Daily Operation ⏪ May 2019

9/18/25

This installment is filled with gems! Looking back, I realize that both my personal and artistic life had reached a point where I had no choice but to move forward, out of my comfort zone. I’d done all I could do at that level—staying stagnant wasn’t an option if I wanted to grow. Around this time, I was about to become a father, and whether I knew it or not, my artistic practice was also reaching a pinnacle. I was starting to really understand the “gig.”

I would make one more trip to NYC after this month, but it was quick (and I didn’t capture anything noteworthy). So this was, in many ways, my last true Daily Operation: NYC for a while.

During this trip, I revisited the first neighborhoods I lived in when I returned to NYC in the fall of 2009—Bed-Stuy and Bushwick, Brooklyn. If you aren’t from New York (or around it), you might not know—or care, for that matter, lol—how being from one borough shapes your opinions of the others. I grew up in Queens and Harlem, and if you asked anyone who didn’t have family or a reason to go there, they might have told you Brooklyn was the “danger zone” in the ’90s and 2000s.

Because of that, I grew up knowing very little about Kings County. But in life, there are no coincidences. If you’re open to listening to the universe, you often end up in places you never expected—but exactly where you’re supposed to be.

I’m blessed that I had the opportunity to shift my perspective and experience life as a Brooklyn resident. My time in the borough was well spent, and it’s something I’ll always cherish. A great portion of my work comes from Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, and the surrounding areas, stretching over the Williamsburg Bridge into the L.E.S. During this trip, the weather was perfect, and I had the chance to revisit many of the spots I frequented while living there.

Sending a special shoutout to BK—thank you for the love! 💪🏽🫶🏽🫡

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Daily Operation ⏪ May 2019