“I’ve been obsessed with the relationship between the subconscious and how you internally craft the life you want.”

Mr Wattson has been making impact in the Atlanta area for over a decade in the photography, art, and music industries. He walks us through his journey of resilience and what it takes to make it as a creative:

CF — What’s up Wattson, just wanted to start off by thanking you for your time and allowing us to pick your brain! How has life been for you lately?

Mr Wattson - Honestly life has been amazing. Been navigating through a lot of different creative environments and weighing out my options, trying to strategize my next move

CF — Great, glad to hear life is treating you well and you’re staying inspired. Since you’re navigating through different forms of creativity, could you let us know more about what mediums you specialize in?

Mr Wattson - I’d like to think of myself as a multi-Disciplinary Artist. I’m a producer/Musician and Rapper as well as a photographer and Installation Artist. More recently I have been helping curate shows, like the 50th Anniversary of Hiphop for the city of Atlanta and executing an installation for my Wife, Tazza at the ACE Hotel in New York.

CF — You wear a lot of different hats! How do you manage to not only find the time, but also motivation and inspiration to pursue all of these different outlets?

Mr Wattson - It’s funny you ask. sometimes Idk lol. Honestly, I think the only answer is that Art has become my entire life. I believe in this day and age to truly be a great artist you must be good at many disciplines. In the past couple years I have become rather reclusive because my only focus has been what projects can I work on to advance the creativity and career not just for myself but for my wife as well. And how can I push to be the best version of me so I can be in a position to put other artists in a position to succeed.  

As far as staying motivated I read a-lot, study the greats and watch documentaries and interviews. And for years, I’ve been obsessed with the relationship between the subconscious and how you internally craft the life you want. Recently my wife has put me on to transcendental meditation which has been quite transformative for both of us in our creative journey.

CF — You definitely shared some gems here that can help other creatives out on their journey! To dive a little deeper into that, would you mind sharing who some of your biggest inspirations are?

Mr Wattson - My god there are so many it really depends on the medium. 

When it comes to photography I am influenced by figures like Steve McCurry, Elliot Erwitt, Gordon Parks, Mary Ellen Mark and Platon to name a few out of many that I have admired over the years. 

When it comes to music I’ve been influenced by so many genres and gone through so many phases over the years. But I can tell you I am a serious fan of 90s Hip Hop Big L, Nas, Outkast, Gangstarr, Big daddy Kane, the Juice Crew, DITC. And producers especially Dr Dre and early Kanye West. 

I also grew up on a-lot of classic Rock, Funk, soul and gospel. From Led Zeppelin and the Beatles to parliament - funkadelic to anything Stax Records put out. I really have just been a fan of music in general for so long. And I love sampling so naturally digging through records I have discovered things that draw to my ears personal taste.  And that is never tied to a specific genre but has helped develop what I consider influence over the years. 

As far as Art is concerned, I have been influenced by the greats 

Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Maurizio Cattelan, Marcel Duchamp and influential figures like Leo Castelli and Larry Gagosian

Not to rant but I also think there is something to be said for the great minds that have also been an inspiration and guiding force in my life individuals like, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, James Allen, Charles F Hannel, Florence Scoville Shinn, Alan Watts, Neville Goddard, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Napoleon hill, Earl Nightingale and Herman Hesse have shaped the way I perceive my surroundings and have vastly altered the way I look at how our thoughts can affect the desired outcome we wish to have in life. 

Photos by Mr Wattson

CF — Wow, that’s a long list! It’s important to pay homage to our legends. On that note, I want to pivot back to when you said you helped to curate the 50th HipHop Anniversary Show for Atlanta. How long have you been in ATL and how has it affected you up until that point where you were able to curate such a big moment?

Mr Wattson - Honestly Atlanta Raised me I moved to ATL in 2012 so almost 14 years ago. I moved to Atlanta to pursue music. At the time there was a really bustling live scene and I would Freestyle every night in different venues in the city as time went on, I started to network with more folks in the industry and eventually I picked up a camera to gain certain access. Funny thing was that I fell in love with taking photos, so I put the music on hold. I feel so blessed to have been a part of a pivotal time in the city where for a good ten years we were at the top of the game when it came to Rap music and I was graced to be embraced by individuals like Dallas  Austin, Jermaine Dupre, Mike Will Made it, and Trickey Stewart they Really opened doors for me. And that’s how I was able to curate such a big moment.

CF — Sounds like an amazing journey, you should be proud of how far you’ve come! What would you say were some of your biggest obstacles?

Mr Wattson - Man, I’ve faced about every obstacle possible. From Being dead Broke and homeless to facing betrayal and navigating gatekeepers to losing two of the most influential people in my life on the same day. I’ve had to get myself out of shitty contracts I’ve been fucked over so many times I can’t even count. I’ve had business ventures fail. During my chocolate shop exhibition, I slept on the floor in the back of the shop for over a year and dealt with an extremely toxic relationship. I’ve battled with depression, Anxiety and supreme Isolation. If I can tell you one thing about being an artist all that glitters is not gold. 

Dedicating a life to Artistry is definitely not for everyone.

CF — After all the adversity you’ve overcome, it’s great to hear you’re in a much better place and keeping your dream alive. We really appreciate you sharing your story with us and continuing to push the creative scene forward. Is there anything we should be on the lookout for and also, anything out that you’d like us and the readers to support?

Mr Wattson - Absolutely, currently I am curating a show of Heather Tazza’s Work at the ACE Hotel in NY and in January I am releasing an album. Called DIY! Which will be physicals only. So im super excited for its release and be on the look out.