Leon Bridges on fashion as an extension of music. + Leading with compassion, and meeting strangers through a camera lens.
For the series On Finding Inspiration, I search for inspiration in my daily life. Join me on the journey and let me know what beautiful thing speaks to you this week.
Leon Bridges on fashion: “It’s a way of speaking without having to say anything.”
In an interview with CBS Mornings, Leon Bridges discusses how fashion and music go together. The host poses: “You’re a quiet person but your fashion is quite loud.”
“It’s a way of speaking without having to say anything.”
Leon continues: “That’s one thing I always saw value in – the fashion reflecting the music. It’s a little bit of a let down to see your favorite artist wear shorts and flip flops on stage.”
I don’t think anyone would argue that fashion is a form of self expression. Fashion is identity, informed by what we like and the communities we belong to.
But as Leon says, fashion is more than that – fashion is a representation of yourself as art. Imagine how we would show up in the world, if we all treated ourselves as art.
For more reading: This Tiny Desk made me ask, what is the greatest version of myself?
If art is part of our human identity, what about the people who aren’t artists?
I believe we should all find the creative parts of ourselves and let that flourish. But what about the people who are economists and engineers? Is it then true that they have no art to share with the world? I don’t think it’s that simple. Innovation is art. But STEM industries face the same issue as artists: when financial profit is the driving force, the product suffers, the workers suffer, the planet suffers. Only the man at the top profits. That’s not art.
Art is meant to make the world a better place – by sharing our personal experiences and connecting with other, by striving to call out injustices and work towards a better society. If art can make the world a better place, so should innovation.
But how do we get to that place? If we are not driven by money, we must then be driven by compassion to make the world a better place.
What would our world look like if we led with compassion? What would art and innovation look like? How would we help our communities? How would we care about each other?
Until then, I guess we’ll scroll on TikTok another day.
Meeting Strangers in Strange Places, but on Film
I spent a day by myself wondering around New York City in September. I found a spot at the Brooklyn Flea in Dumbo to sit and people watch. I took out my sketch book to draw what came to me. A man approached me to take my picture on film as I sketched away, resulting in the photo above. He was a documentary photographer from France who had an interested in studying the people of New York City. We talked about photography and traveling and using film as a way to interpret the world around you.
I had a similar experience in 2018 when I acquired my first film camera while I was traveling aboard for six months. The act of documenting the world around you allows you to slow down. To watch, to observe, to be still. To create something beautiful out of reverence.
I’ve moved on from photography for the most part. I have other fulfilling creative endeavors these days, but I always image photography would find it’s way back to me when it’s meant to be.
Here’s some of my work from that time in my life:
