We were lucky to catch up with Carl Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carl, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
I could write a book on what Corporate America gets wrong in the creative industry, but its hard to pinpoint it to one specific thing.If I had to phrase it in one word id say culture.That term has taken many forms over the years but this is how I look at it.Many different civilizations used to feel as though a divine connection with their/our creator, is as significant of a practice as eating or drinking.Taking for example some Native American and African cultures(not excluding others).They link their perception of survival with who put it their in the first place.When they would hunt and kill it was purposeful.When they created music and even their shelters, it was done in connection to what brought them close to a greater spiritual connection with the provider.In essence everything was done in reverence to the creator of it, which they saw as a necessity for a long and fulfilling existence. Overconsumption was seen as an unnecessary greed and even more so a back hand to the one that gave them the resources to began with.Not respecting such a beautiful offering of abundance(that is life) was a sin.
Fast forward to now, where we are thought to have advance greatly as a human civilization.We have an ever growing amount of resources at our disposal, so much so that we have even begun to attempt to recreate an already recreation of the original form(of one thing or another).Making it difficult at times to differenciate the real substance from the duplicate.In the creative industry, one of if not the most important aspect of its existence is the core interpretation of what the orignial creator(s) themselves wished to convey. Whether through showing or telling.At the core source, that is where the power of creativity lies.Which brings me to Corporate America.Somewhere along the way how much a person could acquire from that creative power, took pressident over the substance behind the creation itself.Causing the focus to be more on how much in abundance money, power and fame can come from it, regardless of what culture it creates in the process.Creatives have always been the greatest influencers of human culture, which to my understanding is how a group of people think and live.So if creators based their creations off abundance and not off substance, the masses follows suit.Thats just how human nature works.
To me corporate America isn’t a bunch of people in suits waiting to take peoples money. In my opinion it is a general idea based off of doing more to get more.Rather then create substance to. enrich, thereby naturally feeding a healthy reoccurring cycle.It just so happens that the people in the most control know this and they use the the act of creative influences to their advantages.They see everything equivalent to a piece of money which can be copied and manufactured without losing its worth.Where Coporate America goes wrong, isn’t in wanting to give worth to substance, but in basing that substantial worth off of the things worth much less then it.Judging it off of a pieces of paper that in other contexts are discarded as trash very frequently.You can not reduce the power of creative ideas to a piece of paper no different that you can’t price a value of a human life.In doing this you run the risk or creating a culture of misguided values, where authenticity is seen as worth the same as its copy.Causing it to be very easy to lose the true intentions of the creator or idea, to something that poses to it its biggest threat, Greed.Which has remafications that are still unknown.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The simpliset way I can describe myself is an unbounded creator.For as long as I can remember I have always loved figuring out how things work, and trying to invent my own version of it.At about age 3 I started off playing the African drums, which was my first memory of creating musically.As I grew older my regard for creating expanded into many different mediums.From musical, to visual to even engineering.I use to want to be an inventor because I knew then I wouldnt have to put a box on how I created.I didn’t see the method of creation bounded to an instrument, style or otherwise.Having been a creator my entire life, I’ve realized the importance of creating with a purpose.While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with creating just for the act of creating, at a certain point I wanted to use it not just for expression but to get messages across.
Starting initially as a musician, writer and painter, It wasn’t until I founded my production company All Eyes Productions, that the mission became more clear to me.Having been a self taught musician and artist, I adopted that same approach to film, teaching myself all I could get my hands on.My idea started with screenwriting and stories, later morphing into a multi media production company.I purchased a camera and started to produce my own films, while simultaneously using my camera to work with other creatives and organizations to tell their story.I would often get paid to do videography, by capturing peoples experiences in there own worlds.Which quickly became an enjoyable way to helped me pay off my initial camera investment. Since then I have created an umbrella within All Eyes Productions collaborating with an array of creators and brands to bring unique stories to the forefront of any and everyone eyes.Im proud to be able to say my company has worked with so many bright and talent minds(internationally).I look forward to not only expanding in audiences but in the amount of voices we give a platform, to showcase in front of them.All Eyes Productions offers services with any project ranging from Creative, to Commercial, to Documentary.
Continuing my journey as a musician I will also be releasing my debut album later this year, titled Humble Beginnings. Thematically it will be a truly authentic music experience, with an underlying message. That deal with overcoming your obstacles to become the best version of yourself.Be on the look out for that project, which again showcases a handful of great artistic voices and creators.As well as other projects in the works.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I have been fortunate enough to be able to express myself through creativity. I also strive to make sure what I do is organic and never forced.Not to sound cliché but I’m constantly inspired by life in its entirety and I see the beauty in everything. From love, to struggle,to pain,to triumph, it all serves a unilateral purpose in the grand scheme of existence. So that being said, it is impossible to run out of material if you use that spectrum to influence how you approach art. The beauty of it all is there really isn’t any right or wrong way to do that. Excluding of course, doing so in any hateful or disrespect way to any person, place or thing. Even then though, there is a from of expressive authenticity somewhere in it. Everyone’s journey is personal to them and mostly incomparable.
With me its about lending myself to the world and allowing my perspective of it to evolve and change.I literally learn something new by everyone I’ve ever connected with, good or bad(which is subjective anyways).Most of my creative journey consist mostly of two parts. One being, spontaneously allowing my self to experience anything God and the universe present at my feet. The other being, a reflection of those experiences and consolidating those influences into a body of work that aligns with them at that particular time. These experiences and outlooks our constantly changing, therefore so is my creativity inspired by those realities. My driving mission is to always stay true to what inspires me, while simultaneously looking to inspire others in return. I believe it to be a cycle and an important one.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think with anything there are peaks and valleys.Nothing is perfect and every experience serves a purpose.As an entrepreneur and creative, Ive had a crazy amount lessons learned.Most of them through trail and error. The more ambtious the goals, the more important a part resiliency has played.I can only say and maybe this will change down the road, that I have yet to encounter on any project or initiative without being met will a challenge in one way or another.Its almost as if, the challenge itself is the goal.While there is alot to be learned in the lessons of those challenges, they are often just distraction from the ultimate goal itself.Some people use them as excuses for not accomplishing something, while others use them as driving forces to the finish line.
Ive been guilty myself of doing both.Though the latter more than anything.Me being a person who doesnt come from much circumstantially, Ive made a sport out of not giving up.Having had to over come odds, time and time again, in many different aspect of my life.I think it all took a high level of resiliency for me to survive the journeys and be able to tell about them.I still have to practice that same resolve as my goals become more ambitious, and the obstacles become more advance as a Ranging from finding funding for my next project to dealing with a rejected submission from a film festival. In a perfect world everything always goes as plan, and things just magically fall in place.For me that case is a rarity and not one I’ve learned to depend on.Ive almost grown comfortable in being the underdog. Comfortable in the fact that no mater how much money I have, or how many resources I am able to obtain, with resiliency and perseverance its always a when and not an if something can be accomplished. That is assuming something is meant to be.Its always been important for me to give my absolute all in something before I make that decision and so far it has served me.
Contact Info:
- Website: alleyesproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alleyesproductions/(@alleyesproductions) ;https://www.instagram.com/theblackcsr/ (@theblackcsr)
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/alleyesproductions1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi9UUaylJRrMIPMKn4RDGew
- Yelp: [email protected]
Image Credits
Kara Young Dom Alexander Dwight Pettigrew(illmaticillusions) Brea Garcia(Red Mango Films) Khalil Newton *I have the rights and permissions to use these artists images.