Photo Credit: Andy Lee

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT:  Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, is there an element  of transformation in your creative expression? How does this process for you, connect to that of an alchemists?

MAURICE GARLAND: Most definitely. As a writer and music journalist, I look at my work as using words to paint pictures which I consider a valuable skill and talent seeing as how so much of our communication nowadays is visual-driven. When I write I am relying on history and the present moment to tell a story that someone in the future will hopefully read, enjoy and even reference. Also, often times, I interview artists and other creatives who may not be as open or well-spoken as the next person, so I have to find ways to not only get them out of their comfort zone and share, but later combine my words with theirs to create a compelling, truthful story

Photo Credit: Anthony “Truth” Gary

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT:  Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light. Do you see your work behind the pen or behind the lens, as a reflection of this light?

MAURICE GARLAND: I do. When I interview and write about “stars” I like to create stories that inspire readers to become “stars” themselves or at least absorb some of that star energy that they give off. Rick Ross personally contacted me and told me the cover story that I wrote on him for The Source (Decemeber 2015) was one of the best if not the best stories he’s even read written about him. I’ve written bios for Big Boi and Kendrick Lamar, so in those cases I have to capture what they are about and use my words to present them to the world they way they want to be seen. Every star begins as a particle and winds up becoming a star. That said, much of the work I have done has revolved around getting people to recognize stars in the making. I was the first person to interview or write nationally published articles on people like Janelle Monae and B.o.B. Killer Mike is all over the place now, but for years it felt like I was the only person interested in interviewing him. So yes, I do see my work as a reflection of their light.

Photo Credit: Wesley Persons

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT:  When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” Where do you find the creative spark? What inspires your work and does it require a sense of courage to create from this unknown space?

MAURICE GARLAND:  What some call a “block” I like to look at as a time to rest. When I am not inspired to create, I rest. I sit still and enjoy those moments where my mind and spirit are simply being rather than doing. Fortunately, I rarely have to go find inspiration or a creative spark. During those “block” times ideas usually come to me because I am being still and allowing the universe to bring them to me rather than running and moving and looking. I have found when you move around too much looking for something, you miss what was there waiting for you to claim all along.

The Museum of Light is curated by: 
Billy Johnson Jr., Joslyn Rose Lyons, Adell Henderson, Rafael Casal, Matt Smith, Malik Buie.

For more info on The Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

Suggested Articles:

Lupe Fiasco Releases New Track “Pick Up The Phone”

Drake Curveballs Shade at Tory Lanez During Show

The post REFLECTIONS IN LIGHT Interview: MAURICE GARLAND appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The Museum of Light series, “Conversations in Light”– that explores the alchemy of the artists’ journey– recently sat down in-studio with singer/songwriter Mara Hruby at Heritage Recording Co. in Los Angeles, to discuss her creative process. On the heels of the NPR premiere of her music video for “In the Wee Small Hours,” a song from her 2014 EP Archaic Rapture, Hruby opens up about why she chose to express her heartache via covering jazz songs.

“I was writing about it on my own time but I wasn’t ready to share what my writings were about,” she tells “Conversations in Light,” “which is why I felt it was the best therapy for me to do all those jazz standard songs because it was a way for me to cycle through my emotions without directly having to talk about what mine particularly were.”

See Hruby expound on finding her light in the exclusive interview with music journalist Billy Johnson Jr. above!

You can also find this story and others from The Museum of Light at RESPECT Magazine.

The Museum of Light curators:

Joslyn Rose Lyons, Billy Johnson Jr., Matt Smith, Malik Buie, Rafael Casal, Adell Henderson.

For more info on The Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

# # #

Suggested Articles:

Conversations in Light with Pharoahe Monch

RESPECT. Recap: Kaytranada’s ‘99.9%’ Tour

The post Conversations in Light: Mara Hruby Talks “Finding her Light” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

SHAFIQ HUSAYN: WE ARE ALCHEMISTS. We take nothing and turn it into something from Any and Everywhere. Thought is the cause of it all. Thought is spirit/force and power is a result/manifestation of force. Creativity is an infinite part of man, and here is where The Artist becomes the ALCHEMIST.

SHAFIQ HUSAYN: Writer’s block can arise from a few different reasons, but they all are centered in the Heart/Mind/Soul…

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH SHAFIQ HUSAYN appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

GABRIEL PULECIO: Definitely, the artist, as a transforming agent, by juxtaposing or overlapping different materials or concepts, can bring new ideas and shapes into the world. The same can be said of always looking for “inspiration” or ideas to find that “perfect” result which lies within every person creating for the good of expression. Also, analyzing how sometimes things don’t quite work takes a lot of experimentation, discipline, exact measurements, and several processes to find the perfect balance between the elements. It’s as much science as art.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Evidence of the Journey: Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light, do you see your work as an artist like that of a star? Is this “light” that stars radiate merely the evidence of this journey of becoming a star/learning to radiate light?

GABRIEL PULECIO:  I can see several relationships between an artist and stars. First, the fact that stars are grouped into constellations and asterisms, in this case a constellation, could be a group of artists working in the same movement, or in a trend, call it expressionism or electronic art. Especially nowadays, in this new globalized era we live in where the connection between the stars is more evident. We can all see them in a “virtual” sky.  Also, I feel how an artist or his work can be compared inversely proportional to the life of a star in the sense that the stars we see are so far away that most of them have ceased to exist but being so far takes light years for their light to stop. The light of an artist will keep shining after it’s dead and even become stronger than when alive. This can especially be true when a star is pinned into a constellation, depending on its relationship with the other stars of that constellation and the point of view of the “astronomer.”

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Courage to Create: When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” How do you navigate this space, how do you find the creative spark in the dark, and does it require courage to create from this unknown space? Describe this process.

GABRIEL PULECIO:  I found this quite interesting. I don’t think there is such a thing as inspiration “per se,” as somebody once said, “Every work is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent ‘transpiration.'” And this is definitely my case. I start every single project with the idea that it’s going to be good, that eventually that “inspiration” will come, but I can’t sit and wait for that great idea to come. Normally it never comes. It is the action of connecting the dots. The process is almost always the same. I start with an idea of what I’m doing, either a sculpture, installation, painting, whatever it is, and after working on it, not necessarily with very clear direction, I find something I think is interesting, and I start developing this idea. As you work on this, you start feeling how the original idea began to unveil itself. Towards the end of the project you really see what it is. It’s in that last push where you finally see the whole image — after all the research and tests, and trial and error — you see something interesting that surfaces. Normally this happens towards the end of the process, and now you have this very clear direction. All you need to do is to produce it and make it happen. The best way to deal with the “creative block” is to work, work, work. And have a mindset that at the end everything will present itself in front of you, not by some miraculous inspiration but by experimenting and testing and trying and failing. Also fails are great to find inspiration. Sometimes what you think is going to work, fails, and then you realize what you are really trying to do and another door opens that you can enter.

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH GABRIEL PULECIO appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

PRINCE EA: Alchemy? Yeah, I can definitely see my creative expression as alchemy. As artists we start with nothing, just a blank piece of paper. To transform thoughts into eloquent words that in turn galvanize people to take action is truly amazing. For me its almost similar to an ice sculptor. I can see the beautiful figure before I begin but everyone else sees a block of ice. I chip away, getting rid of what’s unecessary and the figure reveals itself. Beautiful.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Evidence of the Journey: Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light, do you see your work as an artist like that of a star? Is this “light” that stars radiate merely the evidence of this journey of becoming a star/learning to radiate light?

PRINCE EA:  I do see my work as an artist like that of a star. It shines on its own without trying to. It doesn’t need credit. It naturally guides the way for people and illuminates their lives.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Courage to Create: When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” How do you navigate this space, how do you find the creative spark in the dark, and does it require courage to create from this unknown space? Describe this process.

PRINCE EA:  I don’t force anything. The art comes out when it wants to. I’m merely a vehicle for it. The more I force it, the more ugly it becomes. Like pulling a flower from the earth to try to make it grow, you damage it. You must let it grow in its own time at its own speed, and be there to water it constantly. This means, give yourself space to grow, give yourself inspiration and time for the fruit to grow ripe <3

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH PRINCE EA appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

DA DREAK: When you think about the creation of a piece of work in reverse you can find the true definition or process of alchemy. Turning an idea into something tangible that everybody can enjoy requires a certain amount of skill. Especially when that piece of work becomes timeless.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Evidence of the Journey: Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light, do you see your work as an artist like that of a star? Is this “light” that stars radiate merely the evidence of this journey of becoming a star/learning to radiate light?

DA DREAK:  Absolutely, understanding who you are as an artist will reflect in anything you do. Our work as artist in most cases inspires the next individual, sparking the next idea. I always want to inspire people simply because I feel it is my job to keep the cycle going.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Courage to Create: When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” How do you navigate this space, how do you find the creative spark in the dark, and does it require courage to create from this unknown space? Describe this process.

DA DREAK:  Being a creative your inspiration comes from many things, I stay away from distractions and make it a habit of entertaining certain activities to keep my creative mind exercised. Taking the time to learn something new or stepping outside of my comfort zone is necessary. I never try to force creativity, if you are active enough in your life that “creative spark” will appear often if not constantly.

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH DA DREAK appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

SANDRA ST. VICTOR: I see it as a social science really. So yes, alchemist would fit as well. There is a real organic science behind probing your inner self to get to the crux of emotions, lows, heights, and anxieties that humans share. Artists are gifted with a channel that gives them admission to the language of the soul, lyrically and musically.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Evidence of the Journey: Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light, do you see your work as an artist like that of a star? Is this “light” that stars radiate merely the evidence of this journey of becoming a star/learning to radiate light?

SANDRA ST. VICTOR:  For sure. It is unquestionably a journey. We are forever traveling, growing, understanding more. The reason stars are attractive is because of that reflection. We see something of ourselves in a star. Just as we are all literally born of star dust, so are the creations of a pure artist the stuff that reflects the firmament of the human condition. It’s reaffirming, comforting, validating to feel that someone else feels what you feel, and can speak it from the mountaintop that is a stage or your home entertainment system.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Courage to Create: When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” How do you navigate this space, how do you find the creative spark in the dark, and does it require courage to create from this unknown space? Describe this process.

SANDRA ST. VICTOR:  I guess it could be deemed courage. I’ve always seen it as necessity. Being able to create, to sing is not a choice. For instance, I guess if I saw a woman being raped, I would jump in without thinking. Would that be courage? Even though I wouldn’t have a choice? I wouldn’t be able to NOT. Creative blocks are also needed. Sometimes your sight is dimmed, but when the light opens up it’s clearer than before. I appreciate it more then. I feel like I’ve grown deeper into myself. That darkness is vital to the light. My process is about giving in to the quiet. Seeking the quiet and letting whatever is supposed to happen, happen. When I begin to see the pinhole of light, that spark coming through, it’s like finding a river in the middle of the desert. I dive in and soak it all up. What comes out afterwards is usually the best stuff. The stuff that I’ve had to seriously wait for. True inspiration, subconscious channeling.

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH SANDRA ST. VICTOR appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.