[ADMIN]

What was the genesis of your [creative] journey?

[ESLI]

At my core I think I have always been a creative even from my earliest moments. And often it is fueled by my sense of curiosity. Exploring how and why things work, learning to deconstruct and reconstruct or reconfigure things is something I've always loved doing as a child and still to this day. Every creative project I have teaches me something new about the world, myself, or hopefully both.

[ADMIN]

What external factors have the biggest impact on your process?

[ESLI]

Definitely existing processes and the status quo. Not that I try to be different for the sake of being different, but questioning why things are done a certain way and if there's a better way of doing things always creeps into my process. Sometimes the result of that is affirming widely accepted ideas, processes, and deepening my own understanding; other times it's coming up with something new that makes more sense for what I'm trying to accomplish. Either result is important because how else can we progress if we don't try?

[ADMIN]

What was the first record or song that awoke your passion for music?

[ESLI]

It has to be The Black Album by Jay-Z for me. Not because it's necessarily the greatest album ever made or even the first one I liked but it came along at the perfect time for me to be able to truly appreciate all the layers of rap music for the first time. I was nine years old when this dropped and although I wasn't the audience Mr. Z had in mind when he made it, I understood enough about the world around me at the time have a closeness with music that I've never had before. The production on every single song is so distinct yet it all fits together cohesively. This was also back at a time where albums would come with a booklet of official lyrics that I would read along to repeatedly as I played the album; at one point I was able to recite the whole thing start to finish from memory. So I was really able to understand the stories and messaging that were being told. There were also several incredible music videos that came out of this album that added a layer of visual storytelling on top of the music and the poetry.

[ADMIN]

Who do you think you are?

[ESLI]

I honestly have no idea. I'm having a fun time trying to figure it out though. Today, I'm a 29-year old black man, watching wrestling, drinking soju, trying to keep it all together even though my socks don't match most days. Tomorrow? Who knows.

[ADMIN]

Do you think Cleveland deserves to be in the same conversation as NYC, Chicago and LA?

[ESLI]

Absolutely. The fact that this is even a question means Cleveland is already in the right category. I haven't lived in NYC but I've lived in Chicago and LA and I can tell you that Cleveland has it's own unique charm that you can only get there while still being such a fun-loving, culture rich, and diverse city that has set it's own river on fire multiple times and being PROUD of it. If anybody doubts what I'm saying, DM me on IG and I'll personally fly you out and show you around to change your mind.

[ADMIN]

How do you think owning a convertible has improved or hurt your quality of life?

[ESLI]

The only downside of owning a convertible is the fact that it's possible to get sunburned driving across town. But every other aspect of my life has only gotten better since I started dropping the top.

[ADMIN]

What film do you think has the best color grading of the last decade?

[ESLI]

I have about 100 of answers for this but I'll have to say Blade Runner 2049 because of how many different, distinct looks that team was able to create in the same world without any of them feeling out of place.

[ADMIN]

What's something that's misunderstood about using color in art media?

[ESLI]

One thing I love about color is so much of it is subjective and based on perception. There's never a "correct" answer when it comes to color. All colors you see in art exist in context to the other colors around them. There is a very technical way of observing and analyzing color but I think any artist will tell you that when it comes to creating and choosing colors, what feels right always tops the objective truth.