It’s nearly 1am on a Tuesday and I’ve found myself in yet another inner tug-of-war with the clock that I will ultimately and miserably lose. Try as I might, the resetting of another day from PM to AM always brings about the ugly reality that I must, against all of my exuberance and ambitious musings, take my ass to bed. These late hours I keep come quite naturally for me, for I’ve never been one to wake with the roosters. When I was in undergrad it was never an issue, I just scheduled all my classes after 11am. But now, I have a job, and each and every night I’m required to restrain my creative energy and often alcohol-infused social outings to ensure that I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the office in the morning. I resent it, not only because it reminds me of my social status as a corporate hack, but it utterly thwarts my truest life calling of doing complete jack shit for the greater part of daylight hours. Having a 9 to 5 ultimately means that each of my creative meanders, from photography, DJ-ing, writing or just artistically laying about are all road blocked as a result of the inescapable need to make money. Granted it’s a choice I willfully make, but when my alarm goes off each morning and I haul myself out of bed after sleeping only five hours, I can’t help bemoan how much it bites to have to try and fit in my life, after 6pm.
To be honest I really can’t complain. After all, the benefit of having a steady gig is that it allows me to travel pretty regularly. My hard earned vacation days are something I’m fully committed to using, often, and having the opportunity to see the world from different perspectives has dramatically (and positively) shifted the way I move through life.  As an American, travelling abroad requires me to widen my view on how other people live on this planet.
As a black man, traveling helps let some much needed fresh air into my consciousness, relieving some of the frustration and pressure that can build up over time and is often misunderstood here at home. Make no mistake, for me traveling isn’t about frivolity or fabulousness; it’s about maintaining my sanity. It’s about restoring my sometimes fragile faith in humanity by changing the channel for a while and deliberately pushing the limits of my understanding. Through seeing my country from afar I’ve come to discover over and over again the good that lies in people and how much we can learn from those outside our borders.
Politics aside, what travel gives me most are infinite sources of inspiration and ideas which ultimately influence my art.  It doesn’t matter if I’m standing shoulder to shoulder on a packed commuter train in Tokyo, reading a book in a park in Buenos Aires, or trekking through a rainforest in Mexico, there’s no better encouragement for me to create than boarding a plane and within a matter of hours finding myself in an entirely different culture, different language and food, and being forced to figure things out. As a photographer and DJ, to be confronted with an entirely new set of sights and sounds affords me never-ending opportunities to capture diverse moments in time and interpret them through my camera and my turntables. It allows me to absorb elements of different cultures and bring them home to mash together in a collection of beats, images and words. As clichéd as it may sound, I’ve come to see travel as my classroom, the streets of foreign cities as my office. The learning I’ve gained as a result is immeasurable and the energy, excitement and late-night creativity that it helps to inspire go way beyond any amount of education or promotion. Sharing all that I’ve experienced and translating it into art is really what makes my world go round, and it’s what keeps me traveling and continually going back or more.
Byron Mason lives in the Mission District of San Francisco, California where can be found sleeping in late on most weekends. To see (and hear) what inspires him go to www.byronmason.com.

Written by Byron Mason

Where are you from?
Bergen County Teaneck, NJ

What inspires you everyday to wake up in the morning?
My children, the woman of my life and life in general wakes me up in the morning.

Why did you decide to do a ‘Fur’ collection for men and women?
I felt like the industry needed change and I had the perfect product for it. I figured that I would design something for myself and see the outcome. It worked!

What would you say is your ‘Signature’ design?
My signature designs features quality fur mixed with leather, wool, and plaids.

Who are your favorite designers? Why?
Ralph Lauren, Versace, Giorgio Armani and Hugo Boss. All of them represent class.

Who are your clients?
The public, the streets. I’m a designer to the streets.

Your mentors(s)?
My father and my brother.

How important is having a great team?
It’s very important to have a great a team. Without one, you can’t achieve your dreams or vision. Loyalty is very important to me.

What is your definition of success?
My definition of success is having a sound mind and knowing what your next move is. A successful person can make a way out of nothing because of their passion about what they believe in.

Random: If you opened your refrigerator, what is the first thing I would see?
Ginger Ale…LOL!

Follow The Fur King
www.twitter.com/thefurking

Words by Jerris Madison

Are you looking to have your dream home custom built at your leisure? Its ECO-Friendly home with high-efficiency lighting, neighbor friendly while being built, lower water consumption, Energy Star appliances and ready to move in 3-4 months; all for under $350,000 or less. Sounds good? Stillwater Dwellings can make this your reality and more.

Still Water Dwellings is a Prefab home manufacture in Seattle, Washington. Stillwater Dwellings was founded by 2 architects, and 1 builder/ex-developer on these Fundamental Beliefs:

• Quality, contemporary, prefabricated homes do not need to be expensive
• Building a new home should be fun, not stressful
• Eco-friendly building is not a luxury, it is our responsibility
• Construction costs can (and should) be predictable. Careful, thorough planning and intelligent building processes make this possible.
• Less ‘house’, more ‘home’

Stillwater Dwellings’ Brad Conway was kind enough to answer these questions:

How did you come up with the name “Stillwater Dwellings”?

We wanted a name that represented our home styles well. Our homes have always been focused on having an understated elegance about them, and we’ve always believed our homes and our company culture have a calming, serene feel about them. We felt the name Stillwater really symbolized that feeling. Our homes are different than most, and we felt our name should be as well.

Why should house buyers invest in a Prefab home?

Prefab homes are new territory for most people. It’s hard for them to grasp this seemingly new way of building home. Our belief is that prefab home gets you a number of things that a traditional site-built home cannot. The quality is exceptional. Floors and walls are built on giant steel, laser leveled tables, so they are as square and true as can be. That just doesn’t happen on-site. The home spends 100% of it’s construction cycle protected from the elements in a climate controlled facility. This means no moisture gets behind the walls, which can cause mold. This is huge if you live in wet climates.

Prefab homes also provide buyers with an exceptionally fast building cycle. We talk in terms of days and weeks, not months and years. Typically the construction schedule is one step after another, and can take almost a year. When you start a Prefab home, you begin building the home itself at the same time you install the foundation. The home is completed in the factory in about 2 weeks, and spends another week or so in quality control. We literally can have a home completed in a month. If you are financing your home, this is a huge savings, as typically you’d be paying construction interest expense throughout the entire build.

We think the value of our homes is incredible. We think our homes offer a great design, with fantastic finish packages, and a pretty great price. Lastly: predictability. With a Prefab home, you know exactly what your home is going to cost before you sign a contract and start. Gone are the days of budgets or estimates that only seem to go up as you build.

On your site, you have the verbiage: “Eco-friendly building is not a luxury, it is our responsibility”. Explain why this is important?

It’s our nature. We’ve been builders and architects for quite awhile, and have seen the waste that comes out of typical construction. It’s unbelievable. We know that prefab homes eliminate a huge amount of that waste, and that allows us all to enjoy our resources much longer. We’ve also sent the waste that goes into maintaining and operating a poorly built or overly large home. Gas, electric, and water bills are astronomical, and the maintenance on the home is awful. We designed all of our homes to be very energy efficient, and be quite low maintenance. We do this because we know that preserving those resources means they will be around for our children to enjoy, and to do the things we love to do.

What separates you from the growing number up Prefab home builders each year?

It seems like every new Prefab company is named after a color or one of architect partners in the firm. Often it also seems like they are very expensive, with wildly modern designs. We launched Stillwater Dwellings under the premise that Prefab home market was only being served on two ends of the spectrum: very entry level, low quality mobile homes, or very high end homes that we’re really custom homes and that only the elite could afford. We also felt that most other Prefab homes were aggressively modern, and only appealed to a small, finite market. Our home designs really serve that middle-ground.a very high level of architectural design, with tons of great finishes and features, but at a price point that is realistic to most people. I think we’re also quite easy to work with. We’re genuinely excited to help people with their home, and really get excited about their project.

We also have a truly unique line of homes that no one else has: a ‘design-your-own’ Prefab line. Our sd-i series of homes includes 34 pre-designed Living, Bedroom, and Connector modules that fit together with
a universal connector. It’s as easy as A-B-C: start with your favorite Living Module (A.). Add a Connector Module (B), then complete your design by attaching your desired Bedroom Module (C). Its as easy as that! Each module is designed with a universal connector location so they all fit together. You can arrange them in any A-B-C combination you want. This allows our customers to design and build a custom home, without the huge costs typically associated with a custom home. With this line, the client truly gets to be the architect.

What are some to the misconceptions of Prefab homes?

Everyone always says, ‘so, it’s like a mobile home?” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Prefab homes are built to exactly the same code (the International Residential Code or IRC) as a site-built, stick-framed home, not the HUD code used for mobile or manufactured homes. So, walls are usually 2×6 wood, floors built using trusses, and the insulation is extensive. The reality is that if you walk into a Prefab home, you most likely would think it was built on-site.

Another common misconception is cost. We do believe the price points of our Stillwater homes are the best value in the market. However, a lot of our competitors price their home well into the $200/square foot range, which in our opinion is hardly affordable for most people. We think our prices fit much better into the mass market, but it really is the whole package that makes it attractive: quality, time, and cost.

Why should home buyers purchase a Prefab home from Stillwater Dwellings?

Without question our designs and overall value. We think we’ve come up with floor plans that really ‘work’, and are designed for real living, not just a magazine cover. They are contemporary, but not too modern. Our finishes are outstanding, and we think we include a lot of high end finishes and features that you would normally pay top dollar for. Couple this with our great price points, and we really think we have the best value in a Prefab home.

If someone is interested in purchasing a Prefab home, what things should they make note of before purchasing?

Their lot and site situation is key. A pretty large truck carrying 95% of your home needs to make it down your driveway. The truck drivers are amazing, but it has to be realistic.

Buyers should also plan to be very decisive, and plan well ahead. Unlike a custom home, we decide every single finish and feature before we ever sign a contract. The nice thing is you know exactly what your home will cost before you sign an agreement or start.

Before we get really serious with clients, we help them make sure a Prefab home will work on their specific lot and location. We ask for a lot of digital photos, and a site plan.

What are the final step before closing?

Right after we ‘install’ a home, we begin the final detailing and button up of the home. In multi-module homes, we typically install the hardwood flooring, carpets, and appliances onsite, to avoid any damage during transportation. After that, we send a crew in that completely details the home: drywall & paint touch-ups, final door and cabinet adjustments, and a thorough home cleaning. This usually takes about 2-3 weeks. After that, we just ask for an invite to the first cocktail or wine party. This is it.

For more information about Stillwater Dwellings, please visit: www.stillwaterdwellings.com

Mateo De La Harris is a Jamaican born, New Yorker, who understands quality and detail. His collection of fine and unique jewelry (art) is designed for the man (women too) who want something different and not too trendy. Each piece is carefully designed with its own personality. What’s impressive about this collection is the use of varies stones, metals and the exquisite architecture.

“Having no formal training and experience in jewelry making, I have the relentless ability to create art (jewelry) can only be described as ‘A Gift of GOD’. I have created Mateo Bijoux as an expression of the beauty I see everyday and a deep held desire to share this beauty to all whom I love.” says Mateo.

Whether you’re a high profile person or just appreciate great art in jewelry form, Mateo Bijoux’s collection fit you. This is reinvention.

www.mateobijoux.com

Choreography: The art of symbolically representing dancing.

Atlanta native CiCi Kelley understands that hard work and determination are the keys to longevity in an industry that is very demanding both mentally and physically.

When music lovers see their favorite recording artists do choreographed moves, dances or routines, CiCi is the brain behind-the-scenes who helps propel artists to the next level in entertainment. Her clients achieve memorable performances that reflects the emotions associated with the song. She has had the privilege to work with Beyonce, Tina Turner, Outkast, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Farnsworth Bentley, Musiq, Tyler Perry and A Tribe
Called Quest, just to name a few.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with CiCi Kelley to discuss her career in choreography from where it all began to the tremendous amount of success she now experiences.

To many you are known as CiCi, what is that short for?
Yes, CiCi is short for Cicely.

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. I’m a “Georgia Peach” through and through.

Where did you train to dance and why in that city?
I was trained in Atlanta by some of the most amazing teachers and professionals in the industry. I had old school training. My teachers demanded a lot from me, especially when they noticed my drive and talent. I then continued my training in Philadelphia at the University of the Arts. That school, along with the city itself, truly perfected my craft and exposed me to so many different genres of dance. Philly also helped to develop me as choreographer as well.

What do you love about dancing?
What I love about dancing is the fact that it gives me the space to be free. I can channel all of my emotions through my craft. When I’m feeling bad and can not figure out the words to express myself, I do it through dance. It’s truly remarkable when someone can understand your emotions through your movements. Dance is a beautiful, universal language.

How long have you been in the entertainment industry?
I have been in entertainment industry for a little over ten years now. I started as a freshman in high school. My first big break was when I was 16 and got the opportunity to dance for Tina Turner at the Super Bowl. The “bug” bit me hard after that!

Where can we view your body of work?
My work can actually be viewed on my website www.cicikelley.com. Currently, I have two ‘MADE’ shows running on MTV, and of course you can watch the music videos I’ve worked on anytime. YouTube!

What inspires you to stay focused on your goals?
My inspiration comes from various aspects of my life. I’ve learned that I go through phases within my actual artistry. For example, currently, everything I choreograph, I want it to be from a more emotional standpoint. I’m not using too many steps, just simple movements that are true to the intended emotion. I also like telling stories with my creations. To me, it keeps the choreography fresh, and makes it mean so much more.

When you are having a not-so-good day, what do you do?
When I have one of “those” days I really like to go into a big open space, turn on any music that relates to my mood and lie down in the middle of the floor with the music blasting. I don’t know why, but it helps to center me and bring me back to one.

Are you single, married or dating? If single, is this by choice and why?
I am dating someone that I truly care about. We are both extremely goal oriented so it helps because we really push one another to succeed. It also helps that he is not in my industry and does something totally opposite. It gives me a sense of balance in this fickle environment called dance, LOL.

What’s next for you?
Same thing I do every night, try to take over the world!” No, I’m just kidding. I have noticed within this year that I have a strong desire to produce. I own a production company, CK Productions, LLC. I use this company as an outlet to materialize all of the ideas I have in my busy little head. I truly enjoy watching my thoughts transform into realities, so I wanted to share that with others and give back to the community as well. This year we held our 2nd annual choreographer’s showcase entitled, “Phazes of Love”. The showcase is major platform for both the noticed and unnoticed choreographer and is also a benefit for charity. This year proceeds went to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America as well as Project Success of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. We gave $2000.00 in donations this year and hope to give even more next year!

Name 5 Things you are grateful for?
I am grateful for having favor from God, humility, my lovely, irreplaceable parents, wonderful support systems within my management, Warren Thomas and Aris Golemi and passion.

What are some pointers for dancers wanting to break into the industry?
Some pointers I always give to dancers trying to break through are: Get into as many classes as you can, learn all genres of dance and never stop yearning for growth.

What is your favorite style of dance?
My favorite dance style has a tendency to change depending on my mood. In no particular order jazz, hip-hop and contemporary are all at the top of my list.

What is your favorite quote you live by?
“Those who dance are considered stupid by those who cannot hear the music” -The Late George Carlin.

Story by Omari J. Faulkner
Photography by Jerris Madison for www.jerrismadison.com