Episode 8: Maia Negre

Ready for an inspiring dive into the creative flow? In this episode of Nelly’s Magic Moments, we’re joined by the brilliant Maia Negre, an artist whose ocean-inspired masterpieces capture the rhythm and soul of nature. From her early days of mentorship at 12 to becoming a celebrated artist in Santa Cruz, Maia shares her incredible journey of growth and transformation.

We explore the magic of community festivals like the Art and Wine Festival, a true celebration of connection in today’s digital age. Maia opens up about how art, collaboration, and a mindful approach to life have shaped her creative process. From turning photographs into wearable art to embracing the balance of entrepreneurship and passion, Maia’s story is one of synchronicity and personal growth.

We also take a moment to reflect on the power of patience, gratitude, and the beauty of life unfolding—principles that fuel Maia’s creativity and can inspire us all. And, to top it off, a special birthday wish for my daughter, Kiala, bringing personal warmth to this episode of magic.

Whether you're an artist, a surfer, or simply someone who appreciates the art of living fully, this episode is packed with wisdom and heart. Tune in for a conversation that celebrates art, community, and the unexpected joys that come when we let life unfold.

Don’t miss it! 

#NellysMagicMoments #ArtAndNature #CommunityMatters #MindfulCreativity #SurfAndArt #GratitudeAndGrowth

The links:
Shop
https://shop.maianegre.com/
Social
@maianegre

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

This is Nellie's Magic Moments Podcast.

Speaker 2 0:05

What's up everybody? Hi, here we go.

Speaker 1 0:08

Hey, don't jump in so quick, nellie. Give Nellie a little space here. Nellie's slow will take his time here, nelldog.

Speaker 2 0:16

All right, thanks, upton Jr. This week we have a very special guest, not only one of my favorite people, but definitely my favorite artist in santa cruz, maya negra um her ocean scenes are nothing short of incredible and I'm in awe every time I see one of her new pieces. So welcome, maya. Thank you.

Speaker 1 0:37

Thank you for having me here this is awesome yeah, we had a chance to meet, I guess a few a few months ago, right For what I'd met you at the art and wine festival. A couple of times We've we've bumped into each other over the years, but I think we kind of had a really nice time to spend 45 minutes together at your place and do the vibes interview, which was great, and I think it kind of you've done a great job kind of collaborating on it, and I know there's been huge stoke on that article. Not that you need it, but it's always nice right To collaborate with somebody different. Yeah, totally yeah. And then that leads us to this one, and I know you and Nellie have a relationship and Nell Dogg's got pages of notes. You want to kick us off.

Speaker 2 1:15

I'm trying to kick us off here. Yeah, your booth was like unbelievable. It's definitely my favorite booth to go to when I'm down there. Are you excited for next year, or what?

Speaker 3 1:27

Yeah, I'm always excited. It's definitely like.

Speaker 2 1:29

A ways away.

Speaker 3 1:30

It's a ways away, but it's always the pinnacle of my year. I feel like everything I do every year, starting right now, kind of leads up to that point in September, because it's the biggest show that I do and I see the most amount of people in a really short window of time.

Speaker 1 1:44

Is it dread and excitement? Or just because we did it two years and there's a part of it where there's like this dopamine excitement and then the thought of it. Sometimes it's like I don't want to do it.

Speaker 3 1:56

I know, because it's so much work. You know you get up at like four in the morning.

Speaker 3 2:00

You prepare forever for months in advance, and then it's just a ton of work. You prepare forever for months in advance and then it's it's just a ton of work. But, um, as an artist and as a fine artist, um, I found early on that I had kind of a necessity, you know, like I have to do these types of events, to be seen and for people to see my work. So, you know, you just learn to kind of it truly is you love it. You're like, okay, here we go, and you're prepared for it.

Speaker 1 2:22

It's the grassroots part of it, right Like, you can do everything you want. We just talked about this. Nellie, you were at the pickup party we're talking about. In a lot of ways, people want something out of a community without connecting with the community, right Like I was just talking on Friday, saying like in this world we live in of social media and all that we do, we throw up an image or we throw up something amazing and we're like, oh, they're going to fucking love me, but you have to still kind of walk amongst the people sometimes and that's art and wine a little bit for you.

Speaker 3 2:48

Yeah, and then it's like connecting with people, like having that opportunity to really connect and see people like in real time, and that you don't always have, you know, because we're moving so fast.

Speaker 1 3:00

No doubt, and you can linger. It's one of the rare times you could probably explain like your process and stuff like that for people that because there's some connoisseurs of art there, right.

Speaker 3 3:07

Totally 100%, and also it's like it's just so fun to people come every year Sometimes too many connoisseurs.

Speaker 2 3:14

You know what I mean. And everybody wants to talk to you at once. Yeah, and it gets a little hectic, but you do a good job, maya. Thanks, I love seeing Adam helping you down there. You know what I mean. It's so cool to see you and Adam and then Waggie and his girl down there doing their thing, and it's just like Totally.

Speaker 3 3:31

It's a great celebration of the community of artists that we have here, and it's been such a long-running festival, so there's a lot of just good energy around it. People look forward to it and it's a lot of talent in this town, so it's a great place to showcase all of our talent.

Speaker 2 3:46

Yeah, such good energy down there.

Speaker 1 3:47

Do you have a pretty good system? Is it pretty, pretty tight system overall set up and breakdown or is it just chaos?

Speaker 3 3:57

Well, it's a good system, but there's always inevitable chaos. No matter how much you prepare, there's always something that goes wrong. So you just, you know, you prepare the best you can and you just get, you make space for chaos.

Speaker 2 4:03

Oh yeah, I remember that lady tripped and her champagne glass shattered at my feet in our booth and I was like okay. Nell, you'd had just about enough it was almost over at that point anyway, so I just looked at Brian and just went. I think I'm out of here.

Speaker 1 4:19

Yeah, he got he got on his bike and I didn't see him until Tuesday. Overload, it's all good, what do you got?

Speaker 2 4:27

Neil, yeah, so there's so many questions I have for you, but how about the new board shop? You and Adam are?

Speaker 1 4:35

in oh yeah, Adam's opening it.

Speaker 2 4:37

Yeah, it's Adam's new board shop, so it's YB Board Shop on 41st Avenue. It's your board.

Speaker 3 4:41

It's awesome they're doing quality surfboards um reuse like use surfboards, but quality boards um. They actually haven't had, like their official opening yet, but they've been open for about six weeks and they're doing great and I love it. It's like full sustainable um surfboard. Santa cruz you know I love it and it's, um, it's adam, amazing, and I love that. He kind of is getting to be a part of connecting people with things that they love and their tools to be in the ocean and it's something that he's, he's like right in his wheelhouse.

Speaker 1 5:14

Now explain this to me a little bit. Is this like a? Is this sort of roughly a one-of-one concept right now in town, or is there anybody else doing anything like this? Or is this sort of an organic concept the way they're doing it, Is it different?

Speaker 2 5:28

It's pretty organic.

Speaker 1 5:29

It is.

Speaker 2 5:29

It's basically like old school old old school surf shop.

Speaker 1 5:33

Yeah.

Speaker 2 5:34

Where it's just boards. Amazing Clothes, it's not wetsuits, it's not this and that, it's just boards, and they have used boards, they have new boards but they don't take any like beaters right. So it's all quality surfboards and you know, every time I go in there it's different boards. So I know he's slinging them. You know, and it's just. You know, it's one of those surf shops where you can picture the groms sitting outside skating and buying surf wax I love it you know, I mean like the old school days boards for the people and we have.

Speaker 2 6:04

you know, we have some pretty cool surf shops in this town. So we're lucky because some of the other towns you know down south and stuff there they've definitely don't have as many surfboards anymore and now it's just all trying to sell.

Speaker 1 6:18

It's good that they did a. It's good that they did a brick and mortar Cause. Right now, the only rule in town is that if you have a used board, you just dump them in Nellie's front yard. Do you remember that nightmare? I sure do. How many Do you remember that? When you did that for Maui?

Speaker 2 6:33

Yeah, was it hundreds of boards, now Hundreds. Yeah, it was crazy because I put it out there and the first day I came home there was 12 boards in my front yard. First day I came home there was 12 boards in my front yard. And then I put it out there again that night and I left and went golfing and I came home and there was like 95 boards in my yard and I'm like, oh my god, this is turning into a beast.

Artistic Journey and Collaborative Work

Speaker 2 6:52

Yeah, and it was fun because I got to sort through the boards and there was obviously some that we weren't selling them out, I mean sending to Maui you know, they just weren't worth it, and so then I ended up either giving those away for art projects or I had a big board sale and I donated all the money to this guy over in Maui who was in charge of the whole thing. But yeah, by the end it was hundreds. Like my whole backyard was full, my whole side yard was full and my whole front yard was full of boards and my wife wasn't that psyched on it, but she knew that it was for a good cause 100%.

Speaker 1 7:28

Actually we're getting over there. On Tuesday we go to Maui see family before we go to Oahu to see you. We're going to go to Maui for the first six or seven days before we roll over to the North shore and podcast with you.

Speaker 2 7:39

It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun.

Speaker 1 7:41

It's also going to be pretty, I think, sobering. I haven't been over since the fire to Maui Me neither and her place is right in Lahaina. Her condo was the two-story white one that survived. It's the only one, wow. And so she's getting back in in March, but we're going to go over there and see them. You haven't been back over there, have you got to drive right through that burn zone? And because of all the loopholes, politics and bullshit, it's still pretty much raw, you know what's there?

Speaker 2 8:11

I used to live in the Hyena for a year, and so that was one of the reasons why it was.

Speaker 1 8:15

What was Nell Dogg doing over there for a year?

Speaker 2 8:17

Oh, I was managing a surf shop, ironically and called Hobie Surf Shop, in the Hyena and I, ironically, and called Hobie surf shop, and I was just surfing and just doing my thing. And now, at that time, I've shot some photos and but it was before, before I'd gotten into professional photography, and it was a good time, and then I did a lot of better was.

Speaker 1 8:40

Was that was? That was that nail dog with like locks of golden hair.

Speaker 2 8:43

That was locks of hair before it all fell out.

Speaker 1 8:46

Maya, before we get too much further, I think we always kind of we run by and I even warned you before that for a lot of the listeners like a LinkedIn profile, just a little bit of like you, like you know, like born and raised kind of how you kind of like just a little tiny, like you know, your sort of like A to B history Don't have to go crazy with it Just sort of your general backstory, my backstory, yeah, born and raised here, I can't even remember I wasn't born and raised here.

Speaker 3 9:11

I was actually born in Palo Alto.

Speaker 1 9:13

That's right Okay.

Speaker 3 9:15

I spent the first 10 years of my life in a little town right outside San Francisco San Bruno, yeah and then slowly migrated down this way. I moved to Santa Cruz when I was 17, and I've been here ever since. I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. I've always felt like an incredible connection to the ocean, like beyond, and exposed to art, you know, from a very early age.

Speaker 2 9:42

Yeah.

Speaker 3 9:42

Both my parents were immigrants Chinese and French and I remember when I was like 12 years old, seeing a piece of art, like a 12 foot piece of art, from this incredible artist on Kauai, and looking at this painting and just being so moved, my little heart I was like, oh my God, that's what I'm supposed to do, that's why I've been put on this planet.

Speaker 2 9:59

Do you remember who the artist was?

Speaker 3 10:00

Yes, Her name is Patrice Pendarvis. She's a beautiful watercolor artist and some family friends of ours had commissioned some work and I was just like wow, From that point forward, just feeling such this sense of purpose Of like this is what I need to do with my life.

Speaker 1 10:17

And what age was that about again?

Speaker 3 10:19

I was probably 12.

Speaker 1 10:20

And did you pick up a pencil? Did you pick up a brush, a pencil? How did it all start?

Speaker 3 10:25

I think she gave me my first art lesson. We went to Kauai for like a month and she gave me my first art lesson and you know the rest is history. I kind of, you know, dabbled in a couple of things and then I started taking my first former all classes when I went to Cabrillo and I was learning how to surf at the same time.

Speaker 3 10:43

Like technique Technique like you know, drawing classes and I was like surfing and making art at the same time, simultaneously, and so like loved surfing, loved being in the ocean, and that was a huge part of also like fueling my creative drive, because I would be like surfing and I'd be in the ocean, I'd be like God. Everything is so beautiful. I have to paint it Like I have to express it outside of the expression of being in the water, like I want to express it on paper and then share it with people.

Speaker 3 11:14

I love that and so then everything just like really happened really organically. People just started asking me I'd be on the beach in Capitola painting, and people would be like, will you paint me a picture? And I started painting people pictures and it just sort of has evolved.

Speaker 1 11:27

And this is sort of early twenties ish, when that started, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3 11:30

Wow, 18, 19, 20. And then I ended up going to San Jose state, um, and pursuing a degree in art, which was just like the next level of growth, and had some incredible professors that pushed me away, outside my comfort zone. And then, after I graduated, I was like, okay, I'm going to do this full time.

Speaker 1 11:47

I love it.

Speaker 3 11:48

And then just embarked on the journey.

Speaker 2 11:50

The journey. So do you keep in touch with the lady from Kauai who gave you your first art lesson?

Speaker 3 11:56

Yeah, I mean over Facebook a little bit. I haven't been to Kauai in forever and it's on the list. So she's aware of your success and you're yeah she's aware she was one of those people that really inspired me.

Speaker 1 12:08

I love that part of it, like when life kind of goes by a little bit and you think of these. You don't know what you. You, it sounds like you're kind of unique. You know, I have a similar story with a history teacher where you're kind of in that moment, even at 17, you're like shit, something's happening here, like this guy. But most of the time it happens and you need time and space in between to realize the effect of what happened back. Then you know what I mean and that's the thing about it is like, and sometimes you know, luckily if they stick around you can kind of reconnect and let them know. But it sounds like with this particular medium you might've kind of known it as it was happening. That was special. Yeah, that's incredible.

Speaker 1 12:45

Do you see like weird shit? Do you see like um? Do you see like when you're surfing? Do you see the world in watercolors or do you kind of like process it as a watercolor as it's happening? Or how does that does? Does weird things like that happen? Do you look at a sunset and go? Are you looking at the sunset?

Speaker 3 13:01

Totally Like being an artist and seeing the world in the way that you create and in the mode of expression. It changes the way you see the world Because, like when I look at your photography and when we did any of the pieces right looking at a piece of photography through the lens of how you're capturing it, you see light and shadow and color and variation of hue.

Speaker 3 13:24

You see all those things really differently when you're working with art as a medium. So yeah, being in the profession, in arts, is like you, just like I think of anything. If you're like a musician or you're a writer, you kind of see the world through your, your means of expression.

Speaker 2 13:42

That's funny, cause I had the same thing to say about your work. It was like I remember when, uh, I became aware of your artwork distinctly, you know, I mean kiala, my daughter and christy. They came out to the car, I don't know where. I think they saw your, some of your work, at zen, and they were just talking about you and I'm like who are you guys talking about? Like maya negra. Her artwork is the most amazing. Do you have to check?

Speaker 2 14:06

and I was like I was like, okay, I need to become aware. And, ironically, right after that, we got put in touch with each other or you got a hold of me, I'm not sure and we collabed on a piece not too long after that. But, um, but yeah, I distinctly remember, like, and then I checked out your work and I was like, wow, like it's like perfectly suited to what I love about photography, but you're painting it, are you? Do you do most of your stuff in oil paintings?

Speaker 3 14:35

Most of it's oil paintings. Yeah, that's what I thought.

Speaker 2 14:37

Yeah, it's like unbelievable. Yeah, I just saw one of your new pieces, the new pieces the, the kelp piece, the kelp, underwater kelp. Oh, we got it at yb. Yeah, I did it last year.

Speaker 3 14:52

Amazing, you know what's the same family that commissioned that piece. Yeah, it's the same family that commissioned pipeline.

Speaker 1 14:56

Wow, it's our neighbors across the street ocean lovers yeah let's linger there a little bit, from that's your perspective, your perspective of that first kind of reach out and collab with Nellie a little bit.

Speaker 3 15:09

My first perspective.

Speaker 1 15:09

Yeah, like when it sounds like he— how did that happen? Yeah, like, how did it happen? Kind of got his perspective, how you kind of like got her on your radar.

Speaker 3 15:17

Yeah, and like your perspective— and we were both on—we were both with Merge 4.

Speaker 2 15:21

Yeah.

Speaker 3 15:21

That's—I remember— yeah, that's, I remember. This was before that. Oh, it was before merge. Yeah, it was before that.

Speaker 2 15:25

This is this was like I think you were doing little ones for zen yeah, then, and it was like that you'd sell those little prints yeah, okay and so they were, they were, and they came out and they were just raving about you know, and so then I had to look you up because I didn't know, you know, and so you connected as artists first, like just out of respect.

Speaker 1 15:52

So when did a concept of a collaboration occur? Was that recently or was that early? Like a collaboration on photo with Our first collab was six or seven years ago.

Speaker 3 16:02

It was, it was pipeline, it was right after the shutdown of COVID. Yeah, not as long ago, five years ago. Five years ago it was, it was pipeline, it was right after um the shutdown of covid yeah across the street not as long ago, five years ago yeah, five years ago yeah, my neighbor asked me for um. She's like can you paint pipeline for for my son?

Speaker 3 16:14

yeah as like a family heirloom. I want to paint this piece and give it to him and I'm like, oh my god, if I'm gonna paint pipeline, like I have so much respect for that place and that wave, I'm like I need a professional, I professional, I need a reference. And actually Adam was like maybe Nellie, maybe Nellie would be willing to like let you paint one of his pictures.

Speaker 2 16:30

And so it's cool. Thank you, adam, so much.

Speaker 3 16:34

And so we're four months into the pandemic and like everything shut down, nobody can travel anywhere and it's just like full hysteria and chaos and everyone's like what is going on in the world. And yeah, I got to paint that picture. It was amazing, it was one of my favorite pieces.

Speaker 2 16:50

Automatic. Yes, when she called. We have that hanging in our house as well.

Speaker 1 16:54

You do.

Speaker 2 16:54

Yeah.

Speaker 1 16:56

Was that a pretty quick yes, nellie. When that call came in, it was a very quick yes. Quick, yes, it was just like, let's go. Had you done a ton of those reference kind of paintings before or no, not really yeah.

Speaker 3 17:09

No, I think up until that point I've been doing a lot of pieces just from my own reference. There's been a couple pieces I've done from other people's photography, but you have been the first person who has been just so generous and being like hands down, 100%. Let's do it. And actually I'm not just going to give you this one piece of reference photo, but here's a bunch more. I'm like this has been amazing, and so then I had another one that came up next, which is Mavericks, and yeah.

Speaker 3 17:37

And then I reached out and you were like a hundred percent. I had a client reach out asked me to paint Mavericks and Nellie was so kind and generous to send me over some shots and help me.

Speaker 1 17:45

So weird thing is in my, my gut feeling is that a reference one with an iconic photo, is a tremendous amount more little bit of pressure than your view of the world. Yeah, because, because you're respecting the artist and the photography.

Speaker 1 18:01

Totally, and so that part of it you know the explain that maybe just for me, because I'm so amazed by the ones you've done where you've taken a reference and you kind of look at them, eventually side by side, and you still have all of your influences in it. You, you are personal influences in somebody else's photo is like is there just a? Do you have to step away from it sometimes, or how do you process that?

Speaker 3 18:27

Yeah, I mean, I'm just it's, it's like a double whammy you know it's like double the power and it's like an incredible honor to be able to do that. Um, and I just I guess as an artist, I yeah, I look at what Nellie's sort of captured and then try and pull out the power elements that somebody would respond to, like this person who wanted Mavericks was like actually learning how to surf and was trying to understand the way the ocean worked, and so I was like well, I really want to pull up the way the water is moving and the way you know and how scary it is.

Speaker 1 19:02

That was our very last podcast, was with with all, and it's, it's man that is. That is the physical force that till. Someone describes every ounce of what writing. That is you. You have no idea and you never will have an idea. You know from from my seat. He did an incredible job describing it, but it's it's. It's way bigger than we are.

Speaker 2 19:23

It's way bigger.

Speaker 1 19:24

Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:25

I was like, seriously, I had chickens listening to stories cause I was thinking about going out there that day with Keala and we were going to take a boat out and whatever. There's no chance that a boat went out there that day, but just the listening to how gnarly it was and it was just like, oh my God, thank God that I wasn't out there, cause I would have been wigging. You know I'm not into that at this point in my life and my career. It's like nothing's worth.

Speaker 2 19:54

No photos worth that kind of stuff, and before 20 years ago you just run out there, you just, you're just, you just run 20 years ago I had a jet ski and it was my own and so I'd just drive up there, and when you're on a ski it's like you can pretty much dodge anything, because you can go 70 miles an hour on those things, and so you can see in advance what's going on with the waves jacking up on the bottom, and you can just do it about face and jam in and avoid any whitewash or any double up or anything like that, as long as you're paying attention.

Speaker 1 20:24

But I'm talking about the superhero complex of like you get word of a swell, you were just going.

Speaker 2 20:29

Oh, I was so much more going than I am now. You know, back when I was 30, it was like I'd roll up the pipe and just swim out. I never even like looked at it. You know, now I like look at it and I get scared and scared and then it's like maybe I will, maybe I will, maybe I won't swim out, you know.

Speaker 3 20:44

Isn't that funny? Because you would think it would be the opposite. Like you would think, as we get older and wiser, like we would not be so scared.

Speaker 1 20:51

No, the thing that fucks us for me was my kids. The world was immediately. The minute Taylor came out in the world, I'm like this is a very dangerous world and I'd never thought of it being. I thought I owned the world, that the world, that the world was sort of like in front of me and I can kind of control my circumstances. The minute my daughter was born, I'm like this world's incredibly dangerous. It's like it's that perspective. For me that's different, but I think it's, you know, and your brain doesn't even develop to your 26 or 20, you know whatever that is. But but for me that was um. You know, my daughter just moved to New York city and I'm, I'm, I'm 56 years old and I'm having a hard time sleeping at night, like she's 16, going out for the first time with her car, cause she's on a subway in New York city at 2 AM and I it's it. It never ends. And so, yeah, the world is um can present itself in different ways.

Speaker 2 21:43

You have to just turn your brain off a little bit. Yeah, I think about that stuff too, but I was going to ask you do you paint when you're in Hawaii? Or do you just kick it with that I?

Speaker 3 21:57

think I just kick it there. You know, it's like the experience of being there is so beautiful and I I kind of just like I like to just absorb everything when I'm there, totally. And when I am there I'm usually like on vacation because I've just worked my ass off and I'm like there to relax. But I'm definitely like absorbing everything that I'm seeing. I'm taking a ton of photos and then when I get back home I'm in Santa Cruz and I'm like, all right, I can focus and I have no distractions and I'm not distracted by like running out in the ocean, in warm water. And so I actually find that I work a lot better in Santa Cruz because I'm focused and it's cold and I'm like, okay, I got to get this stuff done. And then Hawaii is like my, you know, it's like my happy place. But I do, I would love to paint when I'm over there. I just don't.

Speaker 1 22:43

I think I have before, but but you guys are trippy because both the people sitting at this table is like. You think about it in one way. Like I know for a fact, we're going to Hawaii for 12 days.

Speaker 1 22:51

My wife's bringing her little bullshit canvases she's going to do her watercolors of turtles and that's how she relaxes, not working for Sutter Health, and then I'll go and I'll probably make sure that I'm taking some images that make me realize. So he's a photographer, how you know. You go someplace and a lot of time for you to unwind and turn off. Your whole world is taking pictures, right, and you have to unwind your whole world is you know this, this medium, and you go to a place that presents nothing but influences. So I guess the question I'll go two ways with this, I'll go you first is like when? What are some of the ways that an artist unwinds in a place like that? Like what? What are your? What are your? Is it?

Speaker 3 23:33

I spend as much time as I can in the water and I, I, I do the things that I want to do, that I don't have this checklist of busy things that I have to do here. You know like I'm fully there to just completely be in the moment and to completely experience everything that's beautiful about that place. I love it as I'm experiencing it. I know that when I sit down later to put it on canvas and throw paint around that those experiences that I'm having are going to come out into my hands Totally. So I want to just be there in the moment and just fully absorb it all, like a sponge.

Speaker 1 24:08

I love that.

Speaker 2 24:09

That's the big difference between her as an artist and me as a photographer.

Speaker 1 24:12

Yeah.

Speaker 2 24:13

Because I have to actually shoot the photo while I'm there. Yeah, I can't paint it later. No, that's what I was going to say.

Speaker 1 24:21

And I'm going to give you your time here because I think we've hung out. I've never asked you this question Because you clearly do an amazing job. When you go, I still see there's the professional, nelly, and then there's the human being and I see those photos and clearly there's some photos. You take, some videos you take. You don't give a shit, you're not selling it to O'Neill, whatever it may be. That's just you being you, but outside be, that's just you being you. Yeah, but like, outside of that, what does nelly do when he's not behind the lens? I don't think I've ever asked you that to like completely relax.

Speaker 2 24:50

I've gotten way better at that actually in, in my opinion, at kicking it. You know, I mean and um, I'm super add, super like, like I'm hyper, yeah and um, back in day I just shot photos all day and then I'd pull out the flash and I'd swim out there in the evening and shoot flash photos until dark. You know what I mean. And now it's like I go hunting for sunrise shells at dawn and then I go swim with Keala or surfing, and then me and my wife go down to Waimea and go swimming and just zen out at the beach. It's ride e-bikes, whatever. You know, whatever each day presents itself is.

Speaker 1 25:31

I'm better at that than I used to. I want to psychoanalyze Nellie right now. I want to keep going a little bit, Did you? This is just for people that kind of go through this because I go through this. Do you have any back in the day? Or even do you have an association of guilt if you're not moving or doing something? Or is your? Is it just your head spinning when you say, like you, you have ad, you know I mean what? What does that mean? Do you feel like you should be working? Is or what's the feeling?

Speaker 2 25:53

I mean it's. It's a very complex question, thank, you. Thank you very much you know, um, when I first started being a professional photographer, I didn't stop ever, yeah and and. If I wasn't shooting, every minute it was sunny, which is what I did and how I got to where I did. I was editing photos, or I was labeling my slides, I was mailing them off, fedexing them to each and every company or worldwide publication. I mean and it was like that's how I got to where I did really quick is because I never stopped.

Speaker 1 26:28

Monetizing your assets.

Speaker 2 26:29

I just didn't have a fallback on my career. It was like I'm not going to be a construction guy. I don't know how to even plug in a VCR, so I don't have a lot of fallback careers, so I might as well go gung ho into this one one, and I did, and throughout the years, as things started to slow down, I just started to relax more I like it yeah, you know, and, um, I think a lot of people have that problem where it's like you're one of those people who go go, go, go, go.

Speaker 2 27:02

How do I slow down, you know, I mean, and one of the things that helped me slow down is moving to haw.

Speaker 1 27:07

I like it, which is not a luxury for everybody. I think the first part of the process is super important. I like talking about this, maya, because I think in these ones eventually you're talking to one, two, three. We have all these great conversations, but sometimes I think you can say something out loud, like a lot of people feel alone in like the way they may process their day, or feeling even their workload or how they go through it. But to hear somebody that's a kind of a world renowned photographer or very successful artist kind of that they also have spun at one time or they also didn't know how to process their day.

Speaker 1 27:37

Sometimes I think we blow by it and people sometimes might be listening, going, yeah, but how did you get out of it? You know you can talk about it and you can. I just like getting into the high weeds a little bit of like. So you might've been spinning, you might've been kind of like grinding. How did you find that space? So we'll flip the TED talk over here. Have you evolved as far as how you like you know your headspace for work, your bandwidth for work and how do you get away from it, or is it? Do you? Are you kind of driving all day? Also?

Speaker 3 28:05

your bandwidth for work and how do you get away from it? Or is it, do you? Are you kind of driving?

Speaker 1 28:10

all day also.

The Art of Letting Life Flow

Speaker 3 28:10

I'm driving all day also. I mean, I, I have running my own business, but I just have learned to kind of structure my time and having some discipline, to just be like all right, I'm going to get this stuff done. And then we talked about this in the article like creating time to be like getting everything checked off my list that I can sit here and create, because when I am creating, um, I have to have my brain turned off, you know like, and just to be present, to be doing a good job as an artist. Totally, you know, um, one of the things that's kind of funny that I had written down that I thought would be sort of fun to share is like I had a professor in college that said to me one time let the painting paint itself. And I was like you think it's so counterintuitive let the painting paint itself.

Speaker 3 28:56

I'm standing here. Isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing? Yeah, and I kind of got it. I was like, okay, that means like get out of the way of yourself. Like when you're standing there creating the art, don't paint what you think you should be painting. You know, it's a full, like Zen kind of a moment where you're like you're going to observe and you're going to react, like you're going to throw down some blue and then, like watch the paint drip and see what happens, and now you know, put some green in there, but take your time and like let the painting kind of like evolve and don't rush it. And that takes like some time and it takes patience and it takes mindfulness and you kind of have to be in a really good space to be able to do that.

Speaker 2 29:35

Wow, that's the true meaning of creativity, right there.

Speaker 1 29:37

Well, yeah, but let's also take that one level further, Cause it's just that's so meaningful because, like that, you can just draw a direct line to life, Like like so, forget the painting, forget the photo. What if you let life just kind of life itself? Like what if you? You know, instead of overthinking like we do, we overthink all of this whole, this little thing that we do for a very short period of time, which is live.

Speaker 3 30:01

Yeah.

Speaker 1 30:02

And I think in a lot of ways, if you kind of take the word painting out and you put life into that same thing, let the painting paint itself. You could be talking about life.

Speaker 3 30:11

Yeah, like you might have some you know vision of like okay, I want to do like this, but you're not forcing it, you're not hammering it.

Speaker 3 30:18

You know, you kind of like you guide it in a way, like you allow it to happen and in that you get out of the way of yourself, and then that's where all the magic happens really Because you know, like there's I can't even tell you like there's so many instances where I just feel like they're not even coincidences, they're just like synchronicities, where like I'm working on something and things just are like meant to be, like somebody calls right when I'm thinking about them or all these types of things happen all the time, but they especially happen when I'm like doing what I'm supposed to be doing you know that is awesome.

Speaker 1 30:51

So you've got a lot of that in you, nellie. I think, just getting to know you a little bit you're there's a lot of um, a lot of made you what you are today you know, including all your steps, all the things that you do, right, but I think what she ties into there's a lot of you in that.

Speaker 2 31:02

That I'm not saying you've completely realized it, you fight it, but you're more towards just kind of like trying to live that lifestyle right Of trying yeah, and I talked to Kiel a lot about that you reminded me when I was listening to you is just, you know, really, when you have a moment when everything syncs up, like you're talking about, and everything is good, make sure to appreciate that and slow down and go. Wow, I'm just having a bliss moment right now, because they're futile and they happen. I mean as often as maybe twice a year to maybe like 10 times in your life, where you have an absolute bliss moment where everything is right. Make sure and enjoy that you know what I mean and stop and go. Well, I'm having a bliss moment, and that's what it sounds like you do, and letting the artwork create itself and letting it happen and being patient and letting the, the blue and the green melt together.

Speaker 3 32:03

You know what I mean. Like allow it to happen without forcing it, I love it.

Speaker 1 32:08

It's so good.

Speaker 3 32:09

And also kind of totally puts you in that state of gratitude, naturally, because you're just like oh, this is like. You know what I mean. You're just like you're there and you're just grateful and you're like present.

Speaker 1 32:17

You do something smart every day. Now it seems like this is outside looking in, but it seems like you know, based on our texts, and when you say yo share this, it's about 5 am. Your day starts, it seems like Because that's when I get like, hey, you got to share this everybody. I'm like, no, it's fucking 5 am, but you start out with positivity, like a lot of your first texts, a lot of your first posts of the day are like grateful. And as much as we may hate social media right and it's a necessary evil we have to be excellent at it. You were in a meeting for Vibes before. It's all about content and it's all about getting content out there. But I think you might have a little thing and I'm sure it's intentional, knowing you, because you're working, you're already working. I know that.

Speaker 2 33:04

But you've chosen to kind of make it a positive start to the day. I try really hard, some days it's really easy and some days it's not as easy, but I'm definitely, you know, part of it has to do with my recovery Right and I try to keep my glass half full and do a gratitude list every day, if I can. You know what I mean and it keeps me in a good headspace and I hope that it projects positivity into our community. It does.

Speaker 1 33:33

It totally does, maya. The we might have talked about in the article but it'll be new content for this and maybe it didn't make it to print. But Nellie and I always ask from the first little podcast we did before, magic Moments is we have this concept of talking to people something you do on a daily basis? We say that makes you great at what you do and it's just like a humble brag. So you exist on the planet. You don't have to be great or not, but is there anything for other kids or artists or friends? Is there anything you do on a daily or weekly basis that you feel puts you in a position to do what you do or to balance you in a certain way?

Speaker 3 34:11

I think maybe just staying connected with young aspiring artists and supporting them in any kind of way and engaging with them and, as opportunities arise to work with them, jumping on those opportunities to support.

Speaker 1 34:29

That's important, because I think what happens sometimes is no. I think it's important from an artistic standpoint, because sometimes that that's not always the case, because they kind of want to close off the door. There's a competitive part of art, right. There's a competitive part of where clearly it seems like the first instinct would be share the resources and the talents I have. But that doesn't always exist in the art world. They're not necessarily going to run out and mentor people or bring grow a community there, because what they theoretically might be doing is growing competitors, right. So I think that's organic if you're, you know that part of it.

Speaker 3 35:03

Yeah, but we live in a community I think that is like so incredibly supportive of artists and, you know, fostering people's individuality.

Speaker 1 35:11

Yeah.

Speaker 3 35:12

Um, that that kind of really like prevalent, I think it kind of supersedes any kind of fear and holding onto things.

Speaker 1 35:20

Right.

Speaker 3 35:21

Withholding Um, so yeah, so yeah, I like it, you know.

Speaker 2 35:27

I love it, nellie. I was going to say one of my favorite days I had on the North Shore last year was that day that me, you and Adam and Christy met at Haleiwa.

Speaker 3 35:37

Yeah.

Speaker 2 35:37

And we all dove and searched for sunrise shells. Wow, and Adam stole my board and paddled out and caught a bunch of waves and it was just a zen day.

Speaker 1 35:49

Yeah.

Speaker 2 35:49

I mean, and so I'm wondering like, when are you guys coming again? I'm leaving on Saturday.

Speaker 3 35:55

As soon as possible, I know. And now we have. We have boards over there. We got boards made or he made. He got me a board he um for my birthday.

Speaker 3 36:02

We went up there in October and he got me a John Carper for my birthday a longboard and then he got a board for himself, because when we did that we didn't have boards. We met you at the beach and we were sitting there and we were like, oh my God, we're not prepared, but at least I got to swim in the water with you and he got to surf.

Speaker 2 36:17

I don't know, I would be there tomorrow if I could but he's got the new shop, he's got a partner to work, he can put his partner to work for a week.

Speaker 3 36:28

Yeah, it's still early, We'll pick a time. Who is his partner?

Speaker 2 36:30

Zach.

Speaker 3 36:31

Zach Hill and Zach Bone Okay.

Speaker 2 36:33

So we'll get the two Zaks in there to work. You guys can come over to Hawaii Because we are having a little friendly competition on who finds the first Sunrise show this year, so I'm getting an early start. It's going to start Sunday morning.

Speaker 3 36:45

It's going to start Sunday morning? Are you guys staying at the same place?

Speaker 1 36:47

Yeah, oh, you did get the same spot, yeah, we did Right on yeah. Anything else pressing, nelly, because I got another one just on future collabs, but you got anything else on 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, nelly.

Speaker 2 36:59

Go for it.

Speaker 1 37:02

Just, I think we're getting a broad scope of it right now in your world. But now I think it's a good time to kind of pause and talk about. It sounds like, from what Nellie said, you guys have some new collaborations happening, you know, with with you guys, with. Did you talk about like something new, with like merger or?

Speaker 2 37:19

We are. We've talked about doing a new sock together and, uh and um, having her paint one of my photos, but she has to paint it vertically because it fits on a sock, you know.

Speaker 1 37:30

Oh, gotcha so.

Speaker 2 37:31

I have to find the right image for her to paint.

Speaker 1 37:33

Yeah, what was the?

Speaker 2 37:34

other collab we were going to do. I just sent you a bunch of photos of something. Yeah, I don't remember what it was, though.

Speaker 3 37:40

It's happening, it's coming, it's coming. Hold on.

Speaker 1 37:44

I just wasn't sure if there was anything future. I think the nice thing about that one too is is, I think, you know, sitting here kind of knowing you independently than kind of sitting on the podcast right now, I guess the the the bottom line is it's not the end of the collaborations between the two of you.

Speaker 3 37:57

No, not at all. So many of my commit, like my pieces or commissions.

Speaker 1 38:00

they come from people that just request them like hey, I really, and something comes in and let's just linger on your business model, because sitting in your house, I think, going back to the article a little bit, I was kind of impressed with there's sort of the direct A to B art. But also you've got some other side hustles going on there that were pretty impressive with, like the scarves and stuff like that right.

Speaker 3 38:23

Oh yeah, the sarongs yeah sarongs Sorry. Is that like what's next on the agenda? Because I have that for like.

Speaker 1 38:30

Oh, 100% yeah.

Speaker 3 38:32

So I started in my own little line of sarongs this last summer.

Speaker 1 38:35

I loved them. Amazing yeah.

Speaker 3 38:38

Something I'd always wanted to do, like I've had a sarong since I was like five years old that my godmother got me from Bora Bora, and I still have it to this day. It has holes in it and I used to like put it up on my wall and lay on the beach on it, and I'm like I got to make some of these and so just did it. Went down to Los Angeles and got a fabric supplier and a printer Did you go to the garment district.

Speaker 3 39:01

I went into like the ghetto, I don't even know.

Speaker 1 39:04

It was really scary actually, yeah, yeah, we're the actual like, right there it was actually south of the garment district. Yeah.

Speaker 3 39:13

I was like, okay, this is what I'm doing. I'm just going to go source fabric and did a little research and found a supplier, felt a bunch of material, found a printer, had a bunch of product printed and then had to hand cut each and every single one of them and then learn how to sew, which I've never done before. Um, but I was like I, if I can, I can do this right, if I can learn new things.

Speaker 1 39:35

So are you literally doing these to order, kind of right now, or?

Speaker 3 39:39

I had some help. Um last summer I had like a batch made of a bunch of different designs and sold through them really fast and uh. So yeah, I have some new ones coming which I'm excited about, and some new fabric that's really soft and even better than what I did last year.

Speaker 2 39:54

That's amazing, and you're still doing all the sewing. No, I'm not doing all of it, but I will be doing some of it.

Speaker 3 39:59

But I have some help, yeah, but there's something really cool, I mean, like with Merge kind of like experiences, but taking your art not just on like canvas or metal or on the wall, but then kind of transforming it onto apparel and have our hats, like having people be able to wear it. It's really cool, right?

Speaker 1 40:19

It really is, and I think it even kind of like this world we live in of this media company and we have so many different relationships and I'm kind of like trying to position to get Nelly, but even like some of these artists that have their work on the buses around town. It's like all you guys have these amazing things you've done and then all of a sudden you're maybe somewhere and you see somebody wearing your art. It's a different feel, right, that's cool. Yeah, cause you've had this whole life where it's on a, you're pushing for magazine covers, you're pushing for credits.

Speaker 2 40:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1 40:54

And then all of a sudden they're wearing it and then same thing for you. Now, on some level, and I think the thing I like about the sarongs that I saw there, it's like yours is an impression of an image that you see with your eyes and your sarongs are an impression of, an impression of, because it's only a small part of, do you know? I'm saying it's like, it's like, um, the nectar of an image is because you can only go so far with a sarong, right, and it's going to be wrapped. But it's sort of like it's a fabric interpretation of your art.

Speaker 3 41:15

Yeah, and it's a whole other level too in terms of design, because you have to think about like I think two or three of my images were like full-blown ocean.

Speaker 1 41:22

Okay.

Speaker 3 41:22

Three of them were from Hawaii, but they're like full bleed, right Like the art image goes off the edge of the fabric. And then a number of them are just like pattern design. That in and of itself is a whole other art form, because you have to think about how is this going to fit on a body and like is that image going to show up in the right space and is it going to look right? You know so it's not just the art itself, but it's in the layout and the design is a whole other aspect.

Speaker 1 41:48

Are sarongs truly one size fits all? This is a stupid question, maybe not?

Speaker 3 41:51

The ones I was making are yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 41:53

Yeah, so you just kind of have to figure out the way it sort of wraps around and things like that.

Speaker 3 41:57

It's like multifunctional you can lay it on the beach or you can wear it, and there's different ways you can wear it and I'm just naive.

Speaker 2 42:02

It could be a headpiece Seriously like it's the.

Speaker 1 42:10

I guess I'm thinking of getting a couple for one for Stacy before we leave for the island. You know, I think. Do you have any in stock? I'll give you one. Yeah, I don't have to do that. It's like might be kind of a rad thing to do before we go over there. Because I think we're having the same. We have the same exact intention for our trip. It's the most amount of nothing we can do, like I want to consume books. We got that rat spot on Maui which we just walk out and put our feet in the water.

Speaker 2 42:35

I looked unbelievable. You should see the place they're staying in.

Speaker 1 42:37

Yeah, Just, just um. The whole intention is just, you know, I think that that thing, the only the only Hawaii can do and it's I've been doing it since I was eight years old is I can't think of a better place yet Nellie's got a few for me where you can recharge that battery.

Speaker 3 42:54

Yes, and rest is incredibly productive. I don't know where this idea comes from that if you're resting it's bad. When you rest, you recharge and then you become you have to you get better at what you do after you're all rested and rejuvenated.

Speaker 1 43:08

I'm obsessed with it. I sleep nine. You know like you get better at what you do after you're all rested and rejuvenated, so I'm obsessed with it. Rest is pretty. I sleep nine hours a night. It's like I my little thing tells me to go to sleep, start thinking about sleep at 745, and my wife can't stand it Cause I can put, I can go fall asleep, and I'll fall asleep right now, like I can fall asleep in 30 seconds.

Speaker 1 43:22

But that part of it, like six years ago, five years ago I just read something that resonated like how, like for brain health and all that stuff, like how much is everything else we do in our life? You're sort of negating some of those benefits if you're not doing that part. You know, because you're right, a lot of people, they take great pride. I can do it in four and a half, five hours. I slept last night. It's like that's that sort of you know, that sort of impression you're giving other people how hard you're working, but the reality is is you should sleep eight to nine, because then you're much better. How much do you sleep?

Speaker 3 43:54

A lot. I need a lot of sleep.

Speaker 1 43:57

Can you get nine? Do you sleep, oh yeah.

Music, Wellness, and Creativity

Speaker 3 43:58

I'm the same Like I mean both. It's funny, both Adam and I go to sleep super early Like we're both.

Speaker 1 44:03

It's embarrassing.

Speaker 3 44:04

I'm probably in bed by like 8.30 or 9. And then maybe I like wake up at 6.

Speaker 1 44:09

That's my schedule. That's essentially how about you. Are you a good sleeper?

Speaker 2 44:12

Almost identical, except it's 5. That's why I text you at 5. I think what Upton was saying is stop texting me at 5.

Speaker 1 44:20

Nellie. Nellie, you know I'm up.

Speaker 2 44:23

Yeah, this morning I was up at 3.30. And I woke up at 3.30 and I actually sent my sister a text at 3.30 and she's all did you send this at 3.30 in the morning Because she lives in New York, so I knew she'd be up Exactly and the thing about that is like it is a change of behavior.

Speaker 1 44:38

But if I'm drifting off at 8 or 8.30, 5, 5.30 is my nine hours, it's like it doesn't. It's all a shift in, and usually what the hell am I doing from eight to 10 other than binging a show that I wish I wasn't watching? That's kind of the reality of it. So I'm not curing cancer, I'm not changing things between eight and 10. So I'm like I may as well kind of start that sleep process and help it out a little bit. What do you got now?

Speaker 2 45:01

Anything else Okay. So do you listen to music when you paint?

Speaker 3 45:05

I do. I always listen to music.

Speaker 1 45:07

Let's uh, I hope you have an iPhone. I have an iPhone. Is it a brand new one? Hopefully that'll plug in.

Speaker 3 45:14

You want to just play the first song?

Speaker 2 45:15

Yeah, what do you listen to? Like, give us an idea. Like is it Enya, Is it?

Speaker 3 45:19

Chili Peppers.

Speaker 2 45:20

Is it Metallica? I'll just play to play it for us.

Speaker 3 45:25

How long do I play it for?

Speaker 2 45:27

He'll do it oh right here.

Speaker 1 45:32

That's the first one. Is this Oswald? Who is this? Oh?

Speaker 2 45:35

Stick oh Stick Figure.

Speaker 1 45:37

Let's go.

Speaker 3 45:39

That's Brian's favorite band by the way, is it?

Speaker 2 45:42

Come on.

Speaker 1 45:44

Now, as we're listening to this, before we get sued by Stick Figure, we'll turn it down a little bit. But is this you in the universe, or you painting, or a little bit of everything Me in the universe Like is this just you riding the bike? Is this just you like riding a bike down the cliffs, or is this like processing? Is this like work music?

Speaker 3 46:03

This is just like existing in the universe. This is just being in the universe. It's like completely being in the rhythm, remember, like I was talking about kind of getting out of the way um, there's some. Chris stapleton for you.

Speaker 1 46:18

This is a little. There's a big shift right here big shift.

Speaker 3 46:20

I have a really wide range of music and then there's some like I get into like this dance, kind of just like dance, like non-verbal, but just sort of hypnotic music I'm in that.

Speaker 1 46:28

I I'm into that too, like, like Rufus DeSoul or anything like that. Do you listen to that?

Speaker 3 46:32

And that's like I've just recently gone into Spotify. There you go Like that's.

Speaker 1 46:36

I love this Like in the sauna. Like I'll go in the sauna and I'll do like I do I call them vision quests where I'll go in for like an hour and 15, 200 degrees till my it's up. But I'll listen to this because eventually you sort of transcend, especially with I turn the lights out in the sauna, pitch black, and you kind of start I think it's maybe near death after about an hour and 15 minutes. But then, like I like to just get out and go ice cold hour and 15 minutes in the sauna I've done that since I was 15.

Speaker 3 47:01

Oh brah so good for you we were just we were just in refuge yesterday doing this exact thing. I just did a bunch of cold plunges and hot sauna, Like just totally transcendent 45 minutes to an hour and 15,.

Speaker 1 47:13

Nellie, is what I've done since I was a kid. I did it over at 41st Avenue. They have the 55-degree dip tank. I got locked out of your phone but I did it for my playing football. They started sending me there for just like recovery in the 55-degree. But I always loved sauna and um, uh and I started doing it. But then I've got this pattern now, even when we're in Vegas, wherever we're at like, whenever they have those two opportunities like 50 degree and the heat is, I'll just be in the sauna until my heart rate gets up to a running heart rate and then I'll get out of the sauna and you go in the tank and your heart rate comes down and it goes below, but then it goes back up to a running heart rate in the cold and I get out.

Speaker 3 47:53

Wow, and how long do you stay in the cold?

Speaker 1 47:55

Seven minutes, seven to nine minutes, and do you do that breathing? I do it right up to my. You got to get past your all the way up into your neck and you do your breathing in there.

Speaker 3 48:04

And you just completely like slid on your breath.

Speaker 1 48:06

That's exactly it it's such a beautiful thing yeah, I'm into it and like I'm into that as far as that, as I am the sleeping, the hot and cold that's crazy.

Speaker 2 48:16

I do both, but I would never even consider going in a sauna for an hour and 15 minutes like that's so funny 20 minutes is probably my max.

Speaker 1 48:25

And here's the thing is. I don't even fuck around. I preheat it. So when I go in for that first hour, I go in at 200 yeah, and I just love it.

Speaker 2 48:33

So good for you. Just sweat out all those toxins and everything you know being in the ocean, you're like always punching what are you gonna pull up now?

Speaker 1 48:41

you got something else on your mind. What are you gonna pull up, maya? Isn't it fun sharing music?

Speaker 3 48:45

yeah, it's fun I've the best.

Speaker 1 48:48

I don't know if you were with. Where were we? There was a, we went down. Um, I just love going in, like the. I used to actually rep touch tune jukeboxes, the digital jukeboxes nationwide for buffalo wild wings, and I always have. I still have my app on it. There's nothing better than going to a place with a group of friends and using those credits and everybody doing this in a location so they're playing your favorite songs as you're eating dinner and being your own DJ. I've never done that. It's amazing, like we did when we did a takeover of Mia's place Cruise Kitchen and Taps down there. Stacey and I went down there before concert and we didn't know anybody there, but by the time we were done, the waiter was requesting songs. People at the other booth were requesting songs. I just give it to my phone.

Speaker 1 49:33

It's a great way to commune with people. Did you want to play a certain song, or am I just still jamming? No, just jamming Common Kings. Now we're back in Nellie.

Speaker 3 49:38

Now we're in Hawaii. Yeah, here we go.

Speaker 1 49:41

Nellie, what do you got? We're winding down. Hey, we just killed an hour Fifteen minutes. We did it, we did it. You have sheets. Oh yeah, this is the unabashedly plug yourself websites. Or did you have something else?

Speaker 2 49:59

I just wanted to hear what else you wrote, because what you wrote so far was just amazing and it just got us into this zen zone of what's real in the world. Totally so I want to hear what else you wrote.

Speaker 3 50:06

I just wrote, individuality is a gift and to all of those young aspiring artists out there and actually not even any artist, just anybody in the world to remember to always honor the voice within yourself and follow your passions and do what's in your heart and do you and, yeah, Epic.

Speaker 2 50:28

I think that's an important thing to say that is important and it's the truth right there you know all right now you get how inspiring to other artists, you know, I mean, and it's like when I look at your artwork.

Speaker 2 50:41

Oh, one of my favorite things is when I, when I've collabed with you, you've taken an image of mine and and taken those sharp, edgy parts of the photo and softened them into like perfection, and so it's like you know, I get, like the pipeline piece, for instance, all of a sudden that the palm trees looked way more inviting in your painting and it was like the water looked like you wanted to run and jump in it. Yeah, I mean, and it didn't necessarily my photo didn't necessarily do that for me, but when I saw it painted it was just like, wow, I want to be there they love that?

Speaker 1 51:17

yeah, and it's. I mean, that's what it's all about, and I think I said this after our print interview is that it's. You know, a lot of times you'll you know, I've done these enough now over two years with vibes, where you kind of get this theme but talking to you feels like you're painting, which is really that's hard to do, I mean, cause you know your reflection when you your words kind of match your style in the planet, which is kind of cool, cause that's hard. I think that's not hard, it's just who you are, but it also means you're probably in the right medium, you know for sure. So now's where you get to do your, your gratuitous plugs, like anything where you want to drive people, or, um, your website, your social media, all the fun stuff.

Speaker 3 51:58

Yeah, my website, that's shopmyanegracom.

Speaker 2 52:02

Spell your name, my Anagra.

Speaker 3 52:06

M-A-I-A-N-E-G-R-E.

Speaker 1 52:08

You got it right. You spelled it correctly. I knew how to spell it.

Speaker 2 52:12

Just for other people that want to get some of our sarongs or paintings.

Speaker 1 52:16

And then what we'll do is we'll do what we always do is we'll do what about your. Instagram Sorry. Oh yeah, thanks, no, you're good.

Speaker 3 52:20

My Instagram is just my name. It's at mayanagray.

Speaker 1 52:25

Perfect, and then in our show notes and all of the other things we do in the claps We'll get all of that in, so it's like direct links. So in the show notes of the podcast They'll be able to go right to the shop and all the other things you just mentioned. But this was amazing.

Speaker 2 52:39

I have one thing before we.

Speaker 1 52:41

It's your show, nell Dogg.

Speaker 2 52:42

I want to say happy birthday to my daughter.

Speaker 1 52:44

Oh man, there we go, like as it's happening right now today.

Speaker 2 52:48

No, it's on the 26th.

Speaker 1 52:50

Oh, this will be Okay, I got you.

Speaker 2 52:51

This will be the last one before her birthday, so I just want to how old is she? Give her a shout out. Happy birthday, keala, she's going to be 20. Whoa Nelly, it went by really fast.