I’m dubbing September the month for the creatives cause geez the list of things happening encourages you, damn near forces you, to tap into your “right brain.” (That’s scientifically regarded as the creative side. I had to look it up; shrugs.) Here’s a quick list:
-Soft end of music festival season (There are always one or two major ones left – DAY IN VEGAS ANYONE?) – for the Sonically Creative
-Pools are OFFICIALLY CLOSED (Not in California or Florida) – for the aquatically creative
-Fall Starts September 23, 2019 (Northern Hemisphere) – for the thermally creative
-Fashion Week was September 6th-14th – for the fashionably creative
With all of this on the docket, it’s only right we focus on creatives too, say it with me, because the Wkender encourages the Millennial Creative!
Our Wkender Feature for the month of September is Mr. Johnny Self. There’s a simple reason we titled this post “Dream Chaser”,
and I think it’ll be much more apparent once you have context for the legend that is Mr. Self!
He hails from a town about 60 miles north of Atlanta called Adairsville, but I assure you the size of the town has never had an impact on the size of the dream! I’m gonna say something that you may never hear again… it all started with a bird feeder!
“When I was a kid I would play around with my mom’s old film camera. I would sit on my great grandmother’s porch trying to take pictures of the hummingbirds when they would drink from the bird feeder.” Little did he know, this would be a defining moment in his life. You see, Johnny stepped away from the camera for quite a while (like a decade seriously). Then in 2012, he started shooting again and very quickly found himself booked and busy. He was shooting everything from college campus events to ATL nightlife, pretty dope hustle for a college student. Then the flood gates opened… He landed a gig shooting for 2Chainz on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Tour.
What I appreciate about Johnny is this, one summer he’s a college kid on tour with some of the biggest musical artists in the rap game, and next semester he’s back to school and still 100% himself, maybe a little wiser. Then, he took that opportunity and spun it into a calling card for his career. As a result, he has moved to NYC, co-directed campaigns for Footlocker, and currently designs for MIRROR (@getthemirror). His latest project is a clothing line that focuses on Self Love (@self.supply), and I’m banking on it to success as much as its founder!
Simply put, Johnny doesn’t believe in putting boundaries on your dreams. “Don’t let your current situation dictate your future. It may seem impossible now, but once you accomplish it, it’ll make for a good chapter in your story. Have goals, and check them off at your own pace.” Wise words from a decent man – word to Champagne Papi!
In all of our time doing this, we have had quite a few features say, “Hey I’m not a model so tell me what to do, or I’m not photogenic.” I promise we have heard just about everything. Then there was Johnny lol. Not only did he come out the gate saying, “I don’t do, in front of the camera!” (needless to say we convinced him otherwise) but he
also said this, “I don’t know much about fashion. Style, on the other hand, is something that allows me to express who I am with how I wear my clothes.”
I agree that FASHION and STYLE are two different things, but one cannot exist without the other, and contrary to his believe… Since I’ve known him, he’s at least has an awareness of both.
This look is Hypebeast meets Skater, which is perfect for the streets of NYC. He’s carrying 59mm wheels on a Supreme deck studded with stickers from up and down the East Coast. Easy day in the all red Nike Huaraches (in my best Gary Rogers voice). The olive look is great for pairing, and you know you’re in NYC because the Yankee’s ball cap goes with everything lol (literally, bathrobe and a ball cap – deadass).
We can all hope to be as renown in our fields and have clients all over the world drop comments like these: “Johnny Self is a creative genius. His photographic eye and charismatic personality makes him the highly sought-after industry professional everyone wants to work with. Every project is perfection when working with Johnny Self.”
Johnny, thank you for being a shining example of millennials on the grind. It is an honor and a privilege to feature you and booking info is in his bio! Now let the chuuch say amen!
To A Life Worth Living,
THe Wkender
And the church said aaaammmmeeeennn
Go jself go
Coolest person i know