my time in school, I encountered racism in many forms, from fights with reekers and skinheads to my locker being vandalized with hate speech.
It was Hip Hop culture that gave me an identity, allowing me to connect with a way of life that offered creative expression through the arts and shared experiences. Hip Hop culture also opened me up to gaining the Knowledge of myself and exploring more of Africa’s history and the brilliance of Black people's contributions to the world, which weren’t presented in the curriculum we were taught. As I learned more about the incredible Black people who came before me, I strengthened my confidence, took on new tasks, and began to shape my vision for my surroundings. Everything we see is a thought manifested; a determined idea paired with high vibrational emotion and focus is all that is needed to bring your dreams into fruition.
What is one gem you learned on your journey that you would love to share? Alternatively, what hint would you give a younger version of yourself?
What motivates me is remembering my Divine origins and my growth into becoming a more complete being. It’s about being the best Husband, Father, and reflection of my highest self.
I’m so passionate about what I do because I’ve learned that we're here to co-create. In the arts, I’ve found joy, happiness, and the ability to support myself and my family. The arts open you up to right-brain thinking, which allows for deeper exploration of the world around us and seeing things in ways that provide a richer experience. I’m grateful that I’ve found my purpose.