when i sat down last year and started the journey of creating a print on demand business, i didnt think that i would fall in love with the process. finding ways to innovate has been such a fun experience. never did i think i was so artistic. LIES! lol i always loved to draw graffiti type shit. i sucked tho. (old man voice) Back in my day they called ppl that couldn't tag a “toy”. lol i feel old af right now.
like most creators, many of my ideas were inspired by many different things in life that made an impact on me. One of the many things to impact me early on was tv. As time goes on, you’ll see the way that cartoons and anime is a large part of my designs.Graffiti too holds a place in my heart and at the end of the day, I’ll always be a kid at heart :)
like most brands, we have an identity, The Smokers Circle Clothing was created for the smokers of the world. Lets just keep it at that for legal reasons lol I wanted to make a brand that didn't have to have some major deal to get on. start from zero and spend the minimum amount to make it work. i’ve seen how many have done it online and have applied my own ideas. most are hit and miss. reason being, i feel the need to be unique. this isn't always a problem, but when trying to make a profit, it can make all the difference.
Let me elaborate a bit. We are taught to say that money doesn't make us happy. that the journey to make it is what makes it all worth it. BULLSHIT.if someone gave you the blue print to make money, why not follow it, right? if the goal is to become an owner, why not follow the path to the promise land? why would they program us to think that we need to believe that a hand out isn't something that you should be proud in taking? this world really has a problem with anyone being put on by anyone.
Team work makes the dream work and we sometimes end up where we need to go, not by our own merit, but by the hand of those who care about us. Our peers at work.Our friends from our childhood.Our teachers,parents, significant others, FUCK, even the most random person might just help you pay for your groceries on a day your almost down and out. you never know.my point is, its ok to accept the energy the world is giving you. its not a hand out.its a seed that someone is planting because they believe in you.they want to see you win. not every one is blessed enough to have that type of energy in their life. embrace it.don't take advantage of that kindness or energy.
in my life, ive been homed, fed, and even had a car given to me when i was at my lowest. all these things helped me get further.thankfully, im able to get closer to being able to help people more and more each day. with an ongoing network of people who are also willing to work towards change, i’ll continue to push the brand forward and follow work flows ive seen work.Theres an amazing group of videos that i watch and include as part of my routine and it keeps me in line with my goals. much like the company i keep, it sets the tone for how my life is going to go.
That transfer of energy really makes a big difference. guard yours and watch how everything changes. welp.im def on a tangent lol the trees have done their thing to me and im def getting a bit sleepy. Baby made a fire dinner,AEW had a fire episode of dynamite, and ima end my night gaming some classic psp tonight before calling it a day. thankful af for this life and the opportunity to continue my journey towards changing the world around me.Thank you for being a part of it.
Remember,
dreams never die unless you let them.
fight for those dreams.
-Dream