ISSUE 01: PHARRELL
ETERNAL CREATIVITY • FINDING PURPOSE • LIBRARY CARDS
THE UNIVERSE IS A LIBRARY. WE’RE JUST CHECKING OUT IDEAS.
Pharrell is one of those age-defying dudes you can’t help but envy. I bumped Seeing Sounds back in the day and closely followed his ventures into skincare and sneakers with Humanrace, hospitality with The Good Time Hotel, and high fashion as Louis Vuitton’s new Men's Creative Director after the tragic passing of Virgil.
But the pure beauty of his existence is a relentless pursuit of purpose, and his ability to thread it across projects.
Most artists who carry the weight of a personal brand are messy and chaotic. Hell, I can’t believe this newsletter is still standing after I’ve rebranded it eleven times (this is the 12th), switched platforms, switched back, and gone radio silent on many occasions.
Anyways.
Pharrell has balanced it all with grace. The personal brand. The music. The clothing. Everything he does bleeds a familiar color anchored in the belief that taking better care of ourselves can teach us to take better care of each other.
So, here are some sensational lines, rhymes, and lessons from Skateboard P every creative should consider getting tatted on a limb.
The universe is a library: “Creativity is like the work of the universe. The universe — that’s why they call them universities — the universe is a library. All we’re doing is checking ideas out. What you would have checked out one day might not be what you would check out the next day. So don’t not make the music. When you got a library card that works, you use that card everyday.”
Pharrell the philosopher: “Wealth is of the heart and mind, not the pocket.”
Be an odd guy (or gal): Jay Z is. And…you’re not above Jay Z.
Art is not art: It’s a feeling.
Art is also art: It’s ambiguous.
Surround yourself with the right people: Pharrell’s collabs are remarkably intentional.
Own your sh*t: “No one should own you. No one should own your actions. No one should own your creations but you…”
Sage thoughts on an old saying: “Some people say there's nothing new under the sun. I still think that there's room to create, you know. And intuition doesn't necessarily come from under this sun. It comes from within.”
A personal favorite: “Lessons repeat themselves until we free ourselves by learning them.”
The answer to everything: “Find something that you love to do, something that you would do for free just because you’re happy to be there. Try to find a vocation connected to it, that you would show up for free, and do whatever it takes! If you can find a way to service humanity as well, now you have a dream job and wake up every day and feel like you get paid for free, and you’re also contributing to good will.”
More you say?
Peruse on.
I imagine all creatives could do worse than listen to his advice.
Until next time.
Barely Relevant is a deliciously decadent look inside the minds of artists & creatives served on any given Sunday.