Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Victor-Alan Weeks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Victor-Alan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I look to a few Bible verses to not only define success, but also provide a roadmap for the achievement of success.

• II Timothy 3:16-17 KJV “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

• Matthew 6:33 KJV “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

• Proverbs 13:7 KJV “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”

• Exodus 36:7 KJV “For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”

• Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

These verses remind me that trusting God and believing in His perfect will and plan will ultimately bring rest, peace, joy, and accomplishment in all that I do. When I first started creating, it was out of entropy and selfishness–to affirm how good I could be, to draw attention to myself, and to say whatever it was I wanted to say however I wanted to say it. As exhilarating as this chapter was in life, I did not have control, nor did I have peace. There was a gap in my sense of accomplishment and purpose. I thought back to when I had peace, focus, and clarity on what my identity was and when my compass had stability, and that led me back to my faith.

When I got back into the word of God, I started to hear His voice and call on my life more clearly, recognizing that my ability to create was not just for me, but to be a light and to illuminate how much He changes me and provides for me, and refines me to be better, and how that is available to all that choose to accept that call on their life as well. When I started giving my gifts, my time, my money, my thoughts, my community, my appearance, my identity to God, I noticed that while it seemed like I hardly had enough money in the bank to get through, I always had the relationships, the opportunities, the grace, the peace, the rest to get through, and exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. This guides me to what I think it takes to be successful: recognizing we are designed by an omnipotent Creator, focusing on the purpose and identity our Creator has given us, and putting action in that direction and trust the rest to Him. Since I made that decision, while it has been a journey of ups and downs, it has always been forward.

Victor-Alan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Being an entrepreneur, you get to create your own job title!

I settled on Word Farmer as I grew up in agriculture and Hip-Hop. The older I grew, I recognized more and more the overlaps between these two disciplines and embraced that words are in fact seeds. The same way we can plant a seed, nurture it, and produce a harvest to feed people physically is congruent to the way we can speak words, nurture them, and feed people spiritually. I’ve helped grow food in my home state of Georgia, from Sapelo Island to Decatur, to Augusta to Atlanta, all over the span of 12 years. With this foundation, I’ve been able to connect with agriculturalists around the world. Simultaneously, I have been creating (music specifically) over the same amount of time, and have had the ability to start band and a rap group with my friends in college, and take performance and music production around the country, and around the world. From Madagascar to Colombia, to Canada to California, to Italy and even back home in Georgia, I’ve carried with me the mission to embrace humanity, creative authentically, and encourage those I meet and those who get to hear my music to be better than me.

Additionally, I’ve been practicing photography and filmmaking for about 13 years and having the opportunity to use my cameras as a lens to share my perspective of the world and amplify others’ has been a beautiful thing. Refining these skills through many many trials have afforded me the opportunity to meet new people and be invited to exhibit my skills to contribute to the archival of so many unique human experiences.

As of lately, I’ve been able to use my knowledge in music performance and production as a teaching artist for students in Elk Grove, CA. I’ve also been able to use my camera proficiency to archive various moments in the blockchain community around the world, as well as the underground Hip Hop movement.

With my rap group TG3, we decided to be more than just a rap group–we turned our affinity with multimedia into a production company that focuses on podcast and music video production, audio production and voice over work, in addition to being a record label (Trilla G ENT) and publishing company (Trilla Global Publishing Company). With my band Calm and Concise, we focus on creating Christ-centered music to encourage believers on their walk with Christ, and invite those who don’t have a relationship with Him to have one.

As a creative strategist, I lean on international thought and collaboration to develop holistically considered ideas. It’s not just knowing people around the world, but it’s also remaining in contact, nourishing those relationships, and seeking to hear their perspective and support their initiatives as well. I like to consider myself a global citizen. Though I have a nationality of being from the United States of America, it is so important to recognize the depth of knowledge in experiences around the world. Additionally, I understand we live in a a time where political boundaries have become fences and gates, and I want to encourage the sharing of knowledge, heritage, and culture for the betterment of society through understanding and respect.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

We are all creative. It may not be in a visual arts or media production sense, but we all think in a unique way that enables us to mold something from the clay of the interests we have, be it economics, public administration, environmental science, or education. I believe leaning into who it is God wants us to be illuminates what that path should be and opens the door for divine instruction, affirmation, and strategic partnerships that make more clear how we are to make an impact in what we’re working on or where we’re serving.

I think it is also important to recognize sometimes we are (dis)placed is various situations to become sharper at what we do, and simultaneously shed old habits and mindsets that hinder us from reaching the next level of who we are supposed to be and what it is we are supposed to be doing. There are even times where we choose to make a decision for ourselves that isn’t aligned with God’s will and mission, yet God will still make a way for provision and redemption to guide us back to where it is we are supposed to be.

I spent two years studying agribusiness and cultivating land as a hemp farming. Looking back, these were great skills to add and apply to my interests and capabilities, and I was able to incorporate my creativity into biochemistry and industrial design. Concurrently, I felt a pull away from what I was doing, back towards focusing explicitly on the arts and education and that grew with time. While the chapter I spent farming didn’t result in millions of dollars, it did result in valuable relationships, a greater discipline, and a time of focus, solitude, and uninhibited time and space to create (paint, make music, practicing horticulture).

I think it’s invaluable to recognize that there is something to gain in all of our experiences. In the hardest and the greatest of times, we are able to learn what are the pillars to our establishment and our foundation is tested. These are moments to recognize what we feed ourselves and how we treat ourselves and our community members will be exposed. That’s why it is so important to practice daily choosing compassion, demonstrating love, exhibiting patience, and discipline.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

A big dream requires a bigger team. If you don’t have a team and it is just you, I encourage you to find mentors, other entrepreneurs, and in general folks you can trust to give you sound feedback and advice. What advice, you say? Effectively communicating your goals and ambitions, effectively discussing your stressors and life complications, and effectively conveying the importance of rest and recovery in the “grind.” Check in with them regularly. It doesn’t have to be frequently, though that may help, but definitely regularly.

My teammates and I practice checking in with one another, not just business-wise, but personally too. If we are always focused on deliverables and objectives, we are not in sync mentally or spiritually and don’t know when someone needs additional support or can take on additional weight if you are the one in need of support. We have Bible studies together, we send each other songs of encouragement, we send each other content that enhances what we do and how we do it. It’s important that you are aligned ethically and morally as well or else the business will get pulled apart by the essence of who we are as humans. What we pursue and place at importance will guide our paths, and if you and your teammates are not clear on the path you want to walk together, you’ll end up walking down different paths. In time, you may look around to see who you thought was next to you may not be that close.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.calmandconcise.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pragmatic404/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pragmatic404
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-alan-weeks-1b150342
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ATLNerrd
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrillaGENT

Image Credits
Nadia Anochie, Richy Tovar, Richard DuCree, Kaspars Golos, Carlos Jaramillo