Throughout the week, I’ll have friends and colleagues send along inspirational videos and this story is so good that I decided to host it as a blog post. Ginger (Alexia), a fellow colleague and amazing friend sent me this video earlier this week about a man who developed a tremor in his hand that kept him from creating drawings that he loved. Instead of giving up on his passion, he decided to embrace this limitation and transcend it. Throughout the video he displays alternate methods of art which is MINDBLOWING. Living in Los Angeles, I’ve definitely come across some unique art forms but he’s surpassed anything I’ve even seen.
How many times have you endured a moment where you wanted to quit? You often come across brick walls, huge potholes, etc., but what makes you great is when you’re able to overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are placed in front of you to test your strength or how bad you want something. Take a minute to step back and assess how much you want something. Phil Hansen displays this strength in this video where he’s able to embrace his limitations and change his perspective to make something great. When you embrace the person within and are able to adapt to your surroundings, you can do amazing things.
If I haven’t told you already, I am the ultimate tourist.. regardless of the city. Yes that even includes LA. I’m about a month late with this post but better late than never, correct?! I visited New York earlier this month (the first week of this month to be precise) and I couldn’t have asked for better weather. When I visited New York earlier this year in February, it was 19 degrees with a constant wind.. during the day. At night, well let’s just say as a Los Angelian, I didn’t adjust as well as I thought I would. I believe it was 60-65 degrees the ENTIRE time I was there and I heard that just before I arrived it was raining so God was definitely wanted me to enjoy my trip and I did. 
I’d like to shout out my amazing co- workers at the NY Adconion office for making me feel at home and involving me in lunches and happy hours after work. When visiting a city that you know absolutely nothing of, I would definitely encourage you to bring a friend or hopefully you’re just as fortunate to know people that are currently residing in that city. Sidebar: Now I’m upset that I wasn’t able to snag a picture of all of us. Womp. If I wasn’t there for business, I can guarantee that my memory would have been filled. On Friday, we went to Hummus and Pita in Chelsea which is sort of like a Chipotle but with all the fixings in a Pita sandwich (is that what they call it)? The point is, we absolutely need something like this in LA and if there already is please direct me in the right direction so that I can stuff my face. We then got drinks at Brio which is in the Flatiron District which has an amazing assortment of alcoholic beverages. Of course I ordered a whiskey sour because that’s the only hard liquor I order (aside from a Sidecar or Old Fashioned, so maybe not the only drink), and I was very pleased that they made it the correct way. If you don’t know much about Whiskey Sours, you need to make it with egg. Yes egg.
On Saturday, as soon as I took the 4 train from the Bronx into the city, I walked everywhere. I started in Time Square where I actually bought an iPhone 5 because I was due for an upgrade and I thought no better place to buy my new phone than NY. From there, I walked all the way up to Central Park and then walked all the way back down to the Flat Iron District. I have absolutely no clue why I chose to do that, but it kinda just happened by chance. I suppose that when the weather is beautiful, you have your headphones on, you’re in an amazing city, and you have no worries then you walk as if you’re a traveling man. What can I say? I was vibin’ with the city. I concluded my journey at Blue Water Grill where I had this amazing.. I actually don’t remember what I have but it was hella good! See below:
I refuse to go to NY during the summer when it’s humid and such but I will be making my back east at least 2x before the year ends. If you’re looking for a travel partner and don’t mind being spontaneous, please join me! 🙂
I came across this story yesterday before I was heading out to work and I was leaving my place I had to thank the Man above for blessing me with life (as I probably don’t do it nearly as much as I should). Zach Sobeich died on May 20th after battling osteosarcoma (terminal cancer) for 4 years and his legacy lives within the music he’s made over the past couple years. His hit single “Clouds”, which is available in iTunes and Spotify, reached #1 in iTunes after his death and if you listen to his single you can see why. See the documentary below for a glimpse of his life and how he spent the last several weeks/months of his life.
Watching this story made me question how I’m currently living my life and if I’m actually embracing what I have. If you were to die tomorrow, would you be happy with how you’ve lived your life? Chances are the answer is no. I’m sure this is due to a myriad of variables which consists of just “getting by” or being complacent, not being happy, not partaking in the events that you love, etc. The beauty of life is that you’re able to choose whether or not you want to be happy- it’s not forced upon you by any means to feel anything besides happiness. Your perspective on your life defines everything. Since opportunities are rarely offered and seized often, you need to be able to do the things you love when you have the chance. I definitely agree with the quote, “When You Look Back on Your Life You’ll Regret the Things You Didn’t Do More Than the Ones You Did”. Take risks. Fall in love. Do things you’d never consider doing. Be fearless. Be positive. Spread the love. Life is way too short to be anything but happy.
I’ve always been somewhat creative but that doesn’t mean I’ve been great at what I actually created. I was the sort of kid that never colored inside the lines, my art was more abstract than anything (and not on purpose), and used colors that were probably not the actual color of the drawing I had in front of me. Now that I’m older and I’m able to focus a bit more, I’m still not able color inside the lines, my art is still abstract, and I’ll choose a red crayon to make an orange (I’m special).
Well, that’s great Christian but why are other people supposed to care? I’m not quite sure to be honest but you and a date should hit up Color Me Mine. Their concept is simple. You pick any item that you would like to paint and you pay for it. You’re really able to see how creative someone is based on what they choose to paint and how they paint it. The idea of color me mine is that it’s a pottery studio where you’re able to select mugs, plates, Disney characters, pots, etc. and paint it accordingly. Once you’ve painted the item, they will tell you when to come back and purchase your new (and glossed) item. This makes for a great group date or even something intimate between you and a significant other. Bring out the creative side of you and throw paint on each other.. unless she’s wearing some sort of dress and expensive shoes. You’ll probably end up paying as much as you would for a dinner but it’s more- so the experience and acting like a child that you’re paying for. I highly doubt you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Lord knows I end up having paint on the back of my ear. Weird, right?!
During my daily visits to some of my favorite sites, I came across this video which was recorded at the auditions of Britain’s Got Talent. I’ve always been intrigued about what acts there are on these shows and I had absolutely no clue what a shadow act was. Much to my amazement, it was probably one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen in my life. The human mind is such a beautiful thing and this video is the epitome of how creative the mind can be. I’d summarize what this video is all about but it wouldn’t do it any justice.. it’s THAT good.
**Grand Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia pictured above
Seeing that as I love to travel (or should I say the thought of traveling), I’m always scouring the internet for unique places that most people might not have heard of. I’ll go to sites like Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Examiner, etc. where they sometimes feature articles of some enchanting places. After compiling my top 10 places, which was more difficult than selecting my favorite cafes, I’ve listed them for you below. If you’ve been to any of these places, I’d love to hear your feedback as to how your experience was. This reminds me that I need a travel buddy to hopefully visit half of these places. They’re just magical. Almost Disney magical.
Christian Liquigan
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