That’s enough construction tech for you. The point of the above example is that sustainability has worked in industries. While there’s still plenty to improve on for the construction trade, the last decade proves that it works – however what about fashion and garment manufacturing? Blaque Falcon commenced like most businesses with the greatest of intention to drive an urban, but sophisticated take on lifestyle. All of our products so far and even my novel DRAX drives this very point.
You’ll notice this through our luxury minimalist design – I personally believe in the timelessness of our products. Once you purchase one of our hoodies for example, you’d know that this is an item of ours that you can wear over and over without having to purchase from anywhere else.
The use of cotton in our garments are made by curving and diminishing the cotton strands to make an extremely fine, solid and delicate rope of cotton so they can integrated with other materials, such as polyester. This then creates a texture that lasts longer. The annoyance of your clothes changing after a few washes is less likely with this fabric – and of course it is sustainable and organic.
While I feel there is more that we can do in the long run at Blaque Falcon to make our garments even more sustainable and organic, the use of ringspun cotton is a very strong start. Much like the sustainable preference of timber frame construction, the choice of using majority cotton rather than polyester is not only an environmentally friendly option, but also a healthy and more comfortable choice Our embroidery is always made in house, so the dark sweatshop-stereotype that the fashion industry is made all to aware of doesn’t exist with Blaque Falcon.
Ikenna
]]>Those of us who have worked hard and toiled for our successes don’t feel the need to show front or posture our victories. We like to work in silence and let the success do the talking for us. Blaque Falcon has always been a staple sophistication - we take pride in having clothing that displays abundance. An unrequited form of what we like to call Stealth Wealth.
This is very much embodied in the Blaque Falcon form of clothing, from our hoodies, all the way to our Oxford Shirts. Quality is the staple of our company ethos, but we don’t stop there. Our literature also displays a sense of urban sophistication but anyone from the outside looking in would question how literature and fashion work hand in hand? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you may think. It’s not through the face of the branding that makes us who we are, it’s the attitude and how we encompass this via our outputs.
The hero product that we are proud showcase is our 1/4 zipped jumper. Crafted from a prime soft cotton, our quarter zip pullover, like the rest of our garments are finished with the signature embroidered Falcon. A much more affordable investment of quality for your wardrobe, our pullover jumper offers premium comfort for office / home working.
An adaptation to our current circumstance of flexible everyday working conditions is essential. Blaque Falcon’s approach to this is the same like all our collections through: comfort and quality. An inexpensive approach to stealth wealth dressing.
]]>Based on the above definition, finding examples of decadence in a society such as ours (at this time of writing) can't be difficult to come by. At least it's not difficult for me. Everywhere I turn, I see a consistent stream of contradictions that forces me to turn back to my turtle shell and not trust.
People, business structures, processes - at times the easy route out would be to simply say, "what's the point" and walk away. You may argue and say that's the "coward's way" out, but if you've read this far in this article, I can only assume you have the slightest idea on where I'm coming from.
One minute you're told one thing, the next you're informed of something different - the difficulty is keeping your sanity amongst all of this. The decadent contradictions that we interface with on a day-to-day basis forces us to search elsewhere for a sense of meaning, belonging and fulfillment. After all the stresses that we deal with daily, how much of that time was actually spent for yourself?
"Following society’s rules, doing what the world expects of you –
serving your master – this is all considered sane. This is the status
quo. What benefits does this give us? A company car, social status,
public acceptance, but all at a cost: your life. But quitting your job,
showing your master the middle finger, committing yourself to ideals
– this is considered insane, but what can you gain from this? Your
life." DRAX, Nwimo, Ikenna
The parallel society that I'm leading up to, is a society that is equidistant to the world that we know. This is a world where you create your own rules - all within the legal confines of what is presently known as the material world.
You are on your path and you can craft whatever persona you wish to become out of yourself. This is the true beauty of it all. Yes, you can be whoever you want to be based on whatever agreement you made out of yourself. This is The Parallel Society.
This is also how Blaque Falcon was conceived. It initially came out of anger, frustration and most of all confusion. I saw the fraud that was all around me and decided to describe it in some shape through my first novel DRAX. Then I expanded my interests and got into clothing too - I'm inspired by plush living, royalty, confidence and being the best person you can possibly be. This is all in spite of the difficulties we all face.
Authenticity is the golden ticket to standing out - for no one can be better than you at being you, so run with that and you can never lose. Being authentic in a world full of illusions and disappointment immediately stands you out among all the "tricknology" that plagues our world today.
Life never happens to you, it is simply responding to you. Quit reacting and start summoning.
Love and Light.
Ikenna
]]>
We're led to believe by common, mainstream culture that everything around us is progressing - technology is advancing, the economy is going this way or that, but deep down you may feel the exact opposite. Yes, technology may very well be progressing, but are you?
The Blaque Falcon Bomber, layered with the Ladies Falcon Hoodie.
Analysing progress through numbers, pie charts and the like, can be a useful way to check on things - but it ultimately comes down to you. Everything on the outside, external world that you interact with is a reflection of the condition that’s present on the internal. If you don’t like what’s on the outside, alter and revise what’s happening on the inside. Easier said then done of course, but that’s the cusp of what I’d like to point out in regards to fashion.
Fashion can come in so many layers and there isn’t a one-size fits all. What works for you simply works for you, and what better way to express your own individuality than with layering. In Britain, that transitional period between Winter and Spring can be a strange one. Those of here in the UK are dealt a hand of unpredictability weather. That’s why at Blaque Falcon, we ensured that we’ve got ourselves covered for any situation. Our Down Jackets can easily be layered with any hoodie, and that can be complimented with any of our jogging bottoms for men or women. For when things get a little brighter, we have our Polos and Oxford Shirts that adds a "preppier" feel to your spring look.
]]>Dominance of M.I.N.D
How important is our mind? What is destiny? As much as I really don’t wish to over indulge your attention with anything too fanciful or esoteric, these are questions I don’t believe enough of us ask ourselves. We have so much to deal with in our everyday lives (bills, work commitments, social gatherings, family etc.) that it’s incredibly easy to forget to take a deep internal look into ourselves. The pressures we deal with everyday are so common, so transient to our being, that we've simply accepted these pressures as part of our reality and existence. In my own experience, I can say that it was only when I started looking into myself, did I come to the realisation of how infinite we really are as a human race.
Too metaphysical for you? Let me explain. If you were to have your job, possessions, and other essentials taken away from you, what would you consider yourself? How important are these so called ‘trinkets’ if they can be easily taken away from you - as in you don’t find out who you really are until the illusion of your ‘reality’ peels itself away from you. The point I’m driving here is that we start off finding who we are by questioning. Deep down you may have already known that everything around you is mental, but the luxury of having a smartphone and an online streaming service is so tasteful, that even the thought of these things being taken away from you seems crazy. It's now part of your reality, like your daily routine of going to work and eating the same microwave dinner every night.
So is this what dominates our minds on a day-to-day basis? Working and scrambling to make enough money, to pay for things you may not need, in expense for your time and maybe your own peace of mind? These are the distractions that subvert us away from who we really are towards a collective unconscious - an unassuming avatar and meme consuming what’s being fed to us daily. In my first novel DRAX, and especially in my upcoming book Heath, you’d find that the protagonists both have their usual mundane realities spun around to force them to see inside themselves. I believe this has happened to us a few times in each of our journey’s. We go about our everyday lives doing what we normally do, then an unsuspecting event comes out nowhere and slaps us into submission, forcing us to act in unusual ways to get us out of the hole we’re in. It’s only then that we find out how amazing and powerful we really are. That’s the dominance of MIND I’m referring to - it’s the level of FOCUS we apply to get ourselves out of the rut. Well why don’t we transfer this energy into achieving our desired reality instead of reacting to whatever life throws at us?
Let's throw ourselves into life and see what it gives us back. This is how I define the meaning of M.I.N.D:
Matter: The physical substance or circumstance that is formed when thought and intention are balanced correctly.
Intending or Intention: the cause of the thought
Noetic - The mental plane of intellect
Destiny - The destiny of where your thoughts take you.
We’ve all heard of the Law of Attraction, and how it can transform your life. In my view, all of this is well and true – but an aspect that I believe is usually overlooked is the critical importance of understanding and ‘inner’standing your own thought patterns. So much emphasis has been put on mental health and wellbeing which is great to see, but I always question for what aim? What would be great to find out, is whether the promotion of mental health charities and events improve the persons who require help in comprehending their thinking.
The Dominance of M.I.N.D. is the actualization of who you are – seeing everything that you interface with as a direct reflection of what’s been going on in your mind. This is the powerhouse of your destiny, the genie lamp of Aladdin that grants your every wish. Simply assume you already are or own what you say you want to be in your life and see what happens. You might bump into someone who presents an opportunity to you, that leads to another. Your train to work leaves later than originally scheduled, but while waiting you receive a phone call that directs you to that thing that if that train departed on time, you wouldn’t have been able to receive. You get the point. This is truly a world filled with infinite possibilities. This is how the divine intelligence of human existence operates – you don’t stress, worry or fret about anything, because you know deep down that everything is already manifesting to the point of what you want into the recesses of your M.I.N.D.
Love and Light,
Ikenna
]]>I’ve written on a few posts of my writing process for both of my books, as it’s usually a test of your own mental patience and perseverance to see long-winded projects through to the end. However, this where the importance of self-commitment comes into play, and the root to this all is discipline. Discipline separates the wan-trepreneurs from the entrepreneurs, the people that battle through everyday adversity to ensure that their loved ones are safe, sound and secure. It also most definitely calls out who the posers are against the authentic movers and shakers.
Guilt
We’ve all been there though haven’t we? An opportunity presents itself to us in some form, which requires an effort of commitment and perhaps discomfort. Sometimes, the very thought of even carrying out this work is so demeaning, that you don’t do it. This is where self-deprecating thoughts can come and make their welcome: “I should’ve done this, I could’ve done that”. Guilt is not an emotion to succumb and dwell too much in, for you can easily find yourself in a seemingly never ending defeatist spiral, bumping yourself from wall to wall.
The solution to this common issue is easier said than done, but this is the threshold that must be crossed in order to reach your own personal 'promised land' so to speak. Constantly reminding yourself why you do what you do - be it to improve your present circumstances, or simply a change of fortune, is a logical incentive to push for self-imposed discipline.
Winning is for Grown-Ups
This is where the maturity that I mentioned earlier comes into full force. It takes a mature individual to be fully cognizant of their personal shortcomings - not from a place of fear or scarcity, but as a stepping stone for something greater and grander for themselves. You used to be at point A, but now you're at point B, and there's nowhere to go but up.
From here on end, you begin to feel a sense of flightiness, like nothing can stop you except an extenuating circumstance, that on most occasions we can't avoid. Your skills and confidence continues to grow, while you maintain a momentum in your practice. This is why goal setting is a great way to build up self-belief in yourself, and the best part about it all, is that it came from an authentic and genuine source: yourself.
Creating Blaque Falcon came from a place internally within myself that had to be expressed. I already knew I had the creativity and the talent to produce all that you see today. It was only inevitable that a hot-fresh clothing and publishing brand would all of a sudden take flight and become that it is now. Bespoke creations, whether it's a new brand, business, book etc. are essential for pushing communities, and overall humanity in the direction that it requires for our descendants to enjoy and make the most out of. The first step to doing this, is having the courage to at the very least, start, then the moulding process of your self-discipline begins.
Love, and light
Ikenna
]]>This is the exact ingredient necessary to staying on top of yourself and being ahead of the game. Past judgements and experiences tend to pull us back, as I've written previously before, and our TRUE strength lies in overcoming those traumas, and pushing forward despite these self-imposed obstacles. Staying ahead of the game means just that - the game that's constantly being played on your mind. Your interactions with others, the successes, the failures, the hurdles you've overcome all can serve or hinder you - depending on how you use them.
Do you allow your past success to make you grow soft for future challenges, or do you find a way to stay hungry despite your internal accolades? Do you allow your failure to stop you trying something new, or do you use the pain experienced as fuel to your internal fire to push on for something great. These are things that we all subconsciously ask ourselves everyday, sometimes without our own knowledge. This is what separates the pigeons to the Falcons and the Lions to the Antelope.
2021, like every other year will present challenges to Blaque Falcon, but we'll be ready as ever, for it's the uncomfortable challenges that bring out the best in us.
Love and Light,
Ikenna
]]>If there was anytime to prove to ourselves of Blaque Falcon rising to a challenge, this was it. While exposure was initially slow for the release of our Season Three range, the months during lockdown gave me the opportunity to explore into avenues that wouldn’t have been considered under ‘normal’ circumstances.
I have always wanted to do a garment range for children for quite sometime now. So much so, that we took in orders as a beta test to check on fit, embroidery sizes etc. It’s been a success, and I’m proud to have achieved this feat in 2020 amidst all the confusion surrounding the world. We also managed to get a new line Falcon Embroidered T-Shirts and Polos that offer a much wider range embroidery colours. I’m really excited to have this available for you all.
In the literature side, I’m proud to announce that the first draft of my new book ‘Heath’ has been completed and is currently under its editing phase. The release date is pending, but I’m excited to bring you the follow up to my 1st novel DRAX out now on Amazon.
Amidst everything that’s occurred in 2020, I can only foresee more great things for us all for the years to come!
Love and Light
Ikenna
]]>Personally, I have been through a few tests of my own, this year forced me to handle issues that were affecting me internally from what I was experiencing externally. Earlier in the year, I had no choice but to look into myself and to explore what was pulling me down. What didn’t I like about myself? Is there something from outside that I have not seen yet? Some of us are acutely aware of the old saying of, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and where the light at the end of the tunnel begins to show itself gracefully.
When looking internally in yourself, you not only find the flaws, but (if patient), you also discover the beauty and uniqueness in yourself as well. This is easier said than done, especially with all the distractions that we interface with every day, but with enough perseverance and focus, it is worth the effort. Administering your inner realm is like reading through your own book. You see all your past triumphs, failures, successes and traumas. What usually binds us to our past is the connection, the invisible link we have to a particular failure about ourselves and a sense of lack. This is why most us find it difficult to get past previous experience: there’s always an invisible link between the present and the past, therefore making a brighter future, near enough impossible to manifest.
A method I eventually found in overcoming your own previous pitfalls of insecurity, is being comfortable in one’s own space. Solitude is actually a space where many of us are fearful of, but I can tell you this is a place where I found plenty of liberation in. Shift your focus to what makes “you”, you. Peel the layers away from what your so-called peers think of you, colleagues, and even family, for they see you in their own way. What matters here, is what you think and feel about yourself. Your perception is what makes your reality. Picture that dream scenario of yourself with no handbrake and embrace the excitement of what is to become of you!
This was the primary core of what gave me the courage to kick start Blaque Falcon. I really wanted to have something, an invention of my own that I knew would benefit, myself and people around me, but it had to be an element that I had a natural enthusiasm for. Find this within yourself and the sweet fruit that comes shortly after.
Love and Light,
Ikenna
]]>Usually when it comes to aiming for those new goals, the part that scares us the most is when we take that leap into the unknown, you don’t know if you’ve made the correct decision or not, and you might hurt yourself in the process. Well, what if by making One Simple Change with us in the Falcon Family do you not only know the benefits of making that change, but you can also witness evidence (testimonials and scientific) research of the benefits?
It's because of this that I decided to create The Falcon Five Pillars of Health. These pillars are all very simple because we’re all very aware of them.
These pillars are all very simple because we’re all very aware of them, you can find the pillars all being practiced on our NEW page dedicated specifically to Health.
I trust that you will find it useful for you and yours.
Love and Light
Ikenna
]]>Firstly, I was humbled that I was even receiving the question in first place, as the individual who asked me mentioned the positive 'go-getter' tone on all our previous blog posts. This was great as it particularly signifies what the brand stands for. In anytime of uncertainty and confusion, sticking your chest out and handling the situation in front of you - whoever you are is the answer. My response to the reader was that the ultimate key thing was to stay focused. ALWAYS.
We should all know by now the importance of how powerful the mind is, and how it can easily sometimes be manipulated to serve both nefarious and positive aims. Therefore, I find it so important to be critical with information that you receive (even from us). It is only when you begin to critically analyse the data that your process into your consciousness do you start to see the entire political landscape for what it really is. This doesn’t mean that you completely turn off your PC or Television screen and abhor it or assume that everything that you read and hear is false. The point I’m making is that it is perfectly logical and even strategic to not take everything you see and hear at face value - i.e. not falling for the okie doke – a point I have strenuously made on previous posts.
The most constructive solution is to have a relentless abhorrence for anything that distracts you. The goal is as clear in your mind’s eye, as the predator is to its prey. Constructive tasks that get you closer to your desire will fill your heart with joy and catharsis – in any circumstance. This is the mindset of a warrior. The Falcon animal itself is a war-like creature, it thrives for the hunt and goes after its prey with no hesitation. Does it concern itself with other wildlife doing what it needs to function on earth? Does an athlete running a 100m sprint worry themselves with their opponents? No. The end goal is in sight and that is the ONLY focus. It is totally human to have compassion for those who have experienced misfortunes, and have fallen victim to appalling acts of violence, but the best way to honour them in the midst of a crisis, is to stay war-ready, while preparing your mind and body for the challenge that awaits you.
Love and light
Ikenna
]]>My intention for Blaque Falcon was to always keep the designs modest, but fitting. Sleek, but cool, and there was no other way to achieve that but by producing products that drive at that vision - while also ensuring that they fitted the user. Which can only make you want to wear it over and over again. I personally don’t like throwing old clothes out, whenever I think I need a wardrobe refresh, I check within my own garment archives and find a few gems of my own that I feel I can use again. Which is great, for many reasons. I don’t have to spend much to look and feel fresh, plus I there’s always another garment of my own I can mix and match with.
However, one of the reasons I noticed that I don’t throw a lot of clothes out was that the clothes themselves were ageless. Some of the clothes that we have in our wardrobe don’t actually age (depending on what it is of course) and this is the silent trend that I notice being driven by us all. Whilst we all enjoy that rush of getting new fashion gear delivered to our front doors, the factor that I find that stops garments from being donated to charity stores is its’ simplicity and quality. You’re unlikely to send your grandfather’s aviator shearling jacket to a local vintage store, because it is just that – it’s vintage. I’m sure you understand the point I’m driving at here.
This is the whole premise of what my intention was with Blaque Falcon, I’m telling my story with clothes and books – which is an unusual mix, but it’s a unique mix of character, nonetheless. The Falcon Polo embodies this personality in full circle with our rib-knit collar and armbands that are made to resist any stretching over time, for when you wear the garment again. Our Falcon Polo’s are also made with a Pique Cotton fabric as well that gives shirt a soft feel, but with a textured look. Finally, the Polo’s are also made with 4% elastane for that extra mobility when put on. I trust you will enjoy everything that our store has to offer.
Love and Light,
Ikenna
]]>Before I ramble on any further, I would like to think you are catching my drift. A sequel to a story (to me) is supposed to portray an expansion and evolution to a world that we have previously explored. Does our protagonist’s story come to a tragic and sad end, or do they grow and become a completely different individual to whom you met in the previous story? What about the antagonist? There are a multitude of queries and avenues that storytellers can go with a plot and storyboard.
At Blaque Falcon, as Falcon Family members you are all aware that we know a thing or two about producing a sequel with our fashion collections over the years. Sure, we’ve only been active for three years at this time of writing, but already we have produced three clothing collections, each with a unique expansion from its former, and I intend that we keep it that way. Not to mention the publication and release of our debut literary novel, written by yours truly. I write this to confirm that not only have I been working on our fashion lines with fresh garments, behind the scenes, I have also been working on the sequel to DRAX for a while now (years to be precise).
If you haven’t had the experience of writing a novel – or any book for that matter, I can tell you it takes an infinite amount of patience, dedication and a relentless amount of courage to experience how far your mind can really take you. With the follow up to our debut, I knew I had to take it up a notch with where DRAX ended. Yes, a lot of questions that were raised during the story were answered (eventually), but I felt there was another level I knew I can take it with characters I created. With that being said, I have taken the bold step in choosing a protagonist that will force me to delve deeper in the expansion of the alternate universe I created. It is because of this, that I’m really excited to bring this fresh new story to you all, and I can tell you all now Falcon Family, it’s going to be a roller-coaster. It has taken me a while to do the relevant research, and to get the plot together where there are enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. Watch this space!
Love, and Light
Ikenna
]]>Illusion – an idea or belief that is not true, or something that is not what it seems to be.
The supposed idea or rather theory of what reality is can be interpreted in a variety of angles. Firstly, what we perceive to be reality should automatically come into question when studying the present subject matter. Secondly what we understand or rather overstand to be reality should certainly be down to the individual in question. This essay challenges the idea and current notion of what reality is, but also decoding the illusory perceptions that are given. I challenge this simply on the basis of what we understand to be control.
We must first understand fully what we like to grasp as control of our actions are simply guided by what we understand to be real. For clarification purposes, I will base this thesis on the universal principality of Cause and Effect. With this natural law, we understand that the control of our lives can be based on what we understand to be reality – being what we were taught as at a young age and through our experiences. However, before we enter into the realm of the illusion that has been put in front the people we have to overstand what has turned the modern man and woman into mindless drones – Automatons namely.
As everyone’s actions are governed by their own self-interest, we are all locked in our own narcissistic 'castle'. We then inevitably assume that when we communicate with others, they see and understand our perspective exactly the way we see it without realising we are just enforcing our emotions onto them. A misconception that we may have, would be the natural tendency to conformity. This is rooted over a variety of factors; a need to make friends out of a fear of being left out and not fitting in, listening, believing and inevitably taking part in gossip told by others, and/or doing certain activities that your peer group like to do. All of which give us a feeling of emptiness, coming from a common insecurity that is present in a weak ego.
It of course feels safe to do the same things as other people, because if everyone in your peer group is doing it then surely it must work for you. I would sadly like to call this as being an Automaton. This requires you to look at the world with a somewhat mechanical eye; you feel it is too dangerous being a Maverick to some degree, because you know you’ll more than likely be ridiculed for approaching your life more differently than others and that if you are going to reach a certain echelon of success, it’ll come through sheer coincidence while languidly waiting for what life brings to the table.
The material realm of the planet underhandedly pushes us up to constantly seek for security, and we see the unfortunate consequences of not embracing the risks, i.e. not seeking that well paid job or conservatively becoming miserly with our ideals. When we eventually meet someone who seems a little bit unconventional, we are quick to judge that person as weird, out of touch - even arrogant to an extent.
A way to combat this natural tendency to seek and gain approval from others is to have a brutal and honest look into ourselves. A method to achieving this is seeing yourself through the eyes as someone else, essentially detaching yourself from your knowledge and past.
As poetic and clichéd as it may sound, ALL human beings are essentially unique. Our successes, failures and essentially our general experiences are unique to us individually. What is it about you that separate you from other people? Which activities were you naturally attracted to as a child before you were initiated into the conformist realm that we are in today?
When we begin to search on the answers to the questions above, we begin to embark on a journey of solving our own personal riddle. We can then initiate battle with the slavish, banal tendencies that society foists upon us and set ourselves up for our ultimate freedom through self-creation.
What we like to define as real are only perceptions that have been created by our immediate environment, based on the agreements that have already been made with the individual, the food and media consumed, the people we like to associate with and our daily actions and motivations. If these factors are however perverted and co-opted, by members of a dominant society, then a composite reality has been created. The individual’s everyday choices are therefore not their own, the agreements made are based on someone else’s reality – thus putting the individual in a somewhat child-like position.
Overall, we can liken the actions of being an Automaton to a social conformist. At present, we can now ascertain that the modern day conformist is not one who is in control of his or her own reality.
The Corleone Effect
As children, we pickup activities and mannerisms from our parents and carers. We start out with an exceeding amount of exuberance; expect nearly the best out of everything in the world. As we get older however, the failures and setbacks we endure tend to hold us back in later pursuits in our lives. This is sometimes perpetuated by the problems we inherit from our immediate environment, as well as the words and doctrines adhered from our society.
I make this section of the essay ‘The Corleone Effect’ on the basis of the The Godfather trilogy’s main protagonist, Michael Corleone. What I believe makes the trilogy one of the most significant in modern storytelling, is the story’s primary thematic theme of family, love and loyalty. One can of course argue that it can also be about the Corleone mafia family’s crime syndicate and Michael’s battle to make them all legitimate. Like all respected mediums of art, this is of course up for interpretation, but most communities agree that the tale of Michael Corleone is that of a tragic hero. Despite his initial reluctance in joining the family’s criminal activities, the extenuating circumstance of his father Vito’s assassination attempt, forces Michael to take everything in his own hands. This then sadly leaves him to become the very thing he swore he wouldn’t become. Despite his cunning and ruthless behaviour in the running the Corleone business, taking up his father’s mantle as ‘The Don’, came at a price. Michael’s relationship with his wife Kay Adams tragically strains as well as those closest to him.
What can be learned from this epic story is the machinations of illusion obtained when put into positions of supposed power. Michael thought he was in control of his fate when he received the title of Godfather but he really inherited the position, and with that came the issues and problems that come with that illusion of power. Michael Corleone wasn’t in control of his destiny; he was living someone else’s life.
This is very much the predicament many people go through. We are led to believe that mainstream society has our interests at heart and if we follow this path or that, everything will work out on its own.
Sadly, its when we are faced with tough decisions to make, we’re suddenly caught in a crossroads in a sense – ‘if only I had followed my initial inclinations’. This is the tragedy we face, we all suffer like Michael did at the end of The Godfather story – leaving the material/physical world in deep regret and pain of living an illusion all our lives. However, what if we were aware of the hidden symbols and messages that are thrown in front of us?
What should also be taken to consideration should be the method decoding the imagery and symbols that we are exposed to daily. This would heartily contribute to what we allow to enter into consciousness, thus pertaining to the importance of social awareness, and ridding ourselves of the ignorance that continues to plague our society. The process of decoding these symbols (similar to the interpretation of The Godfather tale) and ideals that are confronted to the public, is however an unpopular thing to do; for the truth has consistently proven to be an unpleasant place to explore.
Judging by the simple, logical use of cause and effect; to be able to redefine our reality, we must be able to define it. This would involve the upmost prudence in not taking all the mediums that are given at face value, thus proving to the seeker that essentially our minds, have already been colonized thus keeping us all in an artificial lockdown.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby 'The Great Gatsby' 2013
Other than Michael Corleone, the ‘Tragic Hero’ archetype can also be applied to The Great Gatsby’s title character, Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby himself, although not inheriting wealth and power like a Michael Corleone, viewed himself as a somewhat ‘self-made’ entrepreneur - throwing lavish parties in his mansion every week, inviting socialites, politicians and entertainers. However, later on in the novel, we learn that as a young man, he had despised the idea of poverty and had an underlying obsession of attaining wealth, mostly for the love and acceptance of Daisy Buchanan, who herself came from a wealthy background.
What makes The Great Gatsby such useful material for this thesis is on the various amount of layers that can be construed from the story. Jay Gatsby can be seen as a hopeless romantic, successful entrepreneur or even a manipulative gangster, but what can be transmuted from the story is the rags to riches story that is presented to the reader later on in the story.
Since Gatsby believed wholeheartedly in his dream to acquire wealth and status, this eventually became a reality to him, however it should be prudently noted that it was of course nothing more than an illusion, as it is shown in the book’s tragic ending. What can be evidently learned however, is that when we can summon the courage to ask questions and commence to deconstruct the structures of our apparent reality, we can learn to create our own reality based on our beliefs and take control of our fate.
Conclusion
From what has been researched, I’ve found that what we would like to call 'reality' and what is reality can be finite. This is all down to the perception of the individual, but as mentioned earlier, the sights, sounds and even the names of object and symbols that were force-fed to us from childhood must be questioned. From this, a whole new paradigm of consciousness can be created – giving the individual the power to produce a new reality. This can also be achieved via self-awareness of the individuals purpose and critically tear apart the media that is absorbed daily, as demonstrated above.
Due to our perpetual ignorance, we are essentially locked down. We have successfully surrendered our critical thinking ability to accept something based on what somewhat else has designed for us. Modern day society is not based on first hand experiences – they are essentially vicarious. We absorb media to watch other people enjoy their first hand experiences, therefore it is the second hand experience that that stagnates our bodies to develop our consciousness to reawaken. Our souls will thus fail to express interface organically to search itself. Awareness of ones purpose automatically sets the undertone of the daily choices, thus avoiding the common societal tragedy of becoming an automaton and the inevitable pitfall of The Corleone effect.]]>The ability to write, let a loan create, in today’s image-obsessed, swipe left or swipe right culture, honestly requires an insurmountable amount of patience, persistence and an amount of courage too. Everyone has a story to them, but how many of our stories are put in public view for the people’s perusal? Stories are told in all sorts of methods, fashion, books, movies, video games, music – these are just the some of the more popular mediums that we consume and use on a day to day basis, but what isn’t detailed much is how these stories are brought to life.
No matter how old or young you are in life, we are all taught the basic premise that anything worth having is always worth fighting for, and while this may be the gospel universal truth for some, grabbing a sheet of paper and pen or pencil is a different activity altogether. With so many distractions engulfing us in our day-to-day lives, how can one develop the discipline to sit down and draw up ideas and concepts without the guarantee of a pay check coming through? I’ve detailed a few points below that may help in getting through it based on my own experience. Take notes Falcon Family…
Clear Vision
Having a clear vision can be a tool that you use to assist in developing that design concept or drafting a business plan that can make you more economically flexible for you and your loved ones. Create a dream-like vision for what you want, and you’ll be shocked on how it all transpires right in front of you. It may not turn out the way you expect it to, but most of the time, you’ll see that it comes to life simply because you kept thinking about it. This is just one way of looking at it, but I’m sure you get the point. I’m talking about creating your own reality based upon the stimulus's that you have around you as I alluded in the previous post.
“The Principle of Mentalism: The All is Mind. The Universe is Mental” – The Kybalion, Three Initiates
This is just one of the hermetic principles that the ancient priests understood in ancient Kemet (now known as Egypt in Northern Africa). So, you see, storytelling and reality interpretation has been part of the Human experience, regardless of who you are. I can go on a little bit more on the ancients and their practices, but I’ll leave that for another time.
Sketch the Details
So, you have your idea and you’ve visualized the success. Now it’s time to draft out some of the details, and I’ll be honest here family, if you’ve made it this far in actually drawing up an idea and plan, you’re already ahead of million (maybe even billions) of people who can’t get their things together. With that in mind, here’s a little side note: on your path to being a creative, you will meet all sorts of characters that will either propel you up or down – take none of this personal. You’re path is unique, which ultimately makes your story unique. Simply use this (whether it’s good or bad) as a source material for your life experience, an education to propel you for the next step.
The details of your story (or business plan, design etc.), should always include what you’d of course like to have on it. At this stage you’re putting in the meat in the bones: what ingredients are you putting into your work? This includes the theme of the story, characters, mood, what exactly are you aiming to portray? As I said with the previous post, with DRAX, I deliberately wanted to tell a tale that I would’ve loved reading or watching myself, and this was based from an amalgamation of experiences, mixed in with imagination. In a way, sketching the details is where everything can either get real interesting or become a harsh reality check. Perhaps writing that novel was never really for you, so you stopped, or you got real excited about it and kept going. There is no right or wrong answer here. Not everyone can craft a dream setting and run with it. The choice is yours.
Force Yourself to do it
This is where human nature and the universal law of duality come into play. To get rid of any bad habit or creating any more productive habits, require laser-like focus and persistence. In my experience, these are the simply said, but difficult-to-do keys. The good news is everyone has the potential to get it, but very few have the patience to see it through. This is also the stage where the application of both of the above stages also do their magic. To assist in going through the more difficult periods (writers block, setbacks etc.), keeping in touch with the original vision and constant internal reminders of why you’re pursuing what you are doing will help. An emotional connection to the details you sketch out will also help you go through the principals and concepts you devised in the previous stage. What’s more, is that you may even consider revising some of the original ideas or perhaps even create new ones.
In this day and age, distractions are almost near impossible to avoid and it is in your divine right to reject the immediate pleasures and luxuries that are at your disposal – temporarily at least. People within your circle may also have to be put to the side, as much as you love and respect your family, friends and peers, the objective of seeing out your creative project should be more important than seeking out the latest gossip on social media. Again, this is all easier said than actually done, but only you can see this through. Rest assured you’ll be going through a buffet of emotions out of that, remember that whatever emotion you’re going through, keeping your head is what will ultimately see you through, which brings us to my final stage.
Embrace the feedback
It’s incredibly unusual for anyone to ask for a critique of their work, but this is where you can further authenticate your creation. Learning to deal with feedback (good or bad) is what I consider, the icing on the cake for your invention. What’s the initial response? Who exactly gave you feedback, and what type of individual was he/she? As you probably know by now, it’s all down to your perspective and how you interpret the feedback will determine the next step on your projects’ creation. You may also consider giving away free samples of your product or creation for any initial feedback. I did this very thing while writing DRAX – to grab people’s opinion, I deliberately emailed a 1st draft of an early scene to gather early thoughts for the rest of the book. The feedback was positive, and I continued to write in the manner that I did – eventually releasing the via Blaque Falcon (after endless hours of copy-editing from a professional).
Clothing and Fashion is a little different, but the principle remains the same. The first item I managed to get manufactured was the Mens Falcon Printed T-Shirt in black. It was simple, and it fitted well on myself. I even managed to get a few professional shots of myself wearing it just for an opinion. As vain and narcissistic as it may sound, I once again asked for feedback on the item, and the initial response was that the symbol fitted well on the shirt – further exemplifying where I needed to go with the brand. All I had to do was keep coming up with products that were simple and effective for potential Falcon Family members.
]]>I think I made my point in delving into some of the contradictions of taking some ‘inspirational quotes’ to heart. To my understanding, and as the blog title suggests, is that patience is a superpower. I write this not to mean that you can punch through walls or fly in mid-air kind of superpower. I’m referring to patience as a power play, a card that can be dealt as a means to obtaining your goals and win - so much so that you appear to have some kind of superpower.
I’ve written previously on the importance of having a goal, setting targets and executing them, but the one underrated element is always the requirement of time it takes to achieve this. Most blogs or even books will go to the nth degree about the dedication it takes to reach your aspirations, but what about the time? What about the hours spent understanding the logistics of getting that a product manufactured and dealing with the feedback of it?
This is the kind of power that I refer to, for if you can still go through the inevitable periods of frustration and still come out on top, the rewards are always fruitful. As a throwback, I refer to the writing process of producing DRAX. I’ve written previously on this very subject of dealing with the long periods of frustration. I can tell you that during my time of writing DRAX and my new top secret project that I’m working on, there were endless moments of boredom and annoyance.
However, what assisted in perseverance of it was my focus of the end goal. It was this very focus, that drove the patience out of my naturally - without having to refer to an inspirational quote on social media. If you’re currently going through such a period now, I wish you every success - keep going!
]]>We initially had a line of Unisex Casual shirts that certainly fit the bill for the Season Two collection we had, but it didn’t tick my box in terms of quality. There were (and still are) 100% combed cotton, but I like to have our garments be somewhat unique to the you when you put them on, and with this garment it was difficult to achieve that with its Unisex durability.
So for our third collection we are (re) introducing our Falcon Oxford Shirts. Our Ladies Oxford shirts still offer the uniqueness of the Blaque Falcon quality by being manufactured in 100% combed cotton, is its feminine styled appearance that compliments the female falcon wearer. Both the ladies and mens oxford shirts are versatile and easy to wear. You can easily mix this garment with a pair of jeans or other items to achieve that smart or very casual look. The choice is yours!
]]>Our first season collection boasted of the Falcon Embroidered and printed hoodies which immediately signified our brand identity. We consistently get positive feedback on its comfort, durability and its timeless quality which was my initial intention moving ahead with Blaque Falcon. This was further cemented by our Unisex Sweatshirts which provided the exact same function, but I personally consider it a great garment to have for prime home leisure.
Season Two included the Falcon Knitted Sweatshirt, which introduced our foray into the knitwear spectrum. Season Three however takes our knitwear game to another dimension. This year we introduce our first ever line of cardigans – each embroidered with the royal golden-brown emblem of The Falcon. I’m very excited about bringing out this garment, as a cardigan can very easily be used to support layering for formal wear, or it can also support any casual occasion you may be in.
Our Season Three collection is further complimented by our Half-Zip Pullovers, which can provide a simple and comfortable addition to your wardrobe. We also finally have our fresh new line of sweatshirts that are made with 100% lambswool. Difficult to go wrong with any of the above as they are simply quality extensions to the Blaque Falcon story.
]]>Working in the position that I occupy, I’ve had no other choice but to be diligent and consistent with my stance on moving forward with where Blaque Falcon moves. The above question, is what I deliberately force myself to confront all the time. The consequence of not doing this causes the brand, the products and ultimately the story to stagnate and falter. Let’s look at this in another way.
We can all agree that the natural order of the universe always has to move in one direction: forward, and without understanding this simple universal truth, you can clearly see why a lot of us go through some of the unfortunate circumstances that we endure day-to-day. In my experience, a way to combat this is clarifying your goals and objectives – conversely this doesn’t have to be at the end of the year or at the start of it. You can do it right now! An even easier question you can ask yourself is, what do you want? When we start to question, but most importantly query ourselves internally, you’ll find that your day-to-day actions become much more clearer – inevitably forming the 20/20 vision.
So what does 2020 hold for Blaque Falcon? Well we’ve already given you a very sneaky preview of our new collection coming soon and while I’m very eager for you all to see it, I’m sure that the new products and design epitomise the forward direction that I envision us moving into.
]]>Ever since then we’ve ridden the wave of sorts by introducing more and more new members to our family, which prompted the baseline of direction on where we were going as a family. I’ve written in length on how the significance of the Falcon symbol dating back to ancient history. I’ve also written extensively on previous posts on the release of both collections and where I felt (at the time) Blaque Falcon was going.
While Season One put our foot through the door so to speak, Season Two guaranteed that we were certainly here to stay in the ever-evolving fashion arena. We took our initial street / loungewear approach another level by introducing our Falcon Bomber Jackets, but we also told our story through a fresh new range of Polos, Chinos and even Chino shorts (to name a few). I deliberately decided to take us in a more traditional ‘preppy’ direction as I felt that we can do that with the simple, but timeless symbol we have.
Season Three takes Blaque Falcon continuing to lean in the same direction, but I consider this a level up, as it adds to both the loungewear and preppy ranges. For the lounge wear range we’ve upgraded our hoodies with zips to add more durability to its function. Simply another layer to its function. Extending the authentic collection, we’ve also included cardigans, wool sweatshirts and our half-zip pullovers – all to broaden The Falcon wings for years to come.
We’ve also done an update to our Falcon Casual Shirts. I was very particular on how I wanted this product to evolve, as I wanted to keep the garments’ simplicity, but keep its very useful functionality. Casual shirts can easily be worn in anytime of the year, and we’ve even managed to produce shirts specifically for women – hence the sensitivity!
I’m looking forward to what 2020 will bring for us as a brand and as company. Every challenge forthwith presents an opportunity for us to showcase ourselves, and we thank and welcome all comments and support.
Onwards and upwards!
]]>It of course feels safe to do the same things as other people, because if everyone in your peer group is doing it then surely it must work for you. I would sadly like to call this as being an Automaton. This requires you to look at the world with a somewhat mechanical eye; you feel it is too dangerous being a Maverick to some degree, because you know you’ll more than likely be ridiculed for approaching your life more differently than others and that if you are going to reach a certain echelon of success, it’ll come through sheer coincidence while languidly waiting for what life brings to the table.
“The automaton is the mortal being, physical, emotional, and mental. When the mental faculties become developed, the innate or instinctive consciousness is usually put to sleep, and ceases to be perceptible by its owner; in that case he is controlled by the working of his organic functions and by the nervous, emotional, and cerebral reactions which their appetites provoke. The creature is an Automaton because it is controlled by the mutual reactions of its parts and by the exterior influences, which act upon it at every moment of its existence – influences such as country, family relatives, laws customs and many others” I.S De Lubicz – The Opening of the Way
The material realm of the planet underhandedly pushes us up to constantly seek for security, and we see the unfortunate consequences of not embracing the risks, i.e. not seeking that well paid job or conservatively becoming miserly with our ideals. When we eventually meet someone who seems a little bit unconventional, we are quick to judge that person as weird, out of touch - even arrogant to an extent.
A way to combat this natural tendency to seek and gain approval from others is to have a brutal and honest look into yourself. A method to achieving this is seeing you through the eyes as someone else, essentially detaching yourself from your knowledge and past. As poetic and clichéd as it may sound, ALL human beings are essentially unique. Our successes, failures and essentially our general experiences are unique to us individually. What is it about you that separate you from other people? Which activities were you naturally attracted to as a child before you were initiated into the conformist realm that we are in today?
When we begin to search on the answers to the questions above, we begin to embark on a journey of solving our own personal riddle. We can then initiate battle with the slavish, banal tendencies that society foists upon us and set ourselves up for our ultimate freedom through self-creation.
What we like to define as real are only perceptions that have been created by our immediate environment, based on the agreements that have already been made with the individual, the food and media consumed, the people we like to associate with and our daily actions and motivations. If these factors are however perverted and co-opted, by members of a dominant society, then a composite reality has been created. The individual’s everyday choices are therefore not their own, the agreements made are based on someone else’s reality – thus putting the individual in a somewhat child-like position. Overall, we can liken the actions of being an Automaton to a social conformist. At present, we can now ascertain that the modern day conformist is not one who is in control of his or her own reality.
]]>Our belief in this becomes so intense that it unfortunately becomes a reality, a self fulfilled prophecy when we choose careers that do not particularly inspire us. We are then left leading a double life which comprises of the following: We work and partake in activities in one life of ourselves all to only look forward to living another life during our days off work and responsibilities.
Our belief in ourselves fade into an oblivion because we do not expect much else from the world anymore, thus forcing us to apologise for our own existence and build up social masks to closet our insecurities, while continuously reflecting on past triumphs and failures. More depressingly we dwell on things that could’ve been, “if only I did this - I wish I thought of this before”.
However, those who follow a regal crusade ignore what offends them. They are patient enough to find or have already found their authentic higher self. Assume what I like to call the regal position i.e. discovering their rightful purpose. Those who are in a regal position assume a royal pose. Their end goal is so clear to them that the effects of their success can be predicted - so much so that they know when it all ends and would likely not get drunk on their success, simply due to the outward look they have on the world.
They separate themselves from others deliberately not out of arrogance, but out of their courage of being alone and the grand audaciousness of their ambitions. Effectively they are more childlike, fluid to handle any situation that crosses them while maintaining their presence of mind because their dignity doesn’t disappear when doubts, circumstances and the public’s prejudices arrive to attack them.
Becoming more childlike is not to be confused with behaving like children per se, as that would be utterly foolish, but it means being open to information and being in tune with the moment and having total awareness of your surroundings. It is one of humanities demeaning stories when we sacrifice our talents and tenaciousness to attend to the pathetic whims of modern societies criterion's and conformist traditions.
“As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the Lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills.” – James Allen
You must not allow the easy distraction of the mass media deter you from the effervescence that the Crusade naturally brings you. Gregariousness and self-awareness will bring you back to what you naturally were attracted to as a child, bringing back your youthful vigour and enthusiasm that already exists within you. It is not your age that is slowing you down but your rigid thinking and processes, which grow harder to break over time.
Some may argue that it may too late to find your natural self and that to truly achieve the regal position, you must relinquish yourself of responsibilities, which in effect, makes the position unrealistic in whichever circumstance you are. Not so. When you have a clearer vision on yourself, understanding your strengths and flaws, even if you are currently in a field that you do not particularly enjoy, you have already embarked yourself on a Regal Crusade, because you know that your vision is much more grander than where are now.
Finally, you know now that proceeding on the Regal Crusade requires you to be constantly alert and aware. However this does not mean you lay heavy expectation on the outcome of your attempts and especially on other people, but that you carry yourself with a royal grace and confidence – worthy Kings and Queens always crown themselves.
]]>For this summer, I came across Nude Life through a mutual professional contact. A few friendly conversations with Shirley Howes - one of the founders of Nude Life led me to find out that as well as working full time professionally, she was also working on her own venture with Nude Life. Nude Life is a London model agency that provides nude and non-nude models for artists and events, like photo-shoots, exhibitions and life drawing events. As unconventional as this was for me to even fathom, I wanted to know more about the Nude Life story. Seeing as it’s an independent brand still in its infancy being pushed by its founders, you can see where I found its correlation with Blaque Falcon.
I’m a very gregarious person, so myself and Shirley continued to talk back and forth on how business is going. We discussed at length on the challenges of running a business independently - primarily making sure the numbers added up and achieving client satisfaction. A common challenge for all businesses.
Attending one of the Nude Life events back in May, I met a few members from the team, and I was particularly impressed with the natural charisma of the models. It can’t be easy taking on such a role being a model for a nude art drawing event, but I figured if they were comfortable doing that, they must be comfortable in some Blaque Falcon garments! Check them out if you would like to apply to be a nude life model.
So, after doing some brain storming, I thought that collaborating through a street shoot would be perfect. The intention was to create a fresh set of images for not only our general portfolio, but also for our social media pages to further expand the horizon of the Blaque Falcon story. Every shot, tweet, quote, and blog post that we put out there adds to our story, and it’s through collaborations like this that make the journey worthwhile.
]]>
Coming to terms with your career, dealing with the image that you provide to the public, the harsh reality of the real world, loneliness, all those assumptions of everything seeming to work out for everyone except yourself…In general, what you experience just seems to be a lot more challenging now than how it used to be. Although experience can be on your side, (though limited as it is), you still believe in the principles and methods that were taught to you by your parents and at school, but sometimes they don’t work as well as they used to.
Self-deception is a common tool used to assist in serving one’s own delusion. You may think you deserve x, but you only ever get y, and because you feel you deserve that what was paid, your frustration stems from your delusion.
What you can fail to realise is that your perception of self is denying you the ultimate reality: We all have untapped reservoirs of potential that we haven’t even begun to realise and embrace yet.
As much as this may read like the usual ‘if you believe it, you can achieve it’ tripe, I prefer to head you in a different direction. Let’s agree for all intents and purposes that the environment that you live in works on energy and vibration, and that there are different levels to these vibratory frequencies that govern your environment.
It’s simple logic to know that the higher frequency that you vibrate on, the more chance you have to attain your desire - and if you vibrate on a lower level, you’re likely to engage on not only self-destructive behaviours, but also keep yourself in a dark mental house of horrors, so to speak. In this house of horrors, you’re confronted with all your fears, burdens and outlays of guilt that you have accumulated, so much so that you become used to it, even comfortable with it. It feels like a never-ending cycle, but with the overabundance of entertainment and technology at your disposal in today’s world, getting used to your sadness should be no problem. You can either wallow in this perpetual state of melancholia, or you can take another path.
If you’re seeking an alternative, then you must force yourself in the opposite direction than above. You delete all those deft defying thoughts of sadness and self-pity that you have and re-examine the beliefs that you currently hold in esteem. Once this is done, you naturally begin to find the pieces to your jigsaw that are required to make your grand vision clearer for your future achievements.
Having clear goals will help in your everyday activities, you can categorise these in two functions: Productive/Non-Productive - “doing this will not advance me / I can learn something from doing this”. You will then eventually know which battles to avoid and which ones that are necessary to make your plan come to fruition.
Below are some points you can employ that will assist you in your path:
Re-evaluate your Beliefs
If we were to look at an unpleasant experience and begin to peruse “what if”, sometimes you will find that it is your beliefs that held you back from achievement. Analysing the beliefs that you currently value could give you clues to what is currently holding you back but more importantly you must be audacious enough to open your mind to new details. As you get older this becomes even more challenging. Information spreads ever more quickly in this secular world of ours, so keeping your mind fluid with the times will help you to handle the information overload that you are likely to encounter.
Change of Perspective
Since what we focus our energy on is what brings life and power, changing your perspective on how you judge events can alter how you solve problems. If for example, all you saw in your current circumstance were the obstacles, then you would more than likely be discouraged. On the other hand, if you saw the advantages and inevitably rise up to the challenge, then you would attack the situation with confidence, and even if it does not work out as planned, the education received would be ever more beneficial to you.
Patience
Arguably the most challenging but also the most powerful of the three points, is Patience. All humans have a dark, primal side of us that we usually refrain ourselves from tapping into. This animalistic side of us comes out in varying forms occasionally but we usually end up making unnecessary mistakes due to our impotence and reacting to the events happening to us. Becoming resourceful, making the most of what you already have, results in using this tactic, effectively creating even more resources for you in the long run. With this is mind then, you must assume your life as a chess board, plotting several steps ahead in such detail that when the setbacks inevitably come, you will be in a much stronger position to refrain yourself from emotion led decisions.
The majority of things that you encounter in life force you to be defensive, where playing it safe seems to be the only practical solution. Being at the quarter stage of your life and not totally doing or achieving everything that you wish does not deem you in crisis. As mentioned above it is down to perspective. The media, colleagues at work, family, friends, even yourself all underhandedly remind you as to why you can’t accomplish your goals. This builds up layers of fear in you. You must then eliminate these parasitic energies and strategically concoct your way through with energy and grace.
]]>“The Psychological assumption, provides the means to achieve the dream desire”
Everyone has desires and objectives that one would like to achieve what are these desires? Are they clear to you? You’d find that the common antidote to achieving consistency is the crystal clearness of the goal. I had this personal dilemma when setting up Blaque Falcon and writing DRAX. I had (and still have) a passion for great literature, style and storytelling, but the hurdle that I had to overcome was whether I had to commit to finishing off the first draft of DRAX or just pledge to getting the first T-Shirt manufactured. I came to the realisation that I wanted to do both. There’s an indescribable feeling when I read esoteric text that was written millions of years ago and how it remains relevant today – so much so, it stores in my memory bank as timeless wisdom for me to apply myself on. The same feeling occurs when a well-made suit is cut to perfection and all I can do is stare at it in awe. This is kind of drive that I’m referring to here. Looking back, the one thing that kept me going was the desire to help me see it through. All I was able to picture was DRAX available for sale online, and people wearing my own brand of clothing. This was back in 2016.
Note that there is no room for mediocrity when your ambition is set and your standards for living is high. You have no tolerance for petty behaviours and ridiculous gossip – you see these as mere distractions, so you cast them aside like crumbs on your lap or dirt on your shoulder. When you are on your path and journey, you are in the driver’s seat. This is where the subject of consistency tends to be overlooked, as everyone who you love and know is on a journey of their own, each with their own trial that is to be overcome.
So, what power do our peers and loved ones have over us, that make us so concerned about their opinion on our journey? They grew up with you, loved you, clothed and went through previous challenges with you. So of course, when you wish to peruse a path that may seem a little unorthodox, you go through their screening process that’s already based upon your personal judgements and assumptions, so you would normally have initial doubts. Not to worry though. This is the stage where either you allow the false self-judgements to overwhelm you, or you press on through. This is also where the main stasis of the post is all about.
“The person we believe ourselves to be will always act in a manner consistent with our self-image”
Visualise the power of consistency as like digging for the pot of gold where the treasure map marks the spot. There’s always the negative anticipation that the treasure might not be at the location, but you dig anyway. Even if you don’t find the treasure, you’ll be in a much better position to claim your sense of “stick-to-it-ness” than others. If there’s any aspect of your character that you can elevate yourself above others on, it would be this very trait. A consistent, but patient attitude towards your pathway is a power that us humans can utilise that appears almost look god-like, dependent on the deed to mere mortals.
]]>Conventional wisdom tells you that that being honest would make you wear the white flag, thus representing yourself as the moral individual even when contradicting emotions lie within you. In that instance, is honesty the best policy? When we look back at an experience that we judge as negative, a familiar sinking feeling may occur as whether you could have applied a little more cunning to avoid that event.
More often than not, we can find countless examples of how lies and deceit have broken up families, loving relationships, commence wars and so on, all inducing a never-ending cycle of sadness and pain everywhere. You’ll likely find that the usual cause of all human suffering items from some form of ignorance and immaturity somewhere.
As truthful as this is, with a little gregariousness, the philosophy of honesty can be looked at in another perspective. It can always be argued that we have all experienced some form of success that was achieved with a few cunning manoeuvres here and there.
We are all tacticians in some shape or form, doing whatever we need to achieve our goals and objectives no matter how trivial or banal they may be, albeit some methods of approach more aggressive than others to reach accomplishment. Although we tend to become more reactive than proactive in our day to day battles and eventually deviate from our paths, becoming honest with yourself and your objective brings us back into focus.
It is therefore one of the highest orders of human naivety to believe that wearing your heart on your sleeve at all times will grant you awards in your pursuits. However, with an unrelenting brutal honesty with thy self, can and will prove to pay dividends in your battles in good time.
]]>
Quality has always been an important driver of success for us. Our feature on the GQ issues initially came with an email, informing the team that they had come across our Instagram profile and were impressed with the timeless simplicity of our designs.
We saw the potential collaboration as a perfect opportunity to further stamp ourselves as a brand very much worth talking about in the years to come. We posted the issues on our Instagram pages and also issued videos on Blaque Falcon TV showing our feature on the months’ magazine issue. The response from previous customers and onlookers were overwhelmingly positive.
We will of course aim to be better and continue to improve as time drives on. See this as just the warm-up for something more in the future.
You can check out the GQ episodes on Blaque Falcon TV as well as the link to the products here:
March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mxdx_aH1Zc
Product: https://www.blaquefalcon.co.uk/collections/mens/products/unisex-falcon-bomber-jacket
April: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWcsA5CoeQ
Product: https://www.blaquefalcon.co.uk/collections/mens/products/unisex-falcon-casual-shirt
May: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0szhZ-rRsA
Product: https://www.blaquefalcon.co.uk/collections/mens/products/mens-falcon-polo-shirt
]]>Most of us have had that infuriating experience of depending on an external source for satisfaction: People, money, weather etc. We continue to rely on these and become constantly frustrated by the ambivalence of these sources that then force us to perhaps see things a little differently.
The direction and principle that being self-reliant imposes on; doing things on your own, depending on yourself, taking responsibility, can seem daunting and incomprehensible, particularly if you’re comfortable and seem initially happy with your current group and position. Obtaining a supreme sense of self-reliance, is unnatural for some, simply because it is a normal human reaction to grow defensive when being attacked, i.e. being faced with a circumstance that we are not confident in overcoming. A common manoeuvre would be to blame someone else or creating excuses, to justify the failure or the lack of execution to the achieving the objective. A fundamental law to war, as in life, to a military general is that apologies, excuses and shifting the blame can never account to the objectivity of the situation. The event has happened, a decision was made and that is it, resources have been used, and time has passed, never to return again. It is all on you.
We must understand and comprehend the fact that we were brought to the world, each with our own unique experiences that come forth. See it that some cultivate their skills and talents more effectively than others, in some cases through external influences, circumstances or more than likely a mixture of both.
The ultimate reality is how much of a mystery you are to yourself. Yes you may be around people who share the same interests and activities as you but do they compliment your sense of being, or are you receiving little joy from associating with these individuals (or Automatons) rather are they heading in the same direction of you? This is what you could be asking yourself instead of the cliché’d “are they adding value to your life” mention. To conquer nations and inevitably the world, you need allies, people who have a sense of direction themselves, but are willing to walk with you, as you both share similar principals, the same enemy.
“The points which count most in their behaviour are that they should be known to associate with seriously minded persons, of good habits, and whom everybody esteems as prudent men. For nothing indicates more plainly what a man is than the company he keeps. The man who associates with honest people deservedly acquires a good name, for it is impossible but that he be of the same kidney” Niccolo Machiavelli – The Discourses 1518
A dynamic exists for companies and corporations, where they slowly give you an opportunity to enhance your skill base but deliberately hoard information from you, whilst reaping the benefits of your efforts. It is a constant struggle to motivate and empower yourself when you open your eyes to the obligation of meeting the companies’ standards – an intensely off putting experience, particularly if you’re in a job that have no particular interest in. Most of us like to claim that we’re happy where we are, everything seems to be going ok. You endure a few rough patches, as we all do but what we don’t realise is that we constantly kept on react mode, very easily forgetting our objectives and spending time and energy on excruciatingly dull relationships.
Weeding out your Inner Circle
If you feel somewhat out of place with your current circle then you’re heading into the right direction. Pain should always be seen as your inclinations, your interests, your enthusiasm for certain activities and subjects, don’t always correspond with those supposedly close to you. Historically, we can find how initially being an outcast can be an advantage to individuals. Leonardo da Vinci in Renaissance Italy was perhaps the least likely candidate to reach to the level of skill and mastery in the arts, all because his circumstance forced him to carve himself his own trend.
Psychologically, if you intensely analyse the individuals that have come and gone in your circle, you can find that some of the associates that you have chosen compliment your dysfunction. Everyone has their insecurities of course, but those who lack awareness and vision actually attract the dysfunction on the company that they keep and when fortune goes awry, the defensive manoeuvre as mentioned would be to blame anyone else but yourself. Seeing this in a detached point of view, you could easily witness how this is one of more pathetic aspects of human nature, but it is incredibly common, especially in intense working environments.
Bite the Bullet
Developing the impetuousness to head in your own unique direction, effectively subjugating your inclinations and discovering a career path of your own, is no easy feat. Fear plays a part in our decisions more than you perhaps believe. One common fear that children endure, is the fear of being alone, being left out and not gaining any attention, which lingers over into our forays into society. Pain should always be seen as an opportunity to harness inner strength; for anything with enough persistence can and will always overcome the resistance.
As mentioned in my earlier post “Automaton”, everyone is in their own world. A method to influence people to do your bidding, would be to lead by example, with the audacity of your decisions and actions. Manipulation is always an option, but this is a dangerous game, extremely risky, with harmful violence befalling you if failed. Proceed cautiously. However this may not even have to be approached when dealing with the unpleasant notion of handling your associates, there is a substantial deal to learn at work or simply reflecting on your past experiences with no judgements.
White Collar Slave
When working for companies or corporations, in all essence they own your work, your time, effort and ideas, giving you very little room to express your creatively. This is further induced by the seductive prospects that can be presented to you. A company car, a pay-rise, whatever it may be that can tempt you to attach you to financial “security”.
In the future, this leads individuals to give themselves reasons and excuses to why they should keep enduring the unnecessary stresses of working for someone else, “I don’t get much fulfilment from this job, but it pays well and they look after me”. This is the common conservative choice, stemmed from fear. However, consider the inevitability of a Napoleon taking over your position at your workplace, and you being replaced, simply because they are younger, sharper and cheaper at the position you occupy.
Every outlet or idea that you decide to peruse must be for outright ownership. If you work for other people, see it as an opportunity for you to train yourself mentally and physically preparing yourself for the next chapter of your campaign. You are on your own. This isn’t something you should fear, it is an ideal that should be liberating and will grant you peace. You must now assume a position of deep observation. Seeing people and events as they are and never being caught up in your fairy tale dream as to how events should pan out. Your ego is shut, keeping the mind clear of preconceptions, speaking less but absorbing as much as you can from your experience.
In a world where power is now more than ever not segregated to an elite few, innovative ideas and social weirdness is now more accepted, therefore those who understand human nature always keep themselves fluid. To achieve this you must always trust and adhere to what you see for yourself, rather than believing the assumptions that voice themselves in you internal monologue.
]]>