what's your legacy?
Good Day Friends
It’s been so fun seeing folks who have been working on long-term projects start to complete them! I can see what a sense of accomplishment and pride comes with it and know that I’m giving you a standing ovation.
I also love that folks are creating around the prompts from weeks ago that have been in their brain percolating and are just now manifesting as art. I imagine that will happen for months to come.
I’m really proud of you all.
Today, I’m off to install a massive solo show at Something Cool Studios in Austin, Texas. Over 200 pieces of my art. The opening is tomorrow night starting at 6pm so if you are around perhaps we can hang out outside? The show will be up for 3-weeks and I think I’m going to do an Instagram Live and tour you through the show in February. I’ll keep you posted.
Ok. Time to stretch and pack up my tools.
Make something today!
xo Shannon
Shannon Brags on Ruben:
I was wandering around Austin and spotted a stunning wall painting. I looked at it and thought – that needs to be an embroidery! I took a picture, shared it on insta, and tagged the artist. We struck up a conversation and I learned about all of Ruben’s incredible work. We talked about his painting and now I’m embroidering a copy of it with great joy! We are going to take a walk soon and that is very exciting to me.
Meet the very talented Ruben Esquivel.
About Ruben (formal edition):
Ruben Esquivel is Co-Producer of The Black Legacy Project, Artist Manager and Artist. Ruben is from Austin, Texas and has a passion for community engagement and all things creative. He has been an events organizer within the creative industry for over 8 years and recently began creating artwork of his own. Ruben, originally a business student, discovered his passion for the arts after studying Art History at Florence University of the Arts in 2013. When he returned to the states he was determined to find a way to merge business and the arts and applied for an internship at the newly founded Spratx, a creative agency and street art collective in Austin, Texas. He got it! After the internship was over the agency asked him to stay and he became Spratx’s first hire. He worked as the Artist & Event Coordinator from 2013-2018.
In 2018 Ruben left Spratx and went freelance. It was one of the hardest transitions of his career and finding his place in the industry proved to be difficult. He continued building relationships he fostered with Spratx, one of which was RJ Reynolds. In 2018 Ruben was hired to manage and curate RJ Reynolds SXSW Camel Lounge. He teamed up with local Artist Zuzu Perkal and together they transformed the 3,500 SF space into an interactive experience in 6 days. After the project’s success the two began working together and Ruben began to officially manage Zuzu in late 2018. Together the two have painted murals all over the city of Austin and surrounding areas.
In 2020 at the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement the two started The Black Legacy Project. A 3 year-long project aimed at inspiring and educating the city’s youth and community through art while raising funds to support local black owned non-profits that directly support the BIPOC community.
Today’s Inspiration:
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. We get consumed by our work, family, friends and even social media. We often forget about how the now can affect the future.
How do you want to be remembered 30 40 or even 50 years from now?
What do you want your legacy to be?
Think about the things you hold close to your heart, your passions, your dreams. What are things you are doing in the now to ensure that those projects, passions and dreams are nurtured and brought to fruition?
Think about how you want to be remembered and things you can do now to ensure that legacy.
My prompt for you is to write out your obituary.
(I know it sounds super morbid but hear me out!)
Then write out a road map, a how-to of sorts that will help guide you in that direction.
Map out those dreams, passions and projects in a way that is achievable for you.
Then do it!
Connect with Ruben: