First Day of My DCDG Artist Residency in Venice Beach
Today marks the first day of my DCDG artist residency, and honestly, I’m still searching for the right words to fully express how grateful I am to be here. I’m really in Venice Beach, California, and my creativity got me here. Waking up at 3:45 AM to catch a Lyft and make my 5:55 AM flight, to now sitting here blogging from California, feels surreal. This whole experience feels like a reward for my faith and perseverance.
The journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve faced countless residency rejections, unanswered cold email inquiries, exclusion from Black expression opportunities during Black History Month, and even dealt with the theft of my external hard drive and MacBook earlier this year. These challenges had me questioning this peculiar pursuit of mine, but now, I see them as part of the path that led me here.
After a 20-minute Lyft ride, I arrived at my studio apartment around 9 AM. I spent the morning walking up and down the boardwalk, passing the Santa Monica city limits—yes, I walked to Santa Monica! The weather was perfect, with a cool breeze and an overcast sky. I made a stop at Blick Art Materials to pick up more paint and two small circular canvases. While there, an employee helping me with paint markers asked what I was working on. I mentioned my residency, and he congratulated me. We exchanged business cards after chatting about his experience working in the video game industry, including his stint on Dungeon Siege.
Later, I walked back toward my hotel, near the basketball courts. I sat down to watch a few games and felt the urge to "call next," but decided against it—though I know I have to shoot (and make) at least one jumper while I’m here. After returning to my suite, I heated up a Trader Joe’s frozen Indian meal and settled in to write this post. I also worked on designs and painting thumbnails for myself and potential collaborators.
I'm truly blessed!
