Content warning: This episode contains a brief mention of suicidal ideation (it is not discussed in detail). Please take care while listening.

In this special crossover episode, Magnus Champlin of the Mind of Magnus podcast joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a fun, collaborative interview with photographer Adam Eaton! We discuss the healing power of creativity, Adam's gift for seeing the beauty in others and hearing their stories, and how vital community is. We also chat about getting to know Rochester, the importance of funding the arts, and Adam's new photography book, Black is Beautiful.

Links:

1. You can buy Black is Beautiful here.
2. Adam's website & Instagram.
3. Emily's website & Instagram.
4. Listen to the Mind of Magnus podcast.
5. Magnus's work & Instagram.

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Behind the Glass

Behind the Glass Gallery podcast is a monthly talk with the current month's BTG Roster. Artists are interviewed about their submissions and we dive deep into their process, inspiration and thought process centralized around their artwork in the Behind the Glass Gallery located in the heart of Downtown Rochester NY.

Common Thread

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I used to have a lot of negative views about Rochester, especially before I started my art journey. But I think that was only because I didn't know the people that live and work in Rochester.

I really believe that Rochester has some of the most beautiful people, some of the most kind people, people that really want to help you.

Hello and welcome to It's A Lot, a podcast about things that are a lot. On this show we have honest conversations about the highs and lows of social media, parenthood and more. When it comes to complex topics, online discourse can lack nuance, empathy. That's why we're leaning into deep conversations, making space for conflicting, messy feelings and keeping it real about how we feel.

We could all use a little more of that sometimes. I'm your host, Emily Hessney Lynch and this is a fun crossover episode. For the first time ever, I have a co host joining me.

He is the host of Mind of Magnus and if you know him IRL, you know he's big on kindness and building community. And I'm really happy you're here today, Magnus.

Oh, I'm honored to be here.

And we're also excited to be chatting with Adam Eaton tonight.

I love that in the AI era especially. His first photography book, Black is Beautiful is out now. I've got a copy in front of me and we're going to talk all about that tonight.

You'll find a link to that in the show notes. I can't wait to learn more about all of that. Welcome to the show, Adam.

Thank you for having me.

I'm really looking forward to talking more. Just for starters, I want to hear about your career as a fine art photographer.

I actually said to myself, like, I think creativity is going to be the way that I can beat this depression. So I took a course.

I wanted to take a course at Flower City Arts for ceramics, but instead, because the ceramic course was sold out, I took the photography course. And so that started my journey of learning photography.

Very cool. Did you ever get to try ceramics later on or are you just stuck with photography once you found it?

That's actually my next goal. So starting this spring, I want to finally learn ceramics.

Nice. I know depression really gets its hooks in people. So has it really helped you combat depression long term or does it kind of ebb and flow for you?

I really believe that creativity and art has transformed my life. I believe that everyone should have a creative practice because it helps with mental emotional health.

And it definitely has changed my life for the better.

Did you have much of a creative practice before you started photography?

So I guess younger. I used to draw like cartoons in a sketchbook, those type of things. And then throughout high school I did like music. I went to Penfield High School.

So they're very big on arts and culture and so I did music. They had like studio art. They actually had a photography course while I was in high school. But after high school it's difficult. It was more difficult to like have a regular practice.

It's always difficult after high school and school. That's definitely one of those things that's. You don't realize as a child with the opportunities you have being in schools and all those classes to it. So it's definitely. That's what's amazing.

You found the Flower City Art Group that's they do a lot for a lot of people here for bringing out the creative aspects and that.

So yes, for sure. I really believe that Flower City Arts is a gem in Rochester and very helpful for just people who want to learn about art and culture and have be able to find the practice in art that they like and experiment and try new things.

And I really, I really believe that people should have a creative practice and Flower City Arts is a good place to start and they have lots of different arts that you can try and build and grow and just be a creative person there.

I love that. It's a nice way to dip your toe in without a huge commitment either.

True. I really believe all cities need stuff like that. And I think Rochester has a good amount of arts and culture and arts organizations.

But we definitely need more and I think people need to know more about what's available in the arts world in Rochester because it's so hopeful.

Before I like took these photography class at Flower City Arts, I really didn't know that Rochester had such a thriving community of the arts and so many artists live and work here. And I really believe that it's important that the city really promotes the arts in our community.

Fingers crossed. Always hope for the best, right?

Yes.

So what are some of your favorite kinds of photography to shoot or what makes a photo shoot enjoyable?

So when I was learning photography. I first started with my iPhone, and so because it's free, I would go outside and do sunsets or scenery or trees, those type of things. But I learned that that really wasn't fulfilling my, like, creative itch, I guess so. And then I started taking photos of people. And so I think.

I believe that portraits really are what really brought me closer to the art of photography and to learn about lighting and just to learn about people's stories and be connected to the community.

Was there a person, like, evolving from. I mean, beauty of flowers and sunsets, that definitely hit you, but is there a person or a moment that, like.

Or just over a course of these photographs of taking pictures, you like it more? Or was there a moment where it hit you, like, that was fun? I want to do that again. Is there a person in your mind that holds that spot for you?

I always had, like. I think it's a gift, the idea that you can see the beauty in people.

And, like, you know, how you just walking down the street and you're like, oh, this person, Their eyes are, like, hazel, or they have good bone structure. Those type of things. Like, I've always noticed those type of things about people. And one time I was in the East View mall and the Verizon store,

the most beautiful place in the world!

Can't have it.

Makes me cry.

Yes. One of the clerks at the Verizon store, I was like, you have, like, a great face. Like, I'm. I've just started learning photography. Maybe I could take your photo. And he was my very first model. His name was Walter.

I think that's where the idea of, like, connecting with people and understanding lighting and wanting to, like, pursue the idea of being creative and continue learning about photography. Like, the connection with people, I really believe, is what helped me as well, to continue to grow my creativity.

Very cool. Do you have, like, a lot of conversation then when you're photographing someone, or is it quiet or how does it usually play out?

It's actually mostly talking.

Yeah.

I really love learning about people and their stories and learning about, like, their life.

So one of the questions I ask people, like, tell me about you, and I just say, like, start from the beginning, you know, like, I want to know about people and their families, and that's really how the book Black is Beautiful came about. So the model on the cover her name is Awaldu.

She was telling me during the photo shoot about how a lot of people when she was growing up would say that her skin is black and dark and I said to her, black is beautiful. And so that's like, how the idea of black is beautiful started from that conversation, saying to her that black is beautiful, your skin is beautiful.

Dark. Dark skin is not a bad thing, even though she had heard that all throughout her life.

From that moment, I wanted to, like, use my photography and my creativity to change those ideas.

That's amazing. I love that there's so, so much discussion now. I feel like that maybe wasn't being had or wasn't being had in the mainstream before.

Like, I read a ton, and a lot of people are having discussions about how authors describe skin color, because some white authors will be like, the girl had muddy skin. And it's like, why are you. Why are you saying muddy? Like, that's not the best adjective choice.

So people are just having a lot of discourse about what is going to sound kind of like it has a negative connotation that you should avoid and things that you can use to show, like, the rich vibrance and depth and things that are positive and not making it sound bad.

True. I really believe that I'm trying to use my art as a way to change those cultural, like, ideas about what black skin is and what dark skin means.

I really believe that dark skin is beautiful, that it photographs beautiful. That is actually, for me, easier to photograph dark skin because I love using lots of light.

And so just because of the culture that we have in America that's filled with, like, racism and discrimination, a lot of people with dark skin feel that they're not beautiful and that they're not worthy of being photographed or having the spotlight, you know, So I really want to use my art to be a highlight of the beauty of dark skin.

And you do remarkable. Well, the book, looking at it, your ability to take the highlights are so great. Like, the lighting on photography can make or break.

And you really have done well of capturing just the skin tone, but also the shape and curves and the natural form of each individual person. Just flipping through it. Everything is such a unique thing. There's not a uniformity across everyone. They're all so distinctly unique.

Thank you. I like to say that I'm still practicing, I'm still a new artist in my mind. I'm still learning, I'm still growing.

And so it's just been like, a labor of love to continue to, like, grow my photography. Learn about lighting. Learn about all the things that creativity can bring to your life.

I'm glad, Magnus, you have the art words, because I was like, "it's pretty!"

Gorgeous. I want to go into the whole thing. The book's phenomenal. You laid it out too, right. You were talking about this.

You were actually the graphic designer as well as the photographer for this layout.

True. I also had help from Marco Fousiek. He's helped me to, like, do the template for, like, printing and the sizing of the book and all that. But the layout is I chose each photo and where it goes on each page and how it's designed. So that took a long. A long time.

Yeah.

Ask how many variations. Like, there's never. Every time I design any sort of books or think this, there's so many, like, going through. Did you revisit this book multiple times? You know, moving people around to get the right kind of flow where the eyes are. What. What made you feel that this. This layout is the final layout?

What was the. The connections you feel like there's a step through that you did there?

This is actually not the final layout. So this layout is only because the. The first printer I had can only do maximum of 200 pages. But the final book, a hardcover, will be 300 pages.

Oh, wow.

That's amazing.

So that. And to me, I think the book will always be evolving. I actually want to, over time, add photos to the book.

I'm actually going to be doing a photo shoot in the next couple weeks with a family, and they'll be like, the first family in the book will be the mom, dad, and then five kids. So I want to expand the book over time, have it grow. So this is actually not the final form. So it's going to be 300 pages, maybe 400 pages.

Wow.

And it'll keep growing over time.

And hardcover, too. That's going to be amazing.

Yeah, it's very heavy too, as well.

I could even see, like, a children's book variation or something, because my son loves reading books with real photos in addition to, like, illustrated ones. And just seeing a black is beautiful children's book would be really neat.

I would like that. Yes.

I also wanted to ask you, since we were talking about lighting, there was something I remembered from a few years ago with Annie Leibovitz photographing Simone Biles. And the Internet just blew up over it because she did such a terrible job and made Simone look awful. Do you remember that?

I do believe that art is subjective. I wouldn't say that Annie Leibowitz did a terrible job, but I definitely noticed in those images where it could have been better for her dark skin.

Simone Biles. Simone Biles is actually very beautiful.

And some of the choices that were used for that lighting I may not have used or would have changed potentially. I do believe Annie Leibowitz is amazingly talented.

And sometimes, like, just because you're like a really talented artist, sometimes it doesn't always turn out the way you would hope.

Sure. For any photographers who are photographing black folks and might not have much experience. Do you have any tips for how to light black people?

I would say use lots of light. So the more light the better. Because dark skin absorbs light. You actually need a lot of light.

And a lot of times when you're, I think with artists that work more with lighter skinned people, you can't use a lot of light or you can't have the light too bright because light skin actually bounces light. I think you have to think differently when you're lighting dark skin and you can actually use more and more light than you maybe would think.

That's interesting. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Yeah.

It's definitely been a discussion of dealing with photography. Like you're talking about originally doing like iPhones and phones that way.

Technology is finally catching up with some of the optics because for many years it was tough to have a photo of you of dark skin. Like some of the first early iPhones. It was horrible.

I know friends of mine who getting into photography were struggling a lot doing entry level cameras were unfortunately not great as they got more digital. It's getting better and better now. So as your process, what's the technology you've been using? You said you did iPhones before.

Have you figured out new techs to use or different cameras?

So after I was using my iPhone, iPhone 11 for a little bit, I actually posted on Facebook to the community, like, I want to grow my art. I want to learn how to use an actual professional camera. Does anyone have a camera they can donate or have anything?

Like, they would let me to borrow those ideas. And so someone messaged me on, on Facebook and they said, like, I will donate the funds actually for you to get a camera.

Oh, wow.

And so from that, that donation, I was able to get my professional camera that I use currently. It's an Olympus camera.

That's amazing. Truly what patrons do to make art happen. That donation, we have a book in our hands right now looking at amazing artwork because of someone putting their funds where they can. That's Wonderful.

Without the community of Rochester, I would not have been able to grow. I would not have been able to. That's how I got my studio space.

Someone allowed me to use their studio space and share with them when I first needed a space space. Scott Hamilton was like my mentor in the early years, helping me with lighting.

And I really am grateful to the community for allowing me to be able to, like, be a part of their lives and for them to help me to grow and to be mentors to me, because I would not have been able to do it without the support of a strong community.

I'm all for that. Yeah, the city's phenomenal. The community just. It's one of the best things about the city, I swear.

I really believe that Rochester has some of the most beautiful people, some of the most kind people, people that really want to help you.

And not everyone necessarily feels that way, but I really do believe that if you find the right people and start letting yourself be open to the idea of making friends and connecting with people, you can find the community here in Rochester to be able to support you.

Rochester is such a great small city for artists. Like, we're saying, like, it's so scrappy. I think. I think that's why people end up sharing things and helping each other because there's.

There's not a ton to go around, so we all have to help each other and Rising tide lifts all boats and all that.

There's actually a big spirit of, like, people coming together, people helping each other, people wanting to, like, share resources. So it's important for artists to connect.

I'm curious. You have done some creative directing too, right?

So I want to hear about, like, how that's different from the fine art work you do and like, what goes into doing creative direction for agencies and stuff.

Yeah. So I worked with agency Dixon and Schwabel for a campaign with ESL Federal Credit Union. That's been a few years ago.

And that came about all through just the idea of community as well, like posting on social media. I was able to connect with creative director from Dixon and Schwabel for their new campaign.

And they wanted to use more diverse clientele in their photography. And so they saw my work and was interested in how I like, photograph black people.

And so the idea of, like, creative direction is I actually like the idea of having like, multiple forms of art and multiple mediums of art. I really do believe that a lot of artists are not just proficient or talented in one form of art.

Most creative people are good at lots of different things.

A lot of times people want you to maybe focus on one thing or and I guess in the world we live in a consumerism type of world, you maybe need to focus to be able to make money. But I really do believe that. Me for sure. I have so many different creative talents. So I love like creative direction.

I love doing even like during photo shoots. You like doing fashion styling and like sometimes like hair styling. Those ideas. So with photography I've been able to use lots of different mediums of creativity.

Very cool. It sounds like it really keeps you engaged in a lot of different ways.

Yes. Sometimes just focusing on one thing all the time can become tedious.

So I like that photography allows me to do different things and use different parts of my brain and use different creative mediums.

So you mentioned kind of social media and stuff here. This town's got a lot of creative folks in here. When working with social media, did you share out all these photos I see here or did you keep them for your book? Did you share them out? When you have good photography, how do you treat good photographs?

Do you hold them like you're or do you want to get them out there as much as you can?

I actually use social media very much like it's a big part of I think my growth as an artist and I really believe that all artists should use it to its full so I normally post photos every day especially in the stories on Instagram. So a lot of the photos from the book have been posted on social media in stories or in like permanent posts on my feed.

So it's definitely been like a journey of the creativity and making sure that I like show my work from the very beginning days and also to most recent as well.

That's awesome. I've been very impressed by this. Do you feel that you get out of curiosity? This is more of a social media question.

But when you post the images versus stories, do you feel that you have more traction on either one? I'm just generally curious on how social media is working now. I like hearing artists take on stuff

I would say based on the platforms and based on our location. So Rochester is Very big on Facebook. So I actually get more engagement when I post on Facebook, especially from local people.

That's how I got the connection with Dixon and Schwabel, the ESL campaign. They saw my work on Facebook. Instagram I think is more for like becoming maybe nationally known international, those ideas.

But if I think if you're a local artist and you want to like have your work be successful in your local hometown idea, Facebook is the place to go. Because a lot of people that are looking for like looking for artists that are in that demographic use Facebook.

Is that a personal page or a business page? I'm curious.

It's a personal page, yes. On Facebook.

So it's having friends, not having people follow a business page.

Exactly. Actually Facebook, they rank the personal page differently than the business page.

I think Facebook is like, they lean towards having your like personal page and your friends and your followers those ideas more than they would promote business page, I believe.

It's pretty hard to get engagement on a business page if you're not paying for sponsored ads.

Yes, for sure.

So and then campaigns like the Dixon and Schwabel working with larger organizations have been able to help me to fund my career.

I really sometimes feel guilty for the idea of like there's so many artists in Rochester that want to be seen and want to be known and want to be heard. And sometimes I think artists feel that like why are you selected over me?

And I understand that idea like the idea of like why are some people able to maybe become a full time artist and people like their work and they have like thousands of social media followers and people like their work. But other artists that are working just as hard, they feel that they're not getting the attention that maybe they deserve or that they want.

So sometimes I do feel guilty about those, those ideas like why am I able to be successful when other local artists that are just as talented are not able to maybe have the same success or have the same attention. So I think about those ideas a lot.

So when that hits you, though, what's your. How do you deal with that feeling? Do you, like, what's the next step?

Is there something that you reach out to people, talk, or what's the next step when you are felt with those feelings?

I wasn't doing photography at all to, like, become an artist or to, like, get attention. It was just a creative practice. But it seemed like people liked it. You know, people really gravitated towards it. So those feelings started early on.

Like, the idea of, like, well, why do people like my work when my friend who is an artist, they've been doing this for, I don't know, five, six years already before me, and they're not getting the same attention.

And so, along with my, like, personal art journey, I also started, like, a community art journey, like, connecting with local artists, trying to find the resources, find grants, find connection with organizations in Rochester that can help artists to grow. And it brings me to my advocacy work that I've been doing. So I'm always advocating that artists have the funding that they need.

Talking to local leaders. I've talked to, like, Jeremy Cooney, mayor lovely, when she was the mayor, but now Malik Evans, now that he's the mayor.

And I really want to advocate for the arts community in Rochester because it has been such an integral part in my life and has transformed my life. And I really believe that local artists can transform Rochester if given the funds and resources that they need.

So I really want to advocate for the arts in our community and making sure that it grows and that artists can have the things that they need to be able to be successful.

I don't think you'll hear anyone disagree with you in this room. Of course we need more funding for the arts. I'm curious, like, what has helped make you, like, uniquely successful, though?

If it's, like, you're clearly very good at marketing and PR and you're able to speak about your art very well, you've, like, built a lot of relationships. Are those the things that have helped in terms of, like, actually being able to be established or is it something else?

I think you're exactly right. The idea of, like, connecting with people, being kind to people, and the idea of, like, making sure that you're giving as much as you're maybe receiving.

I actually, I think sometimes I. I try to give more than I would receive, like, so making sure that people have the things they need in the community.

I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses, so I studied the Bible, and there's a quote in the Bible, like, the more you give, the more you will receive those ideas. I really try to give my best and try to help people and be kind and pleasant when you're talking to people and give your gifts as freely as possible.

And I really believe that those blessings come back to you. The kinder you are to people, the more loving you are, the more that you try to help others and assist.

People really want to help, and people really are kind.

And I think maybe some artists, a lot of times, like, they resist those ideas or maybe they have, like, trauma that has happened in their life or things that are negative interactions with people. Like, I wouldn't say that I have had no negative interactions with people or connecting with the community, but I really believe that if you.

If you keep going and you keep connecting and you keep trying to find the people that really want to support you and help you, you can be successful.

I think putting yourself out there is really hard for a lot of people. But even just thinking of you asking for a camera to be donated, like, that was the start of your journey. And people. Someone said yes and donated.

I really believe that me not wanting to be depressed and not wanting to feel like the sadness that I was feeling before I started creativity really is, like, motivated me to, like, whatever I have to do, whatever I need to do to be creative, whatever I need to. Because creativity really, like, started to, like, change me and, like, heal me those feelings. And so I said that I can't go back.

I can't go back to what I was feeling before. I can't go back to being depressed, being suicidal. I have to continue to make creativity a major part of my life.

And so I think I let go of any fear, any fear of, like, connecting with people, asking for help, asking people to support you, whatever I needed to make sure that creativity was number one or a major part of my life, I pushed past all the fear to do that.

Actually, I want to take a step back. You mentioned you said Jehovah's Witness, right?

Yes.

That's an interesting sort of, like, intersection there, having art and Jehovah's Witness. Question for that one.

As my great grandmother and grandmother were Jehovah's Witness, so I'm pulling from a bit of them when asking this question, but does your faith, having that sort of faith, was there any sort of limitation to your artistic creations now? Has there been tension because of that, your past to the creative desire you have now?

So Jehovah's Witnesses are very creative people in general. Like, I think all humans in general have, like, the idea of creativity. We believe that Jehovah God in the Bible created the earth, all humans, animals, trees.

And so the idea for me is that if God is a creator and he created all things, then that means that I need to also be a creator or that it's important for me to create. And so the way I'm able to create is through art. It's just the medium that I chose is photography.

So those ideas, I think, has helped me to be able to grow in creativity because I believe that God is the creator of the earth and He's a creative God. And so the humans that he created also need to be able to create, to feel whole.

That's awesome. So you seeing the black is beautiful. You're seeing that that creation should be on display as well.

So you're showcasing the beauty of that creation through your creation in your eyes?

Yes. I believe that God's greatest creations are human beings and that human beings are the most beautiful of all the creations.

So my goal is to be able to make sure that people feel beautiful and that they feel human and that they feel that they're connected to one another and that they feel loved the way that God would want them to feel.

Nice.

That's a lovely concept. Thank you for asking that, Magnus.

Let's take a quick break, and we'll keep going just after that.

So I'm curious to learn a little bit more about the book. How did you curate the photos when you've taken so many images over the course of your career?

So I've taken about 100,000 photos. So choosing the photos for the book and paring that down to 200 for the first run of the book was very difficult.

It took me a few months to be able to do it. But I wanted to include as many models that over. Over the course of the past five to six years that I've been working on the book.

So that played a big part of it. Picking the photos, making sure that I had as many people represented as many, like skin tones and skin colors, from the lightest to the darkest.

So that was a big part of it. So that's why I actually want the final version of the book to be 300 pages or more.

Are there any particular photo shoots or models or moments that were some of your favorites from the process?

So the cover shoot with Awaldu, she actually like started the idea of Black is beautiful. So that was very important. And then just some. All of the photo shoots really have been impactful to my life.

The idea of like meeting people and learning about their lives and learning about their families have been impactful to me. Like it has helped me to grow and to learn about people and community and just understanding Rochester better.

I used to have a lot of negative views about Rochester, especially before I started my art journey. But I think that was only because I didn't know the people that live and work in Rochester.

The idea of like the people that have been here their whole lives and have been through a lot of like trouble and trials and tribulations and those ideas and trauma, I think a lot of times those feelings do come through in like the city, especially in like the black community.

But through the book and through the this project of Black is Beautiful, I've been able to really like learn about people, learn about their life, learn that people have gone through a lot and that they're human and that they've made mistakes, but they also have really good hearts and people just want to like grow and get better and to be loved.

So it's important for me to have done this project, I think, and to be able to really learn about my community and to be loving to Rochester and understanding.

That's great. I think that's so cool. Would you ever want to try to get your book put in the library so more like humans of Rochester can access it?

That's the goal. So I'm working with an organization for the next print run. It's called Book Baby.

And so they said that they can help me to be able to get my book into Ingram, which libraries use to order their books. So I'm learning about the self publishing world and how difficult it is and how expensive it is. And so there's all these like different systems.

You have to get the book in. You need an ISBN number, you need to work with like different distributors and libraries use a certain system for ordering their books.

So it's been a, it's been a journey for sure learning about the self publishing world.

That sounds like a lot to learn.

Yes.

So I'm curious, we talked a little bit about social media already, but do you enjoy posting on social media for the most part or is it more of a drag? Like how do you approach it and feel about it?

I try to force myself to enjoy social media only because I understand how much it is very helpful to being an artist.

If you're an artist and you want to be known, if you want to make art your career, I really believe that social media is essential to that currently in the media landscape that we live now. So I always tell people that if I didn't have a business of art, if I didn't make art my like livelihood, I probably wouldn't use social media.

But because it's so integral to my like day to day life and my business, I have to use social media. So I've grown to accept it or like it. Some days I love it, but it depends.

What makes you love it on those days?

You know, like if a post gets lots of views or lots of attentions or lots of comments and likes, it does give you like a dopamine rush. It does make you feel really good. Like I don't know, a thousand people like this image and it makes you feel really good.

So those are the days I love social media the most.

Yeah, I had a post go up today about the podcast episode I published today and it is totally flopping. And I'm like, why? Why does no one like this post?

I work so hard on it, you know, the algorithm feels so fickle sometimes and you know it's a good post no matter what if you put effort into it. But it still sucks when you don't get the reach you want.

And true, it's difficult when social media is like so based on like an algorithm, it's not.

So that's why I really like to tell artists that it's not about like your talent or your ability that social media, a lot of times people call it like a game. The more you use it or the more you play the game, you'll get better at it.

And it has nothing to do a lot of times really with your talent or ability.

Is there anything in particular that's working well on social media lately? I know you've grown a pretty good following with your own account and the Rochester Artists Collaborative.

I'm actually starting to use reels more and starting to learn about the trends of like video creation and what works for other creators. I'm trying to tailor it to my style of art and like what I feel most comfortable with.

I really don't like to be on camera, but I'm learning to like maybe show myself on camera more. That does help. People like to not just see your art, but they actually like to know the artist behind the art.

So it's a difficult thing, but I'm trying to learn and grow and like how to use video content and reels and show your face and talk on camera. It's a journey for sure.

Is there any content you see from other artists that you get inspiration from?

I actually like a lot of the fitness. A lot of fitness content is actually very entertaining, those ideas. And there's a lot of comedians on social media. So my algorithm is everywhere.

Someone told me that people want to hear your story.

So those ideas, like making sure that I like tell my story and let people know who I am, not just the art I create, but like the person behind the art.

And you seem to do so with a sincere sense of authenticity, which I have to say, which I like a lot because a lot of people I've seen really are trying too hard and that just kind of falls flat. So your stuff, how do you keep your authenticity in today's world where everyone is really trying too hard?

I really believe that goes back to the my idea of faith. Like, because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I basically study the Bible. We study the Bible weekly.

Like we have our regular Bible study meetings. Really the Bible is all about like trying to be the best person you can be. That's my opinion of it. So.

So by using the Bible, making sure that I'm like being kind, being your authentic self, not having ulterior motives, those ideas, it really helps me to stay grounded and to stay present and to make sure that I'm like not doing anything for my own personal gain. But like I'm trying to use my talent and ability to help others. So my Bible based education is really a big part of that.

Making sure that I always use my talent and whatever skill I have to help others.

And so I see even the idea of like being on a podcasting interview, like if I can spread the message of my book Black is beautiful, help people to feel better about themselves and not feel like they're othered in the world that we live in, I think that means I'm doing a Good job.

Seems to be doing good so far. I'm loving it.

Thank you.

Oh, your brother is, like, kind of Rochester famous too, Calvin. And I'm curious, like, what the vibe is, if you guys are, like, competitive in any way or if it's more just like you are both hyping each other up.

If you learn from each other, like, what's the brotherly relationship like?

I would say my brother is one of my biggest fans.

I love hearing that.

And I'm one of his biggest fans as well. He. He has a cookbook also, and he's very talented. He's a writer. That's like his main art, being an author. Writing. He loves to write.

So we call each other probably weekly and like, you know, talk about our life, talk about, like, our business. And we help each other in business and growing on social media, those ideas. So definitely no competition. We're each other's fans and we.

We want to carve our own path, of course. But we're definitely very supportive of our creative journeys.

Is he the older brother?

Yes, he's five years older than me.

Okay. And then do you have any other siblings?

We have a younger sister.

Is she, like, very creative also?

Yes, she's actually like a fashion designer.

Wow!

So she, every year she makes dresses and different fashion stylings for, like, our meetings and celebrations, those ideas. So we have a very creative family.

Do you take photos of her, of her outfits? Out of curiosity.

She doesn't like to be photographed.

Okay.

So she's very self conscious. We're actually all very self conscious, but I think we, like, like push past it, especially me and my brothers.

So because our business has become where you, like, you basically become a public figure. So. But if we didn't have the business of, like, being known or being seen, I don't think we would be seen because.

Funny how that works.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She doesn't have a book book out yet. You're gonna get her to get a book. So you have the whole trifecta.

Yeah, that could be fun.

That would be cool.

I want to do the imaging for that.

Yeah.

Definitely my art journey and my art. Being creative has helped me to be able to cope because I'm so busy, like, creating and, like, growing my business and connecting with people.

Even during the pandemic of working with, like, I really, like, basically shot in the studio Almost every other day.

So I really didn't have time to, like, feel sad or to, like, feel the pressures of the world because I actually was, like, learning photography, being creative, meeting people. So it's actually really amazing that art has really been my, like, saving grace through all the difficult times.

And I really believe that's why I'm so passionate about that. Every person should have a creative practice. No matter if you show the world or not, you should be creative in some form.

Because I really believe that being creative is so powerful and can help your mental wellness and make you feel better about all the trials and tribulations that the world is going through.

What would you say to someone who's like, I'm not creative at all. I don't have any talent. Like, they don't even know where to start. What advice would you give them?

I would say, God made you to be creative. Everyone's creative in some way, whether it's cooking, whether it's drawing, whether it's painting.

There's so many different ways you can be creative. There's not only one way to be creative. So you should look, look for one way that you prefer.

Maybe you like working with paint, maybe you like being a content creator, maybe you like drawing, maybe you like dance. Even those ideas or just dancing in your room to music. That's a creative outlet. So everybody can do those type of things for sure.

Definitely better than staring at our phones and being depressed by social media. Is there anything coming up for you, creatively or otherwise, that you're excited about?

I would say that now I'm on a celebration tour. I really believe that I've been creating for about five or six years now.

And so the book is really like a culmination of, like, all my creativity, all my hard work that I've been working through, all, like, my journey of growth and healing. And so now I want to celebrate that.

Celebrate all the people I've met, all the people I've connected with, and say thank you to all the community members that have supported me. So I'm on a creative and celebration journey.

Good. You should. I think I wish more people did that.

A lot of people go right onto the next project without truly giving the wonderful thing you created its chance to shine. And that book is definitely worth some celebrating. So take some time, focus on that. Sounds great.

Thank you. Now time to celebrate.

So how can people get that book? How can we get that book in

my hand so you can get my new book, Black is Beautiful, on my website, adameaton.com. i will also be on Amazon in the coming weeks, so I'm working on that. But it is important to support local artists.

So you'll be able to find my book on my website, atomian.com currently it will be in bookstores coming soon. If you don't have funding, it's going to be in the local libraries as well. So there'll be lots of ways for you to view the book.

Wonderful.

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Adam. This was great. The photos are gorgeous. Congratulations again. Thanks for coming on.

Oh, I'm so happy to have you. It's been wonderful. I said I love a good, well designed book and that thing hits a spot. So perfect. Well done.

Thank you.

This has been a presentation of the Lunchador Podcast Network.