Just got home from a brief convo with a few friends. I feel like we’re doomed. I know, I should be optimistic but how we think about love, dating, sex, it’s all messed up. Biblically speaking, it’s all wrong. First of all, we can’t love, truly love, selfless love, unconditional love because we don’t know God. How can we love or know love if we don’t know the creator and giver of love. God is love. What we think is love is something else and it pulls us in all kinds of wrong directions. Giving oneself away physically does not mean love.
Many of us are slaves to sex sin and don’t even know it. Slaves meaning it controls us, our relationships, life. We may think it’s normal because everyone says it is. If no one else has told you, let me, it’s not normal. Actually, it may be the societal norm but it shouldn’t be our norm. It complicates thing in present relationships and future ones. Sex before marriage will never satisfy. Why? Because it isn’t the order God intended it to be and it isn’t true intimacy. One can only experience true intimacy after marriage, the way God intended it to be (Hebrews 13:4). You can’t connect with someone physically if you haven’t connected with him/her spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially. As a Christian, if you haven’t entered into the covenant of marriage, there will always be some level of inhibition, lack of openness, comfort or trust.
If I can just keep it real, I didn’t want to post this. I wrote this weeks months and months ago. I feel it’s one of those topics that most people feel, act, validate based on their lifestyle and social norms. Girls Ladies, it doesn’t make you a stronger woman, more free and comfortable with whom you are because you have more partners. And boys men, talking about how many girls you’ve been with doesn’t make you more manly. Who is man enough, strong enough, bold enough to change that narrative? Some things (i.e. abstaining) may never be the cool thing to do, but are you cool enough to make it cool to talk about how many girls you’ve abstained from in your circle of friends?
As a Christian, any man or woman who isn’t willing to wait until marriage isn’t ready for marriage. There’s a selflessness, obedience and honor to God that should come first. For the ladies and the men, let me say, you are worth the wait and for anyone who says or acts differently #deuces.
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36)
If you are a Christ believer, you are no longer slave to sin. You are a son of the family of Christ, of light, righteousness, life. You are free. You have a right to be free. Free to overcome EVERYTHING you believe you cannot overcome. Everything you’ve given up on overcoming. Who is ruling? You can overcome whatever it is, depend on God to do it in and through you.
I know this is a topic that may make us uncomfortable. It doesn’t fit our lifestyles anymore so we tend to find ways around it. We start calling the Bible outdated, irrelevant, etc to justify or validate our sin as ok. If you’re a Christian, let’s acknowledge God’s truth in all things instead of disputing it because it’s difficult to accept or convicts us to the core.
I know some of you are reading this like, oh well I’m satisfied with where I am and what you believe or what you have might be good, but it’s not for everyone. Remember Christ. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us. For you and your intimacy, that you may know true love. He made a covenant with God just for you so you could be free.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This. Because so many of us are in bondage to people. We dress, we work, we act, we do for others. What will so and so think, how many likes can I get, can I get promoted for this? It’s easy to let perception, influence, recognition run us.
Naturally we want to please our family, friends, baes, boos, bosses, fans, people in general, but reality is we’ll never be good enough for everyone. We can’t please or find favor with everyone. But God. The one who matters will be well pleased with us if we trust in and follow Him over man. Sounds easy, but it’s not. Actually think about it, how often do you make decisions based on what someone will think of you vs what you really want to do or feel led to do? From the little day to day things to the “bigger” life things… be honest 🙂
Let’s talk about this “proving ourselves” thing a little bit more. It’s such a part of our culture that it seems to be a natural, normal thing. Truth is we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us, “well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) And please don’t take this out of context… I’m not saying to neglect responsibility or don’t do things that are expected of us. I’m talking about our tendency to put people before God. Something I believe comes from a desire within to prove ourselves. At some point in life, a seed was planted that we aren’t good enough or that we don’t and never will measure up. Maybe it was something someone directly or indirectly said to us, a teacher, family, friends, society, circumstance or our own selves… missed expectations? Maybe it was something we’ve just internalized over time making us feel lesser than. It could be anything that’s led us to this point of believing we have to do whatever it takes to make it, to prove ourselves.
Why is thinking this way faulty? Because f r e e d o m. When we’re living to please others over God, we lack freedom and we’re bound to man. Freedom starts with an inner contentment with who we are in Christ. It means to desire what God has for you first and foremost, the willingness and ability to allow God to be in control of your life versus being influenced or controlled by our desire to be accepted by man over God. We can’t be free AND be subject to man. Isaiah 2:22 says, “stop trusting in mere humans who have but a breath in their nostrils.Why hold them in esteem?”
Putting God first makes everything easy. Really. The challenge is that we often times are not putting God first. The demands of the world are too much and they aren’t for us to carry. The world enslaves us, causes us to live in bondage rather than freedom. We can easily get consumed with pleasing people, robbing ourselves of the joy that life should give us. When you’re feeling super pressured to deliver, as many of us do all the time, remember, the only one that really matters is God.
As a Christian, you aren’t meant to fit in with the world, doing the things the world does in the world’s way. Your life shouldn’t look like anyone else’s life. And as long as your life does or you fit in with the world doing worldly things, you’ll be unhappy, unfulfilled even because God has so much more for you. So, if you feel like a loner, or like no one gets you or that you don’t fit in, that’s awesome. It’s time to ask God where it is that He wants to take you. There’s a reason He’s unsettled you. Cheers to walking in a freedom that only God could give. I promise you, you’ll be happier than ever 🙂
As long as we’re living for him and trusting Him and letting Him be God in our lives, God will be well pleased with us. Keep things in order, God first for real, and everything else will be alright.
She’s super sweet, makes delicious gelato and is a boss lady entrepreneur! How could you not love Jasmine? I met Jasmine at Whole Foods while she was doing a tasting of her products. Her mouth watering unique flavors stood out to me, malai kulfi, bourbon caramel, curry coconut milk… they might sound a little odd for gelato but they are absolutely delicious! I had a chance to sit down with Jasmine and chat about how she started Sweet Cup Gelato.
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How did Sweet Cup Gelato start? Sweet Cup started on a honeymoon trip to Italy. I really fell in love with gelato. I had no clue what gelato was. I’ve always been an ice cream girl. I grew up on Blue Bell. My dad got me into ice cream so when I had this product, I thought it was a frozen custard or some kind of pudding. I instantly fell in love. I love the fact that the Italians put so much passion in, not just gelato, but the desserts, their food, their life. I was really inspired by that one trip.
When I came back, I decided to make gelato as a hobby at home on the weekends. It became something that grew into a bigger passion, I wasn’t trying to start a business or looking for something to do differently, it was just for fun. I started taking it to friends’ houses for dinner parties and people would joke, “you should start your own gelato shop”. The wheels started churning and I had an AHA moment. That would be pretty fun, I love doing and eating and making gelato. I decided to quit my job and really fully go into this. It wasn’t an overnight decision, a yearlong process.
I took classes on dairy science and took my advanced training in Italy. I was really serious about this so either I did something about it or I didn’t. I saw an abandoned Marble Slab and that was my sign; I had to start Sweet Cup. I love the Montrose area. My husband and I put our savings, everything we had, and we started Sweet Cup.
When you went abroad to study in Italy, did your husband go with you? Umm, no.
How did that work out? As entrepreneurs, business owners, we have to make sacrifices, sometimes give something up. That’s a huge step he supported you in. When I went to Italy, it wasn’t strictly for starting a business; it was more for me to understand gelato, for fun, more for me. I took time off, time away to do it. And I thought if something comes out of it great, if not, I have something I will always treasure and be happy with.
After I came back, we sat down and made a list of pros and cons and all the possibilities that could go wrong with doing this. The cons of a lot of things were related to us being a local startup and neither of us had restaurant or food experience, only me making gelato and desserts at the house and having a passion for it. He’s an engineer, so he doesn’t know much about this industry. It’s such a specialty industry that the banks pegged us at 90% failure rate the first year. They are very wary of investing in startups that are so specialized in the food industry and on top of that, we had no prior experience. I only had my certifications and classes and gelato examples as proof, but nothing to back me. That was the biggest risk of both of our lives.
The banks rejected us many times and the SBA didn’t even support us. Actually, one guy at the SBA, really old man looked like he was from the 1900s, told me, “young lady, I feel like this is an industry more male dominated, more Italian.” He didn’t say because I was a woman straight up. This kind of set me back, to see that they didn’t even support me or give me valuable advice to walk away with so I was kind of on my own.
Then I thought that added more fuel to the fire. Instead of taking all those rejections and going home and crying, I said you know what, I’m going to do something about it, screw it, I’m gonna go open that gelato shop and give it my all. At the end of the year if no one comes in, no one likes it, I know I tried my best.
After all those rejections, people saying we couldn’t do it, I decided to do it, not for them, but for myself. And I thought I’m gonna do it, what do I have to lose anyway?
How did you come up with the name, “Sweet Cup”? Sweet Cup came from my dad. Any general statement he would say, “go get me a sweet cup” of ice cream, it wasn’t gelato.
What were you doing before? I worked at the San Antonio Express News. I’m from Sab Antonio, TX born and raised. I’ve never been in the restaurant business so this was something that was scary but interesting and intriguing.
How was the transition? It was tough. I’m going to be honest, very tough.
What made it tough? It wasn’t making the gelato because I love doing that. That’s fun to me to create a flavor. The toughest part was everything about running a shop, a retail location. Not about brooming, mopping and sweeping. When you run a shop, you set your ego at the door. People come here because they want to experience a sweet cup of joy. To get away from outside world and have that moment. The toughest part is running a business of your passion. Transitioning to a business aspect is a whole new level you have to worry about. As you grow, you need support. Good help is hard to find. It’s all about the growing pains in a business
The first year, we couldn’t afford to hire anybody. It was me manning the front, my husband helping me out in the back on the evenings and weekends and me running in between production manning the store. That was really really tough. More than 100 hours a week, 3-4 hours of sleep. Settling the business was really difficult. We didn’t advertise or network, we didn’t put ourselves out there. That might be my biggest regret. And I think I did it because I wasn’t sure if people would like it, if people would like malai kulfi in gelato form.
What is the most rewarding part of having Sweet Cup Gelato now? When you create with your own hands and hard work, giving that cup of gelato or sorbet, and seeing a reaction from your customer… that’s the best part. Creating something and people enjoying it. Like, I can just roll over and die right now. People will tell me, “Oh this takes me back to my childhood.” I feel proud.
How do you come up with the flavors? A lot of these flavors are nostalgic for me. Like butter pecan, that’s something I grew up on with my dad. Malai kulfi is a favorite, but I personally don’t like the texture, it’s a little too icy for me. I’ll do something to represent my heritage, mom is Persian. Tres leches cake because I grew up in San Antonio… stuff that reminds me of home and how I grew up, being a Texan. My background, husband’s background, all the cultural influences and different cultures in Texas play a big part in how I come up with flavors too. Olive black pepper reminds me of Italy. Curry Coconut milk reminds me of my husband (he’s Indian) and represents Houston’s diversity and culture. I just love to play around with things. I like to do things with a different twist, out of the box. That’s always been me, I’ve never been a vanilla girl.
Do you have a fav? Honestly, it’s hard to say, I don’t have a favorite. I would love to have one, but each one is very personal to me. I do a lot of experimentation; I’m always trying my best to evolve.
What motivates you? Gelato. Maybe this sounds corny, but I feel like I have a purpose, a mission to make a good product and for people to enjoy it. When families come and they’re so happy to introduce others to this place, when I see people get so excited about the product and appreciate what I’m doing that they get to know me as a person. That gives me drive. A purpose that I’ve never had with any job in my life.
Wow, such a sweet (pun intended :)) story! If you live in Houston or maybe just visiting the city, make sure you stop in for a delicious sweet cup and tell Jasmine hi! ❤
God doesn’t forget you. How many of y’all have been there, feeling distant, lost, hopeless? Where are/were you in my struggle, pain, hurt, heartbreak, God, remember me? I believe we often times pray this out of desperation because, the truth is, God has never forgotten you and never will. God is always present even when we don’t ask (or want Him to be lol). It’s never God forgetting us. It’s us not seeing where He is working in our lives or even allowing Him to be present and work in our lives. It’s a matter of us never letting go of Him.
This morning I asked myself what would it take for me to go to sleep every night knowing that I lived my day to the fullest, knowing that I walked every step as God wanted me to, went as He lead, spoke to those He wanted me to speak to, kept my attitude in check, went right and not left even when I didn’t want to. Honestly, I’m not really sure, but I know I can start by scripture and keeping my mind/thoughts on God. Every morning I’ll give my day to God, ask Him to take it over. This is the only way I see me walking in His will daily. If I do that, then I’m sure I’ll accomplish all that He desires of me. I won’t have to worry about a to do list, burdening myself with things I shouldn’t be focused on. There’s a reason there are only 24 hours in a day. (I’m not saying don’t have a to do list, I just mean be flexible as God leads.)
Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1:5 both talk about how God knew us before we were even formed in the womb. If God took time to know us then, don’t you think he still knows us? “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7) This scripture is an example of how God cares about the littlest to the biggest things in life. If we do our part and walk in faith, I believe we’ll see how and where God is working in our lives and we’ll find ourselves saying, “God, remember me?” far less. The finished work is God’s job and God always does His part.
Instead of God, remember me? Let our prayer be God, help me not to forget you. He’ll use us in magnificent ways.
Hey y’all, I’m so happy to share this piece onblujeen! It’s been one of my go to spots and Harlem favorites since it opened earlier this year. I had the chance to speak with the owner, Chef Lance Knowling, about the restaurant concept and how it came to be! Check it out below ☺
Meet Chef Lance. He has owned four restaurants,blujeenis his fifth. He is originally from Kansas City, went to culinary school, worked in many differently places as an apprentice, moved to Dallas (the great state of Texas!) in 1983, then moved to NY in 1988 and has been here since.
“I can open a restaurant anywhere in NY, but for me, I wanted it to be here. This, to me, is storybook.”
Tell us about blujeen! How did it start? Why Harlem? Where did the name come from? (I know, I know… I started off by asking five questions in one. I got called out too lol)
Chef Lance: It’s usually one question at a time. Haha. Well,blujeenis first and foremost a concept. It’s my interpretation of comfort food. With my background, training and experience and the kind of food that I like, but combining that with traditional techniques as well as classical techniques. I’m classically French trained. I wanted to introduce a different type of comfort food. A lot of the inspiration comes from my upbringing, my mother, in-laws and family, gatherings. I wanted to recreate that inblujeen. That’s really where the inspiration came from, I thought it would be a good vehicle for my type of cuisine, my type of food.
Why Harlem?
Chef Lance: I love Harlem. I’ve worked in Manhattan for years. It was one of those childhood dreams to own a restaurant in Harlem. I mean, I can open a restaurant anywhere in NY, but for me, I wanted it to be here. This, to me, is storybook.
Prior to blujeen, what were you doing?
Chef Lance: I’ve owned a series of restaurants named Indigo Smoke. All of my restaurants are blue something. I opened the first one in 2002, Indigo Kitchen & Bar, and I’ve always catered. That’s pretty much what I was doing until I opened up here. Our focus atblujeenis just the restaurant and catering. I don’t have the other restaurants anymore, I sold them. This is my focus.
[Fun fact! He catered Chelsea Clinton’s wedding.]
That’s is a huge accomplishment!
Chef Lance: Yeah, I guess so. I try not to get too caught up in that. It’s such hard work that it’s really just keep working. Don’t think about anything else, just keep working.
What keeps you motivated?
Chef Lance: If I’m going to be completely honest with that, my motivation is always food related. I’ll make something and I’ll love it and people will love it, then I want to do something else. I’m always pushing towards the next thing. I don’t know if that’s my character or what, but I’ve always been like that. I’ve been in the business since I was 17. It’s really the only thing I’ve ever done. It’s part of my makeup. That’s my motivation, to do something else, to do more.
You kind of touched on it, looking at this as a big accomplishment but not focusing on that and keeping it moving. For my peers especially, we look at where we are and it’s great, like we made it here but we keep pushing for what’s next. There’s a kind of a battle between complacency and contentment. How do you find the balance of pushing forward with new goals, but still being content?
Chef Lance: First and foremost, I’m never satisfied. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But I think that helps to keep from becoming complacent. Sometimes you sit back and you go, “that is pretty cool” or you read something nice about yourself or you hear a compliment that kind of keeps you going. But, because I’m never satisfied, I keep doing it. I don’t think I’ll ever become complacent. The most I would ever be, I would just quit completely. I’d find a beach somewhere, some lemonade or iced tea. I don’t know if that day will ever come. I work seven days a week and I don’t see myself doing anything else.
“Success is the end and I’m no where near the end.”
What have been some of the challenges in getting to where you are in your career and overcoming them?
Chef Lance: I think a lot of those challenges are still there. They never really go away, you just manage them differently. As you get older, hopefully you get a little smarter, a little more patient, which is not always a good thing, but you do become that way. A lot of the challenges and hurdles that I’ve faced in the business still remain today which is why we have the Black Chef Series. Personally speaking, I don’t think there has been a time in my life where I’ve said to myself, “I’m successful.” That’s never happened.
We all define success differently.
Chef Lance: I guess by some other person’s standard, I would probably be successful. I think I have so much more to do, I just cant look at myself and say you’ve done enough or this is the best you can do or you can’t do more. I’ve never had a day like that. That doesn’t mean there aren’t times when people like your restaurant or great things happen in your life where you say I’m really proud of myself. Success is the end and I’m no where near the end.
Interesting way to put it. I don’t think I’ve heard it that way before. You were talking about the Black ChefSeries,it’s an awesome concept.What inspired it and how did it come about?
Chef Lance: I have lots of concepts and ideas for things. I talked to a few of my chef friends about it before I opened up. I was sitting with Chef Max and Alize, Max Hardy is a big part of theFoodBank of NY and other charitableorganizations like that. We were talking about how we can combine charitable concepts with chef concepts. I introduced them to the Black Chef Series and they ran with it. They’ve done a lot with it. We have a nice nucleus forming to go forward with. Everyone is talking about the next one. Is there a winter series or a holiday series? We might take it on the road, we’vereceived phone calls… a lot of great ideas around the Black Chef Series. We have to see what direction we want to go.
“I always wanted my restaurant to be that kind of place, where other chefs can come in.”
When I was coming up as a chef, there wasn’t anything like that, certainly not for black chefs. It’s always been difficult for black chefs to get noticed. I’m not just talking about black people who can cook, but chefs, people that have gone to school, have formal training, have worked at some of the best places in the country, have put in the time and they don’t get any recognition.When it’s time for them to make that next step, a lot of restaurants are unwilling to give them the head chef, executive chef title because they don’t want their patrons to see a black face manning the stove. It’s as simple as that. You don’t have to sugarcoatit. More and more black chefs are getting opportunities, but its very slight. I talk to the younger generation and they’re finding the same roadblocks. It’s difficult.
Switching gears a little, let’s talk the food you make. What’s your favorite dish to make? In general, it could be at home with family, for holidays or at this restaurant?
Chef Lance: Well you see that’s two different things. There’s professional cooking, there’s business and friends and family… that’s a completely different attitude.
Can you talk about the difference a little?
Chef Lance: A restaurant is a stage, it’s a performance to a certain degree. You’re doing things to appeal to multiple people. You want to make food that is personal. You’re creating, that’s why you have a menu. You have people who are gluten free, who are vegetarian, people who don’t eat pork.A professional has to create dishes for all of those people and they all have to taste good. That’s where the profession comes in, multiple people can come in and enjoy your work. At home, you don’t really care about that. When you cook at home, its what you want to eat. At home I might make that shrimp and grits, three, four, five different ways because I’m going to eat it regardless. Ultimately, we always revert back to what mom and dad fed us growing up. That’s a part of flavor memory. That never goes away no matter what. What you’re fed as a child never goes away.
I don’t know what your heritage is but…
I’m half Indian, half black, my dad is from India and my mom is from St. Louis.
Chef Lance: I’m from Kansas City. That’s BBQ country. The earliest food memories I have are all around BBQ, grilling, fire. I still like that and there’s a lot of those elements in my cooking: charring, fire roasting, grilling, because I like that edge. Youcould never go wrong with me if you give me some good BBQ. Ever.
Texas BBQ.
Chef Lance: I’m not going to fight with you on your blog. I’m just going to say ok, but I can’t concur. (← He knows the truth! :))
Speaking of your menu and how home has influenced it, Helen’s Pull Apart Bread, that’s my favorite!
Chef Lance: Everybody loves it. It’s bread and butter baked together. That is my mother’s bread, we grew up eating it. My mom gave me that recipe and taught me how to make it. On our new brunch menu, the Pull Apart French Toast is stupid. It’s the only pull apart French toast in the country, sauteed apples with a little caramel sauce. It’s already a best seller. All the flavor is still there, the butter, the yeast bread, done like french toast.
(My mouth was watering) Do you have a most popular dish? From friends if you’re cooking at home and at the restaurant?
Chef Lance: Well my friends and family like anything I make.
Haha, I can understand that.
Chef Lance: We just changed our menu.I would say on the new menu, our most popular appetizer is the shrimp and grits. And our most popular dinner entrée item right now is the grilled boneless short ribs with a smoked gruyere scalloped potato which is really really good. That’s been moving like hotcakes. Actually, it might be the blackened salmon first, then the short ribs.
I had the salmon at my birthday dinner, SO GOOD… the salmon basically melted in my mouth!
Chef Lance: Yeah, people love the salmon. We’re always going to change, keep it fresh. We always try to stay as true to inspired comfort food as possible. I don’t want it to be just totally traditional.
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Create with purpose. That means creating for eternity, being timeless and creating beyond the superficial, money and fame. How are you creating with purpose?
Chef Lance: I was just having this conversation with someone yesterday. Last night, our last two customers asked, “how’s it going?” I said it’s going pretty good. We can always do better. Every day we come up with stuff to better define ourselves as a restaurant, to better define our food and to get better. People will ask, “Did you come to NY to make more money?” I say no, I made plenty of money in NJ. I don’t do anything for money. I didn’t open tthe restaurant with a financial plan like this is going to make me rich. Of course bills have to be paid, people have to be paid, that’s just part of the course.
“My mother is an artist and she’s instilled that in us, do things you love. Do things you like and stay committed to that. Whatever you need will come”
Earlier you said your restaurants all have some form of blue. Where did that come from?
Chef Lance: I like blue so I’m always playing with it in some kind of way. There’s always a double entendre and a double meaning for everything.
These ladies inspired me for a couple of reasons and that’s why the photographs are all from the 50s. I always knew what was happening in the world. My parents made sure we understood, but I wasn’t jaded. How do people going through what my parents went through, get together and have dinner parties and fondue and still deal with all the things in the world? That was inspirational. That’s why blujeen doesn’t mean the color blue. The blu is blue, “I’m feeling a little blue.” And Jeen is typical “Jean” from the 50s.
Do you have any advice for this generation? Times have changed but not quite at the same time. That feeling of bluenees still exists to some extent.
Chef Lance: I’d argue that it’s exacerbated even. We didn’t have social media. Now kids are bombarded with it. In many respects, you may have to be a little stronger than we were. I think young people today have to have a different type of filter where they can see these things and not go out and start killing people because that won’t fix anything. If you go down that path, you have a lot of people to kill. Violence is not the answer. The best way to fix the situation is education. It’s hard when there aren’t enough resources, family situations aren’t conducive, but that’s where the answer lies. I would like to see everything that’s happening motivate people to do more for themselves by any means necessary. Go to school, get a mentor, be a mentor, whatever it takes to change the situation. Young people today have to be strong and committed.
That’s great. Wrapping up now, what’s next for blujeen? What should we be looking out for?
Chef Lance: Fall items on the menu this month and we’ll be launching a new Black Chef Series soon, either Fall or Winter. The next series, the chefs will be local. And just look for more blujeen stuff!
Thanks Chef Lance! Go visit him at blujeen and say hi! Check out their Sunday dinner, it’s a perfect night out with friends or family 🙂 Enjoy the food, it’s delish. (Get the salmon and shrimp and grits and the pull apart french toast if you go for brunch… must haves!!)
“I believe that God has given me purpose and put a calling on my life to create so everything I do has His purpose for me painted on it. Literally. So in order for me to create with purpose, all I have to do is pick up my tools and get to work.”
Jamel Robinson. A little back story so y’all know how cool he is. Our first convo was about his grill (the mouthpiece not a food grill). We were both chillin at the Soho House, started talking about grills, art and a bunch of other stuff. (Everyone always thinks I’m playing, but I really want one. I’ve been saying I am getting one for way too long… coming soon :D)
Back to why you’re reading this, Jamel! He is a seasoned poet turned artist with an awesome perspective on art and life in general. Born and raised in Harlem. He creates in Harlem, but he’s all around the city. Some of your favorite celebrities collect his art. Check out my q&a with him below!
What made you transition from poetry to art?
Jamel: I am a poet turned self-taught painter. After years of writing and performing, a friend asked me to paint a poem on a canvas and be a part of a group exhibition that he was curating. That’s what officially got me into painting back in November of 2011. A month later, after getting word that someone close to me had passed away, I went back to the art supply store I had gone to for supplies, came home and began a journey that I’ve been on every day since, finding and developing the “visual language” that I now use to express myself.
What influences your style?
Jamel: One of my favorite Basquiat quotes is “you’ve got to realize that influence is not influence. It’s simply someone’s idea going through my new mind.”
Being an artist can be really tough since everyone is a critic of your work and you’re pretty much at the mercy of public opinion. How do you stay confident and motivated?
Jamel: I think I’ve gotten as far as I have by being fearless. I try not to think about what anyone else is thinking about my work. Also, in order for me to show something publicly, it has to meet my approval and since I don’t put anyone’s opinion above my own, once I think it’s good, it’s good enough for everyone else. I was the same way when I used to write; you wouldn’t read or hear a poem unless it met my approval. Any thoughts to the contrary that come up, I acknowledge and dismiss.
How does faith play a role in your artistry?
Jamel: Because I’m fortunate enough to make a living off of my artwork, I constantly have to have faith that God will provide for me as long as I show up and do my part, which is simply to create and then show my work to the world however I can. God has always taken care of the rest. But even before that, when it’s just me and the canvas or a piece of paper or wood – or whatever I’m expressing myself on, I have to have faith that God is working through me and that I’ll make something that people can connect to in some way.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career and how did you overcome it?
Jamel: The biggest challenge for me is always not to give up, not to give in and not to let go. Not to give up on this dream I never had yet find myself living, not to give in to the fears that are constantly calling for attention and not to let go of everything I’ve built so far along this journey or what God has planned for me if I just stick with it.
How do you find time to keep God first on a daily basis?
Jamel: I start my day with prayer, reading the Bible, SOAPing, which is a style of writing on the Bible, meditating and making art. These are all exercises in gratitude. If I can be grateful, I can put God first and hopefully keep him first in all of my affairs.
Creating with purpose can also mean standing out, which is not always easy, especially for young people. Do you have any words of wisdom for your fellow young folk on not compromising their beliefs and staying true to God throughout their careers and life?
Jamel: I think that if you put God first, before your wants and the world’s desires, everything else will fall into place. You can’t think about what you’ll lose if you don’t conform to the world, you have to have faith in what you’ll gain from honoring God. When you feel pressure to bend in the opposite direction of your faith, break away into the arms of God and know that you’ll be carried and cared for.
What’s next for you?
Jamel: I’m currently developing a one act play and, as usual, thinking about where and when to have my next solo exhibitions (I have three that are just about ready to show), but there are a few other things you’ll just have to keep up with me on Instagram or get on my mailing list to get wind of.
Y’all heard him 🙂 Check him out on Instagram @jrcreativeink or follow his Tumblr to keep up with his work and how he’s creating with purpose. Looking forward to the one act play Jamel!
Heyy y’all. I am super excited to kick off The Chai Series with Justin Gilzene aka Club-Bum. I got the idea for this series a couple of months ago and here goes my first feature! I can’t think of anyone better than Justin to be my first interview. Justin is a super dope, young artist from the Bronx, NY. I had the privilege of chatting with him about how he got into painting, what influences him and what keeps him going. Check it out below!
ME: When did you get into painting and what made you pick it up?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Three years ago, February 2012, I was 20 years old in culinary school, miserable, working at Cheesecake Factory and a yardhouse and had to be up at 6AM for school. The dean said you’re failing, what’s going on? He asked me what makes me happy, I showed him my sketchbook and he suggested I go to art school. I had one semester left in culinary school, but I didn’t finish. I quit Cheescake Factory when they asked me to work by myself on Valentine’s Day, I quit the yard house… I was jobless. That’s when my friend Josh who is a painter introduced me to the canvas and encouraged me to start painting.
ME: When did you know painting would be “it” for you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: In 2013, I had my first big art showcase, the Raw Natural Born Artists, 500-600 people came. I received lots of acknowledgement, but no one was buying. We were wrapping up and a guy asked me about my Biggie piece. I gave him my contact info and he said he’d get back to me. I’m thinking, “Yeah, that’s what they all say.” The next day, I was reading to my students when he called and said, “I’m ready to make a payment.”
ME: What keeps you going?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Faith in God and being true to myself. I believe in myself, I know good things are always going to come. Being around my muse keeps me going too. Teaching pre-school in 2012, I was influenced by the students to be an artist. I did art to help them learn a letter, a word, numbers… they quickly adapted. That’s how my style came about, cartoon animation, pop culture figures. I wanted to create art that appeals to both adults and young children. Kids are my number one muses, but everything influences me, life, what I see, hear, know.
“I believe everyone has a cartoon figure that is them. For me, Kermit is my spitting image.”
ME: I’ve seen your style evolve this past year. Can you talk about the evolution of your style from when you first started to now and what makes it unique?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Every painting I do has a deeper meaning than what the eye usually sees. There’s a duality to the character and the persona, they coexist, it’s never random. The concept is always the hardest part.
When I started off, I was doing one-dimensional figures and using plain colors like grey, but this soon evolved to more colors. I had an exhibition in Brooklyn in 2013 (or 2014) and did a theme on bullies from different movies and how they correlated with life, Ms. Trunchbull represented the teacher bully, Deebo the neighborhood bully and the shades of grey represented their sadness and sorrow. After this, I started juxtaposing cartoons with pop culture and celebrity. I did that for about a year. Towards the end of last year, my friend said, “Man, I’m tired of seeing these juxtaposition characters, you need to evolve.” At first, I took it to heart, then I thought, “Yeah, he’s right.” That’s why I keep in my circle; he keeps it real with me.
This new work kind of just happened. I was drawing Mickey to be the Mickey character as you know it. I was dealing with a girl and she made me upset. I took my frustrations out on the painting and it just happened. I thought, “Hmm, let me post this on social media and see what people think.” People were commenting saying they liked it more than my other style. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not. I was in a weird mood. They liked it, but did I really like it? That that goes to show what expression means to people. I started running with this new style, expressing more, adapting to it. I like it more.
ME: I love the goofy piece you did.
JUSTIN GILZENE: Yeah, I did that with the kids at Harlem Hospital.
ME: That’s awesome. Speaking of kids, they’ve come up a few times. It’s obvious you have a big heart. I know you’ve done quite a bit of charity work and you like giving back where you can. You once said, “I sketch. They paint.” Tell us more about this, what are you doing with the kids and why giving back is so important to you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: I am the Art Coordinator for Harlem Children’s Zone. Part of my job is to do murals on eight or nine walls. It’s fun interacting with them, getting their ideas on what to put on the walls and I get to make it a reality. Their minds are plagued so I want to do as much as possible to affect the negativity in their minds through art.
I’m also working with Harlem Hospital. The Chief of Staff recently commissioned me to update the Pediatrics Center.
ME: Wow, that’s great. Has faith played a role in any of this? How has your faith helped you grow as a painter?
JUSTIN GILZENE: It’s helped me in life in general, not just as a painter. Since I’ve grown up, I’ve seen some friends not doing so well, one friend in prison, some are just continuing that cycle. I look at myself, “What am I doing?” Life is a choice. God blesses us with choice.
“I imagine how God must feel if He’s dealing with that for everyone in the whole world.”
ME: What keeps your faith up?
JUSTIN GILZENE: You never know how someone feels until you feel what they have felt. I think about how disappointed I am when I am trying to help someone and they aren’t listening to me, continuing in their own way after I show them. That breaks my heart. This made me open up my heart and soul. I imagine how God must feel if He’s dealing with that for everyone in the whole world. My faith inspires me to do good, to do better. God has blessed me with this passion and love and I want to do as much as I can with it. He blesses me with new ideas all the time for my paintings.
I always pray when I wake up, before I go to sleep, when I eat, when I’m walking home, I pray for creativity.
ME: Prayer is key. Do you have any life defining moments that have shaped you that you’d like to share?
JUSTIN GILZENE: I remember this day in high school, I was angry, not angry angry, it takes a lot for me to get upset. The day started off rough, then, at school, everyone was bothering me. I was talking to one girl and she got upset, her friends were goofing around with me, taking my shoes, holding me. They were playing, but I wasn’t in the mood. So I punched what was near me, a glass window. My whole wrist was cut open, I saw my bones, I cut a tendon. The doctor said I was .5 cm away from cutting my main artery. See what happens when you don’t make the right choices or don’t take the time to think and evaluate the choices? If I would’ve punched a little harder, I could’ve bled to death.
ME: Wow. That’s deep. What about with art, any defining moments you can think of you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Honestly, it’s all the time. People saying you’re my role model, I believe in you. Even kids saying they look up to me. Whoa, me? I’m just a human being. Comments on Instagram, people saying I commend you, keep up the hard work… I’m grateful for all of that. That fuels me to become who I need to be.
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ME: What does creating with purpose mean to you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Based on my passion and love, I want to share it to help inspire, to motivate and to help everyone see our own flaws and the flaws in the world. I’m not scared to talk about the injustice in the world, politics, race, white supremacy. I’m not afraid to talk about love and hate against our black people, black on black crime. I want to talk about these things through my art. It’s not about the money. Someone asked me why I do my canvases so big. It’s a reflection of how I was raised. I never had my own space. I always had to share. The big canvas is creative freedom, freedom to express; I’m in my own world. I don’t really like doing things small. My purpose is to get the message out there. I’m putting it in the atmosphere, the universe, into everyone’s world. I want that impact on everyone in the world, to build a legacy based on my art and the love I put into my art, into people. That’s why I’m living.
Thanks again Justin, can’t wait to see all the exciting things you’re working on!
Keep up with Justin’s work, @club_bum on Instagram and keep an eye out for his work in the Harlem Hospital gallery and Pediatric Center later this year. If you’re interested in commissioning or purchasing work, you can reach him at justingilzene@aol.com.
You are running away from peace, love, happiness and don’t even know it. You may think you are doing what brings you happiness, but, it feels like you’re in a constant state of confusion. You are digging deeper in the things you are trying to run away from: loneliness, emptiness, unforgiveness, the desire to be loved, the list goes on. The relationship or job promotion, the drugs, sex, alcohol, shopping or whatever it might be loses it’s appeal after so long and you’re back at step one, you feel empty and you are pursuing that love, the success, your purpose, only to find these things no where. That’s because they can only be found in one place, with God. If you are saved by grace and know God, the ways of the world shouldn’t be your ways (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15-17). If they are, you will forever be running. So, when will you be done living a simple life?
A simple life is not living by God’s word. It is simple to say yes to the flesh, to your desires. It is simple to say that the Bible is outdated and to pick and choose what you want to believe because society is “evolving”. A simple life is being like everyone else around you, doing what everyone else is doing, accepting what everyone else is telling you to accept. It is simple to live how you want to live. It is not simple to live by God’s grace. But, why, shouldn’t it be? If you believe and walk by faith, then why is it so hard to live by His word? We make it tough on our own because we do not walk in the fullness of the Lord (Ephesians 3:14-19).
It’s not that God doesn’t want you to be happy or to have fun. It’s that the more we sin, the further we go from God. The further we are from God, the further we are from being where He wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. There is no peace in that. You will forever be empty and looking for something more because true happiness, true joy and purpose only comes when you are wholeheartedly serving Christ and letting Him lead you.
My reality isn’t your reality and your reality isn’t mine. Yes, there are biblical truths that none of us can deny, but when it comes to living, each of our journeys are unique to us and that is between God and you. You just have to keep it real.
I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:14-17).
Are you willing to stand apart, to go through the trials, to be bold, to be different? I don’t mean different like the world defines different, but different because God is calling you to stand apart and go somewhere only you can go if you let Him lead you and take you there… Through the fiery furnace like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, through the wilderness to the promised land like Moses, through trials and prisons like Paul. Are you ready to live more than a simple life?
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:3-5 NLT).
Your life is for others, not yourself. Think about where you are and all the people that have helped you get to that point. Your parents, siblings, a teacher, pastor, friend, but also maybe a “random” person that you’ve met at some point who just gave you a timely word. If these people weren’t in place throughout your life, would you be where you are? God knew exactly what you would need, when and how you would need it and who He could use to help you. God wants us to know that He’s created us for more than ourselves. He wants us to live for others even though it’s not always the easiest thing to do and sometimes may require sacrifice. I know, the world says differently… do what makes you happy, we teach self expression, individuality, independence, pursuing what you want, living your truth. But, what is your truth if it’s not the truth?
In Matthew, the disciples asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:36-40). If we focused beyond ourselves, wouldn’t the world look a bit different? God also commands us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Not just family and friends, but everyone, even the most annoying, miserable person who gets on your last nerve :).
When you realize that your life is about more than you, you might find it easier to make it through the tough times and find joy in everything. God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. And when others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us because we understand (2 Corinthians 1:4). There’s greater purpose to your trials, to your six figures, to your pain, to your happiness.
“You don’t become happy by pursuing happiness, you become happy by living a life that means something to someone else. The happiest people are not always the richest or most powerful ones, but rather the ones that are kind to others, have peace, love, etc. Happiness is a byproduct of purpose. The more you busy yourself in your God calling, serving others, loving others, praying and being a blessing to others, you find your happiness, your blessing.”
Life is about more than “me”. Live for yourself, but live for others!
Keeping it real as you can tell with my title lol. Ever since I really gave my career over to God, it’s been a roller coaster. At least that’s what it feels like, tons of uncertainty, doubt, ups and downs. Sometimes I question why I quit my job, where would I be if I didn’t quit my job and start my own company? I heard a sermon last month,A Temporary God Appointed Wilderness, that really put some things in perspective. (Must listen if you feel like you’re in a wilderness… crazy how direct this sermon was for me!)
When our circumstances don’t look like what we want them to be, we began focusing on our situation and ourselves. We take our eyes off of eternity, which is what God wants us to focus on. We start thinking “maybe God has forgotten about me”, questioning why He doesn’t hear us or why we aren’t hearing from Him in our most helpless place. We start focusing on the wrong things, success defined by wordly standards, our job or lack thereof, our failed relationships, loss of a friend or family member, our empty bank accounts or whatever it might that’s troubling us. What we forget is that in all of these things is that God is still with us, he hears us, he has answered us. There is purpose in our struggle (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5).
I lovee this passage that I read in Isaiah: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:18-21) If you’re like me, you might be frustrated, you might want to give up. Reread these scriptures and think about how powerful these words are, especially vs 19, “As soon as he hears, he will answer you.”
Our difficulties, our trials are much bigger than us. They are for eternity. Think of it as a growth period, sometimes short and sometimes so long that it feels like an eternity to us lol. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” The unseen is eternal. Eternity is being obedient to God in the now. Success to God is being obedient to Him. God is most concerned with eternity, which is why He takes us through the wilderness. He is preparing us for His eternal work through our lives. Sometimes, there is no easy way out.
So, keep praying, keep waiting, keep believing. In the midst of waiting, He’s breaking our trust issues with Him. He is dealing with our faith, our character, our spiritual maturity. In all honesty, we actually have no reason to be frustrated with God. God’s word says He is waiting to show us His mercy, His grace (Isaiah 30:18), His favor. He wants to give us every good and perfect gift. He know the plans He has for us… we just have to believe and endure as He has called us to.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for you (Psalm 138:8). He who started a good work in you will finish it (Philippians 1:6). It’s His promise!
Moti Laine 