Jan 31, 2014
You know, reading my own posts are quite liberating.Past and present it always seemed that there was an underlying something that we wanted to convey, but just didn't know how. I look back at moment where all we had was a name.There weren't colors,mascots, shiny things to stick in awkward places (I'm talking about stickers you sickos!),nada.
As the brand grows, I have been forced to take looks back, not only to assess what we've done,but where we're going.For the first time in a good while, I trust that we're on the right path.It was a rocky,turbulent existence for some time, and it still is.But I can feel a calm that was never around for more than a moment when we were doing anything.I can see, I can plot, but I can also move: the right way.
Obviously a strong part of our influence comes from games.Through them I have been able to convey and articulate things in a manner that would never had happened had they not been a part of my life.The suttleties and nuances of every gesture make a difference.You convey who you and also what may come by how you move.
For some time, I did not know how to move.Everything was instinctive and erratic, there was an aire unpredictabilty that was just as volatile and detrimental as it was rewarding.It all seemed like a gamble,it still does.One of the things that can make gambling worthwhile is something outside of the promise or reward, it's belief and confidence in your investment.That was always there, but it feels less like a farce and more like a long term dealing.We will build and it will come together.We just have to try,and above all else commit when doing so, "ganbare" as the Japanese would say.We have to do our best.
The Jimmy Loko.If there is anything crazier than this thing that looks so good, it's probably illegal or imagined.I miss this one.
I never gave less than 100% to HH, but I never realized how intertwined myself and the brand are.If you get sick,die,have a breakdown ( when McRib went away), it stops.Well, I will correct that statement,I thought it stopped.
I took a respite to do more than recoup, it was to think.When you're in a rat race and so busy running , whether from security at events you can't sponsor or in the philosophical more figurative sense, you find there isn't enough time to take anything in and see the big picture.
There were so many nights I spent plotting,scheming,hustling,to make everything work.I never took the time to plan things like sleep,showers,hydration, anything.It was wild to go to sleep before midnight or or be able to wake up to the sound of things that aren't an alarm telling you you're overdue or late on whatever project,solo mission, or collaboration is at hand.
All the people that go far have teams.The concept eluded me.I knew what was best for the brand, but never myself.You guys are the ones that helped with that.
During the time off, you guys post stickers,email,slap stuff on the HH page, and just offered whatever support was possible.So many of you that were once strangers are now family, all from pieces of cotton and vinyl shared in the strangest places (there goes your guys' heads in the gutter again!).All that this is became so clear during those times.Times where I could not move, and I had to trust you to help move me gave way to thoughts and notions not yet revealed to my withered mind: This brand.You made it.We made it.Together.
Back to the games.Anyone that knows me knows games have always been such a strong part of my existence.I think in games, I see in them.Alongside pop culture,music,and some choice memes, a large part of my comes from a joystick ( I give up.).And I had to learn how to control something I have never been able to fully utilize with all that I learned from the time I spent behind one.Me.
The elements of what we do have always been deeply rooted in places I've been,people I've known, things I feel.But the world comes together when I see it in a monitor.It's my Cerebro,my Rosetta Stone, Persephone to guide me through the darkness and abyss of the underworld that can be life on certain days.They define me.
In relation to those attestments, I will say this about HH: It plays like a game.That is a bit broad, but it will make sense over time.But when you look at what we've made, or even how certain things come to fruition, really stare at it and think about what that may mean.Not just the original intent, but also what that means to you.
There is time to go over more on a different day.But I want to leave you guys with this thought.Think about how you move.Movement is the only way you can make anything change.
Oh yeah, get on the mailing list too.We're overdue to make a move of our own very soon.
Try Hard,Never Settle,Stay Hungry -h_h-
Jan 30, 2014
I look back at last year.I told you guys it was rough.I was serious, it was RUFFFFFFFFFFFF .I'm talking so bad I had to spell it phoenetically and italicize it rough.But, like all things that are not McDonald's Apple Pie or mineral based (separate things mind you), it came to an end.
I wrote two blog posts and they were the best two blog posts I ever wrote, at least from my perspective.It's always been troublesome having a brand that has a concise and concrete message because as an owner, there are times where my life or mindset may not even matchup with the direction of the brand at the time.
I was struggling with worlds that were new and people that were familiar,which despite the contrast,became an entity all it's own.I was banished to the realm of indecision.There's no right answer to anything in some situations.Business,people,life, they are a series of happenings that may or may not yield an expected result.
I've had a love for the world for a good while that's almost romantic.I see it for what it is: organic,chaotic,terror,and beauty intertwined to become one's existence and here you are.Scratch that here WE are.
There's a saying I use often from an Eiffel 65 song I used to listen to in high school.It goes like this :
"You want to move the world,
Start with your body.
Yo, come on you gotta start with something.
If you wanna move your mind,
Just move your body.
Move your mind, move your mind,
It's gonna cost you nothing..."
That last line echoes in my head the most prominently, "it's gonna cost you nothing".I think back to what is "costed" to start HH: a home,a heart, a hand.Cash wasn't the issue.I didn't have a lot and still don't, but the goal of HH is not to have billions of dollars, it's to work with what you have to make the best possible creations for the time.I think we've done that time after time...but at what cost?
There was a point where I expected to have more interactions with the fans.We have gone from nothing to a 'lil' somethin'" as I call it,and we're getting bigger.The more of you that discover,support,and spread the word HH, the more cool stuff gets to come out.It's not really deeper than that,just a circle of life and commerce,at least for now.
It was so hard trying to conjure the right words at times that for more than a moment , you the fans were left neglected.I didn't have the heart to say , "I'm down today", or "this person wasted our time".Random guy #4 stealing a concept or idea doesn't seem noteworthy when a fan is having it much worse or talks of death circle the homes of familiar ones we know.It just seemed so damn heavy,and the goal of HH is to lighten the load and inspire.It's armor for a world that's already tough enough as is,but is getting progressively harder.I want you all to have the best defense against that and hopefully see every one of you thrive.That would make for a happy hambre here....man that's a lot of H's isn't it? Moving on.
The cost of what we did here by leaving you out of the loop and not sharing as much is that you guys don't know a lot about the brand.Great designs,candy,cotton, they're all nice.But they don't mean anything compared to everything else that's in the same realm of the streetwear landscape.
As I glance to my left all I see is stickers.Stickers you put up, ones we gave out, each one with a different destination and story.Like clothes,they may seem the same,but upon further inspection,they're not.You the fans make them different.Our hearts and minds make them matter.
Back to what matters.I was scared to speak my mind.I thought it to be a distraction.The thing some of you may have picked up from our reading and interactions is that the brand is very direct and blunt.This is a reflection of myself and the people I choose to work with.
We don't sugarcoat things,we don't make up weird stories,our actions and passion are the tools given to speak to the world whether in thread form or other means.That being said, I just didn't know how to be real.I spent time practicing that.There's an expression that "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all".That works in theory, but when you realize that the world isn't all 'nice',what do you say? And more importantly what do you do? That matters.
I feel like I have slighted you all by not giving updates on concepts,leaving out stories about the influence for a piece, even just not making enough videos.The intent was to spare you guys the things that make life and a brand troublesome.But if you think about it, that's what Hungry Human is : "highs,lows,and everything in between".So,here's to more than just the highs and doing more to share the whole picture,even if I don't think it matters. -h_h-
Found this on The Internet.I forgot I used to draw so many of these.They were actually all pretty funny because I wrote them without sleeping and wouldn't remember them until you guys posted them.So,I'd laugh at the crazy stuff I drew or wrote just like a fan would! Ha!
Stay Hungry
Jan 15, 2014
I will be the first to admit: this stuff is hard. Between interactions,doing the majority of anything and everything HH, while trying maintain a real life and some degree of sanity, I am burnt out.
I still have trouble being real with you guys at times,not because the truth is hard, but because it can be de-motivating.A lot of what we do is based around making you inspired and for lack of a better word, "hungry" to do and be more. There is a lot of stuff that I feel like if I shared with you guys, would make you feel quite the opposite.
This has been a very rough ride, and you guys get to see some , but not all of what goes into making it work. The people we deal with,situations, they are too crazy to note on the internet at times (without a book deal at least), and I have a habit of editing out all of the craze so that you guys are able to focus on what matters more : yourselves.
I must say however,the majority of people that do help out and are eager to hear more is always a ton more than expected, and I am on the fence about so much, including how far to go with both HH and what we do in the background.Most people share their process for the sake of vanity or possible notoritety, that isn't really what we're about here, at the end of the day, you guys are really supposed to pursue your own goals and have some nice product that makes you feel good about doing that.
With the previous statement, I can say with confidence that I dropped the ball in that aspect.My focus was on dealing with hardship and ultimately myself so that we could do more of what you love in a more consistent manner.It was a bit of prodding and gouging (the physical one, not the one your favorite retailers do to you daily) that made this post come about.It is a lot like the previous post, but without the fluff: JUST REAL SPIT.
So, to not ramble on,last year was tough.I needed some time off.I was just not feeling anyone I dealt with or any of the situations we were running into.It was just a bunch of not fun to deal with people and their issues becoming our own.Not fun and definitely not conducive to anything worthwhile.
The decision to take time off gave me a lot more insight than I expected and also a degree of discipline coupled with respect for what it is we are trying to do.
There aren't a lot of people that really go out of their way to show love to HH just yet,and that's fine.The people that do are loved and appreciated.Real fans matter more than fake friends,bandwagoners,and "business partners".There is not really more I can say that will sum it up better than this sentence: WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT MATTERS.It's not random designers trying to come up, people that want 5 figures for advertisements, or kids that want gear based on what their favorite athlete or celebrity is wearing.It's not them.We are not them...we are not them... remember that.
To the people that rock with us.Cop stickers, write emails, or offer any kind of support.You guys are the ONLY reason I do this.It's not to pay a carnote, because my other business endeavors didn't work out, or because I want any sort of fame or recognition...it's because of ya'll...you are all that matters and as always "it doesn't work without you" , it all stops.
That being said, there is gear, there are concepts, lots of stuff as always. It isn't important at the moment that any and everyone rock with us or mess with HH, it's about the people that want more.Those are the ones we want.If you want more for yourself and the world around you.You are hungry.If you are not, there are other brands you can wear...TONS...so please feel free.
Work is coming, lots of it.Hardship is abundant and will be for a time to come.So, to the fans that inspire ME to keep going.This is for you from me: THANK YOU.I will try to honor every dollar,tweet,instagram photo, or hashtag you put out there trying to raise HH to the next level.It's not something that can happen alone, so for every fan,friend, or moment you give us,know that is the reason we have made it this far and will continue to.
There may be a moment where I ask for more help from you.If and when that moment comes, give all you can and we'll give all we can to make it work.That is a bit cryptic, but it has to be, at least for now.Much love and get on the mailing list.Here's to 2014 and beyond. -h_h-
Jan 10, 2014
Wow.It's been a while as always... I don't even know what to say..CORRECTION: I don't even know what to say "on this blog that everyone reads publicly both good and bad".We took a little breather and didn't overthink anything.Everything you see that has come out of HH has been one person with very little help.It was supposed to be a different kind of run, but it ended up crazier and more influential than even I suspected.
We ran across all sorts of hardships and made do with what was available. Every fan made us into what we are and continue to do so even now...while shirts are sold out and marked as 895 dollars.You guys are still putting in work.
I have been a bit tight lipped about all of our projects and with good reason.There is no fun in giving away a great surprise and even less fun in sharing what you feel or put your passion into while dealing with both scrutiny,anxiety,and possible weirdness that goes alongside having your brand watched by many, including other brands.It's just not fun, but it's kind of how we rock.Sorry for not giving away more,at least not yet.
Back to things that matter.We are alive.There is new vision,a sense of calm and clarity is finally starting to make things less chaotic and it really just feels super nice to be dealing with all of you that mess with the brand or even just watch from afar.
I have run into kids on the street,in stores,or just via email that I would have never expected to know about or follow HH.It was kind of bunk to skip Christmas and fall altogether.But to be honest, it was necessary.
I don't share much of the process that goes into making HH work behind the scenes, but it's super tough. It takes a ton of energy to make amazing things and there isn't a lot of room for error when it is dealt with mostly via one person. Shipping,printing,design,admin,concepts... it all adds up and with little assistance, it can eat you up if you let it(no pun).
So, in short, we took a bit of time to rest,and also reflect.There have been a ton of you that just want gear like "NOW" and that is awesome,super thankful for all of you.But, once again, just had to make sure it was the right time, energy,and place to do our best work.
There is a ton planned for 2014 and for those of you that want tidbits into what we are working on.Make sure to get on the mailing list,twitter,and Instagram.This blogging thing is awesome beyond belief,but it always goes by the wayside once the big projects hit... I will just leave it at that ...for now.
Anyways, happy new year.Expect to hear more..and just hang tight. We are going to take things a bit farther than you will ever expect...higher as well. Here's to spacing out in 2014!!