“My parents and grandparents passed some words of encouragement on to me. They said, ‘Stay strong, don’t let nobody ever tell you that you can’t do nothing or you can’t succeed. Don’t never give up on yourself.' With God, you can do anything. You know, we made in his image."
“What’s going on at the old Sears Crosstown is more than remodeling; it’s a rebirth. For several years I've lived about a quarter mile from here, and sometimes driving by and seeing the light hit the building a certain way, I’d think, ‘Now, that would an interesting subject to paint.’ So I started taking photos of the building’s exterior and painting from those; then someone from the Crosstown project saw the work and allowed me inside to get interior shots. For two years now, I’ve been chronicling the changes. It’s a way to capture the elapsing of time. There’s a sense of archeology here: the history, the layers, the peeling paint, the passage of years. But my work is not just about the preservation of an old building. Even in realism, there’s always something more than just a depiction of facts. I see this as a metaphor for the decay, reinvention, and rebirth of a human being: both the exterior of a person and the interior life. "It really hit home for me because in my early years, I was more or less drifting --- not very anchored --- but in my thirties, I came to some realizations that I hadn’t had before, and I changed direction in life; it was almost like a death and rebirth. That’s when I started painting. I had never been to a museum before, although I remembered liking to draw as a kid. From that point until now, for these past thirty years, I’ve painted. I taught myself to play tennis --- I’m head tennis professional for Tennis Memphis, which is my main job --- and I taught myself to paint, which I do on the weekends and at night. I want to leave something behind, to leave my mark on the world. Even if it’s a tiny thing, it’s a worthy pursuit and it adds value to my life." [Tom's work is currently on view in the Crosstown Arts / Cleveland Street Flea Market, across from the old Sears building, which you see reflected in the background.] The old Sears Crosstown Building below (art deco high-rise) was built in 1927 and is currently being transformed into the new Crosstown Concourse: Tom Stem's work can be viewed at the Cleveland Street Flea Market, 438 N. Cleveland, across from the old Sears building / new Crosstown Concourse: Tom Stem, artist
Website: http://www.stemart.net/ Two upcoming shows ---
“I don’t know where to start, how to start, or even if I should talk cause I don’t know what to do right now. I don’t know what people want from me. I'm tired. I get tired sometimes. My mama died when I was a kid. My dad, he left. I lived with my brother. He had a house and let me live there with him for a while. His kids was there too. I used to be back and forth to my grandma’s house. As soon as I got out of school --- I graduated --- I started this little band with a couple of friends of mine. We used to make music and stuff; we did shows. Then we fell apart and that’s how my homelessness started, when I fell out with them. I was by myself then and I had to figure it out. I was just by myself. In an abandoned house and stuff for a couple of years. That’s really it. April of last year I started coming downtown, but I was still homeless. I just changed locations from where I was at.
“The only relationship I got is the one I got with myself. People don’t last long. I can’t go to nobody for nothing. It ain’t worth having ‘em. You’ll be with somebody and it’ll actually be peaceful or whatever or however you want it to be, and another time… You know, people change. And especially if you’re missing something or lacking or might not have something, they look at you different. They change. They not gonna hold on to you. Know what I’m saying? Even though you’re reaching. Some people good enough. I ain’t there yet. I ain’t nothing right now… I feel like I didn’t give you a good interview. Maybe… maybe… I’m not good right now. I’m not at my best right now." CM: “Tell me about your tattoo.” (tattoo in the shape of a cross) “I got it just in case.” CM: “Just in case?” “In case I die.” “I’ve been designing board games for years, just on the side. This one is called Vise Verses; it’s a Bible game. I have another one called Air Traffic Controller, and my next one’s going to be more of a movement-type thing. Board games remind me of when I was small and everybody used to play Monopoly. Our whole family would get down on the floor, on the carpet --- I remember taking my shoes off --- and just play a game together. We don’t do that anymore. Kids are in front of the TV with controllers in their hands, not interacting with each other. So that’s what I’m trying to bring back with my games: families doing something together. We need that in our community; we need it more than anything. Bringing us together is my way of giving back, and if I can do that with one of my games, it’s all worth it. A lot of people have contacted me and said, ‘Man, this is the best game! We had so much fun!’ When I hear that, it feels so good. That’s what it’s all about for me.” Michael Neely, game designer
Website: http://jeromeneely191.wixsite.com/viseverses “I started coaching baseball when I was in grad school and just fell in love with it. The thing I like most is watching young men accept coaching and see their need to get better. They learn the fundamentals, begin to accept responsibility, take on the game, and figure out how to succeed. It’s so cool to watch them go through that process. There are countless lessons to be learned through sports, especially in the game of baseball, because there are so many ups and downs, so many different aspects. It’s hard, but what they learn on the field really applies to life. “In life, they’re going to have to figure out how to get through the ups and downs of school. Good teachers, bad teachers, it doesn’t matter; they still gotta get through it, they still gotta apply their fundamentals and figure out how to succeed. In life, you lose jobs, but you keep plugging away and you push through and find another job. You don’t give up. There will be ups and downs in marriage too, and they’re going to have to figure out how to get through that. Baseball touches on all aspects of life. “That’s why I love the sport. That’s why it grabbed my heart, you know? It’s such a challenge. It never gives you what you want, but it seems to give you everything you need. You can never truly figure it out, but you can find success in it as long as you keep grinding away. “I’m getting older now, so I’m seeing players who have had babies. I’m seeing them stick by their babies and take care of their families, and I think what they’ve learned on the field has helped them. They’re good dads. I see that. They actually come to my house sometimes now, and that’s really a neat feeling. It’s just a joy to see their progress. “I look forward to coaching every day. Sometimes it’s harder than other times --- you’re going through the ups and downs of winning and losing, injuries, frustrations, and grade problems --- but you push through it and you move on.” Coach Wade Walter, White Station High School
“My mom has always taught me to love my community, give back, and show support to others. The way I do that is through the sale of bow ties [Mo's Bows Memphis]. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was nine, and I’ve been designing and selling bow ties ever since. I’m 15 now, and so far I’ve sold over $500,000 worth. The GoMo Scholarship Fund is something I started in 2012: One hundred percent of the proceeds from the 'GoMo' tie (a specific tie I choose every year) goes to send kids to summer camp. It gets hot here in Memphis, so I figured I could make it possible for kids in the Orange Mound area to attend camp at the Glenview Community Center. There, they can just be kids and have fun. Plus, childhood hunger is at its highest in the summertime; kids are not at school where they might be able to get free or reduced lunch, but they can get a good meal at camp. Since 2012, I've been able to send 40 kids to camp for the entire summer every year. One day when I have kids, I want to teach them what my mom taught me: to always give back and to support others the way you want to be supported.” YouTube features a number of videos about Mo's Bows. Here's one: Moziah Bridges, Founder and CEO of Mo's Bows
AMIR (on right): “My brother is four and I’m seven, so I’m older. I’m the leader. I protect him and save him from the bad people. I love building many stuff. I like to paint and make things out of cardboard. My brother helps me. I made an Iron Man suit. It was easy. I’m drawing today. I’m drawing that picture on the wall. I take my art supplies with me wherever I go.”
AMARU (on left): "I like Spiderman, and I like playing games on the tablet. Can I see our picture?" “Our family lived in Chicago until I was 5 or 6 years old. We had a nice house and pretty much everything we needed or wanted, but then my parents separated, my mom moved us to Memphis, and we had to live with my grandmother for quite some time until my mom could get on her feet financially. We didn’t have the things we were used to anymore because we no longer had my dad’s income. I was kind of resentful of the experience, but it taught me a lot. Without it, I don’t think I would have the passion for entrepreneurship that I have now. I saw entrepreneurship as a way to avoid staying in the situation I was in. I knew people who made money doing things that were illegal, but that’s not the path I wanted to go down. I wanted to do something legitimate to provide for myself and help my family move forward. I promised my mother when I was very young that when I made it big, I would bring her along with me. That’s what I strived for. That’s what motivated me during those early years.
“I didn’t really know how individuals started businesses, but I did a lot of reading about it while I was still in high school. I knew that education and finding a job were important, but I didn’t want to take the traditional college path; I wanted to try out entrepreneurship on my own. Then the bottom fell out of the financial market, and I realized I needed to get my degree. Another student and I set up a small company while we were in college, which was amazing practice for later on. I learned about weighing the risks involved in a new venture and that it might be better to have a steady job and work on growing my business as kind of a side gig at first. That has worked well for me. I’ve had my own business for several years now; I specialize in helping other companies develop websites and build their social media presence. “Starting off, I was very selfish, thinking only about myself and my family and not much about helping other people, but that has changed over time. I realized I should share my knowledge and help make a difference in other people’s lives. Now, in addition to my own company, I’m a Business Specialist with the Tennessee SBDC (Tennessee Small Business Development Center) teaching entrepreneurship to other people. “The classes are offered free on a continuing basis, and I think they make a huge difference. There are a lot of responsible individuals with good ideas who just want a chance. They want to be educated and to advance themselves or they wouldn’t be here. My hope is that people will be able to pursue the careers they want, experience financial freedom, and be able to give back to the community. Knowledge opens doors.” “A lot of people are just in way too much of a rush. They need to slow down and listen to their inner selves, what’s going on in their hearts, their souls, and their minds. Then, when they’re refreshed, they can come back and try to be of some service, maybe by listening to other people.
“When you have a conversation with someone, you have to be still for a few minutes, take it in, ask questions, acknowledge that you hear them, get some eye contact, and let them know you’re paying attention. Body language is important. Nod your head once in a while and say ‘Yeah’ or ‘Uh-huh’ occasionally so they know you understand what they’re saying. “I try to listen as best I can, but I can talk a mile a minute too. I interrupt sometimes and talk too much. I might give a little advice if a person wants it or give somebody a number to call where they can get help, but I can’t counsel. I’m not a psychologist. My wife thinks I act like Bob Newhart sometimes though [*laughs*]. “When people listen to me, I feel blessed. It touches me deeply that they’ve got a few minutes to spend with me. They let me speak my mind and get it off my chest if I’ve got some worries or problems. I’m very grateful to those people who give me a minute to have the floor. I hope I’m giving that back to other people. When I can do that, it’s very satisfying.” |
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March 2021
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