This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we published "BLKBND," on the Rise of the Urban Creative, framed by the self-crafted BLK male identity, and the BND of historical brotherhood. See the full editorial here.
Then we asked each BLKBND share a piece of himself.
BLKBND 001
CONCEPTUaL DESIGNER, ART DIRECTOR
Who are you?
I'm Earry Hall. I'm from the south-side of Chicago. I grew up in a single parent home to a Queen (my Mom) and with a Princess (my little sister).
What words do you live by?
No one will pay you like you will.
Describe yourself, today, in 3 words.
Happy, Introspective, Ambitious.
Describe the man you aspire to be, 3 words.
Happy, Introspective, Ambitious
What do you fear?
Fear itself.
What are you proud of?
I'm proud of my patience and where I came from.
What are you searching for?
My greatest self.
How will you find it?
Patience with myself.
Who do you want to become?
Myself.
What do you want to accomplish?
Happiness.
What have you created in yourself, for yourself, and of yourself, to put forth in pursuit of your creative goals?
I've created the battering ram to knock down doors for myself, the tools build new ones in myself, and the circle that encourages me to run through those doors of myself.
What's a pivotal moment or opportunity—whether existential or circumstantial—that's brought you to where you are today, as a man and a creative?
When I got a huge job at a huge brand my Mom told me to remember who I am. She knew I was more than a worker bee and that confidence and wisdom still echoes in my conscious.
As a BLK male, how have you crafted the persona that you present to the world?
I've tried to consistently look at myself objectively. If I'm proud of that person I keep pushing, if I have work to do, I start doing the work. My goals depend on my ability to look at myself from a distance.
Speak to your style philosophy. What does it mean to you?
Honesty. Think about who you are and how you feel that and dress like that person.
The BLKBND is an agent of life. What code of behavior and knowledge does he/do you use to navigate the world as an agent of the black male identity?
I try to make sure that I focus on being a great human first, keeping in mind that I'm a black man is a part of that focus. I feel that the greatest thing we as black men can do for our ethnicity/culture is to be great human beings.
BLKBND also signifies a brotherhood, the bond between men who understand where they come from, and the mindful positioning of self to create success for themselves. How does that come into play in your life? What signifies success to you?
Success is happiness. However it looks, you're successful when you're happy.
site earryhall.com
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