When I first started this section of my NOW page, my wife asked me if I was ever going to share my margarita recipe. I said no, and I said it without skipping a beat. You see, the past couple of cocktails I posted about were classics, and their ingredients and proportions are agreed upon in the world of bartending. I believe that Manhattans and Whiskey Sours are perfect the way they’re classically prepared, and there’s definitely a way they’re supposed to be made. If you believe otherwise then I’ll meet you in the parking lot! Margaritas on the other hand, vary wildly depending on the person who is making them, and the establishment they’re coming from. I’ve even had one that was made with Mountain Dew, and the menu said they were “top shelf” and made to order with the right ingredients. I yelled at the bartender, spit on the floor, and stormed out of there! Just kidding. I drank the stupid thing and left the son-of-a-gun a good tip. At least the pizza was good.
The margarita was my first experience in making mixed drinks. My friend Erik aka “E-Dog” used to be a bartender back in the day and he gave me his margarita recipe. This led me on an extensive, multi-year journey of adjusting the ingredients until I finally found the best way to make it. Although my recipe is now totally different from what I was initially taught, I have my friend Erik to thank for it. Almost everyone who has had my marg’s has said they’re the best they’ve ever had. What can I say . . . After all the R&D I put into this drink, I feel like I can brag just a bit about this one. This also falls in line with my heritage, so I’m glad I can make all of those borrachos south of the border proud.
This brings me back to my wife asking me about sharing it. I had the sudden thought one night that I was being foolish about keeping this a secret. What the hell did I think I was going to do, get a patent on my margarita? What . . . a . . . moron . . . I know you’re all locked up inside right now, so try this out and let me know what you think. Oh, and if you really want to get in the spirit, read the following section on “Currently Jamming Out To” because it pairs perfectly with this drink. ¡Salud!
Click Here so you can watch me make one of these on IG and to get the recipe!
I want to pair the drink section with this one in the same way you would pair a drink with a meal. I think I may start doing that from now on, or at least I’ll do it when it’s this easy. It definitely seems like a no-brainer to pair this with a classy mexican song. Don’t be running off either! I promise that you’ll at least appreciate this selection if you’re a true music enthusiast. I told you before that my taste in music is incredibly broad, and I wasn’t joking. Just know that this is simply good music. So keep reading if you’re up for a great drink, perfectly paired with a side of Afro-Cuban inspired Mexico.
My initial thought was to point you towards my favorite form of mexican music, which is none other than the sweet sound of mariachi music. The reason I decided against it was because mariachi music would go way better with some fine tequila, so look forward to that pairing on a future post. What I’m about to share with you today will go much better with the vibes of a relaxing margarita. The song is called “Una Lagrima y un Recuerdo” by Los Cadetes De Linares. It was released in 1977 and it’s a beautiful song that features the beats of Afro-Cuban bongos, congas, shekeres, and the guiro scraper. And no Norteño band can be true without a bajo sexto and the thoughtful use of beautiful harmonies by way of the accordion.
Like most good music, this song is about loss and love. The title of the song translates to “A Tear and a Memory,” so that should give you an idea of the emotion this one carries. I’m telling you, it's absolutely worthwhile to give this song a chance. If you happen to like this song, you should also play “Una Pagina Mas” by the same group. And if you really like both of these songs, look up the album “12 Kilates Puros Boleros.” All of the songs on this album have the same relaxing vibe. Maybe you can play it whenever you have people over for Taco-Tuesday! I hope you like it! Let me know what you think.
If you follow me on social media you might be aware of my recent bicep injury. My buddies (those son’s-of-bitches) have had a heyday accusing me about how I got my injury, and I can’t help but laugh. Garza, you’re hilarious! Not to worry though, I’m totally fine, but it has to do with a tendon, so I want to make sure it gets resolved 100% so I can continue carving into my later years. The last thing I want is to make it worse and go through a long and strenuous recovery process due to surgery. I’m probably being a little too cautious, but you’re crazy if you think I’m going to take a trip to the doctor’s office right now, unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I’m taking the time off of carving to practice my writing, drawing, and speaking skills. I also resurrected my old YouTube account so I can focus on posting tutorials and past projects in their entirety. Man, editing videos is a real chore! I suppose in the world's current situation, this is probably the best time to relax and explore the ideas that I haven’t been able to pursue in the past. I hope that some of you have the same opportunities to reflect on your life and explore new things to keep you busy, and ultimately bring you happiness and gratitude.
While all of these news outlets and Facebook posts continue to cover the current affairs of the world’s health, I think it would be good for everyone to listen to an expert in the field of microbiology on the matter. I know I’m a little late on this because this podcast was published on April 1st, but it's still worth a listen. The episode is #1451 of, you guessed it, The Joe Rogan Experience. It’s a little over an hour long and it explains the learning curve of this virus and some of the theories and facts as to why it’s affecting cultures differently. Please educate yourself on this matter, make sure you trust the source, and last but not least, keep your ass inside.
On Distinctions
By now I hope you’ve figured out that this is a blog that (mainly) focuses on the tangled life of a “starving artist.” I’ve been fortunate enough to erase the “starving” part by way of trial and error in my own artistic career. Of course I know that this could change at any moment, especially during a worldwide pandemic, so I continue to find ways to keep myself relevant in the world of art and business. I wanted to dedicate this entry to the importance of distinctions, since it’s so incredibly important in art. I’ll bet a lot of you artists out there haven’t even thought about this concept, and I can’t stress enough how important it is. This is what makes you stand apart from other artists. I’m talking about one simple phrase that will challenge you and might even elevate you as an artist. That’s of course, if you have the courage to examine yourself and your artistic style. Be Different . . .
In my early years as an artist, when I finally made the decision to live my life on my own terms and make art my career, I thought I was going to take over the world. I knew I had something to offer, and I was very skilled in several different mediums. I built my website and started to look for artistic work of any kind. I was of the opinion that I had to use all of the skills that I had acquired over the years to give myself the best chances of finding work, which was sort of true. When “Old School Alex” first hit the streets I offered a slew of different services. I would paint cars, fabricate custom leather motorcycle seats, build and paint signs, illustrate, paint murals, carve woodcuts, and just about anything in between. If someone wanted to hire me for a job, I would do it. I definitely kept myself busy, and before I knew it, I was booked up for eight to twelve months at a time. Although this sounds like a dream scenario for an artist, I quickly realized that it was a blessing and a curse.
I started to notice that I was so diverse in my skill set, that I was becoming “rusty” whenever I got hired to do different jobs. Fabricating motorcycle seats was a perfect example of this. I would charge a lot of money for them because of the extensive amount of work involved, so the seat commissions I got were kind of sporadic. Since I used to be a sort of artistic “Jack of all trades,” I would almost have to re-learn certain technical aspects that went into fabricating these seats. I suppose I should’ve taken notes or done something to remind myself of things like this. Either way, I felt as though I needed to take a better look at what I was doing.
Another thing I couldn’t quite understand was the fact that I wasn’t gaining any traction on social media. I had been on Instagram for a couple of years and I still couldn’t figure out how to gain a following of any sort. I knew I had to take the proper steps to fix all of these problems. Luckily for me, I wasn’t in the mood to fail, so I had no choice but to figure this shit out. I was also at a point in my life where I finally realized that money was a poor motive for living out my life. All of my family's basic needs were met and this was the best time for me to take some chances. This was the biggest turning point in my life. I was my own boss, and I finally came to the realization that money would never make me happy. I was also lucky enough (and still am) to have a wife who believed in me and supported my choices.
All of the above really made me examine what I was doing, and why I left my dayjob in the first place. It was time to start improvising and problem solving. I didn’t really realize how much problem solving was involved in being an artist, but I suppose all business owners and entrepreneurs need to be skilled in these things. In fact, making a living off of your art is all about improvisation and problem solving, unless of course you’re looking to stay stagnant, but what kind of motivated person doesn’t have goals to grow?
So what did I do to help propel my artistic career in a positive direction, and why is being different so important?
I took some time to look into other artists I followed, their associated subcultures, and the similarities between their “success” in the world of art. One thing I realized was something I’ve already talked about on a past post. Their feed wasn’t littered with pictures of their vacations, friends, family, pets, or anything else that wasn’t relevant to their art. Of course there was a little of that sprinkled in here and there, but for the most part, their posts were all about their art. So remember, your social media, and specifically Instagram, acts as a sort of portfolio of your work. You can't expect to gain an audience who’s interested in supporting your art if half of your picture’s aren’t even related to your craft.
The second thing that caught my attention was the fact that all of these influencers were specialists in their chosen field of work. They stuck to one thing and became known for it. This was something that was incredibly difficult for me to accept because I wasn’t stuck on one art form. I loved all of the things I did, and I stubbornly wanted to do it all. I had an especially hard time letting go of drawing. I was at a point where I was finally creeping up on my lifelong goal of achieving photo-realism in my drawings, but I chose to put it aside, at least for a while. I was also starting to make a name for myself in the world of motorcycles by way of my custom seats, and I completely let that one go. Letting go of everything else wasn’t as hard, but I still had to do it. At the end of the day, the only thing I didn’t let go of was printmaking.
Do you think choosing printmaking as a career was a coin toss? Do you think choosing to pursue an art form that I had just learned about in my early twenties was a logical choice? No, it wasn't logical at all. At least it didn’t seem like it on the surface. I had been practicing my drawing skills since I could remember being able to hold a pencil in my hand. I was obsessed with becoming a great illustrator my whole life. Even when I was pursuing a business degree (I thought it was the adult thing to do) right out of high school, I was still practicing my drawing skills relentlessly. Picking printmaking as my profession wasn’t a logical choice, but it was a carefully planned out and educated choice.
One of the things that I picked up on in my early years was the fact that printmaking was a sort of lost art. Hell, I wasn't joking when I told you that it was new to me. The only reason I took my first printmaking class was because my advisor told me I had to pick between that or pottery. I specifically remember saying something like, “ I don’t know what the hell printmaking is, but I’m sure I’ll like it more than pottery.” Don’t get me wrong. I have an appreciation for pottery, but I still have little interest in creating it. Another thing that I noticed was how blown away people were when I showed them how printmaking worked. This ancient art form was so new to people that some of them even asked me if I had invented it. These were two of the main reasons that I decided to pursue printmaking. This was the first step I took in separating myself from a majority of artists out there.
Step two for me was to try and separate myself from all of the printmakers out there, and I did this in a few ways. The easiest way for me to do this fell right in line with the subculture I was already a part of, the automotive industry. I know I wasn't the first person to start carving out images of cars, but I for damn sure was one of the few. Let's keep taking this further. Most printmakers don’t even use wood. They use linoleum because it's so easy to carve, and before I go any further, I need to say that I have nothing against linoleum-cuts. I still do them every once in a while, and more power to you if it’s your way of creating block prints. I made the decision to stick primarily to wood because I’m a super woodworking nerd as it is, and a carved wood block looks a hell of a lot nicer than a carved lino-cut does. This way I can actually frame them and turn them into separate pieces of art. And most printmakers don’t sell their wood blocks, but I do. A framed and clear coated wood block looks great on a wall, and people always want to buy the block. I actually don't know any other printmaker that does this. Again, distinctions are very important.
My final step was to instill my obsession for drawing into my woodcuts. I knew that if I could come up with a distinct carving style, and hone that style into something that was so detailed that it was hard to reproduce, that I could start to catch people’s attention even further. Luckily for me, I was already naturally doing this due to my obsession with perfection, and people were now starting to recognize my work without seeing my name on it. I really am obsessed with becoming better, everyday, and every new project I create needs to show improvement. Years ago I heard a quote that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it, and it’s been a positive reminder for me ever since. Comedian Steve Martin said, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” In a world filled with creatives, it’s really difficult to grab someone's attention. I’ve made it a point in my artistic career to keep refining my skills. This is a never ending journey for me because I know I’ll always find things that I could do better.
I told you earlier that this was a turning point for me. After I decided to try and become great at one thing, rather than being good at several, things started to change for me. All of a sudden I was becoming known in the automotive industry and I was also becoming known in the printmaking community. My social media presence steadily started to grow, and I was starting to sell a lot more work because of the way I implemented my strategy and because of the way I traveled around the country to try and get my name out there. It was all a lot of work (and still is), but I was finally able to separate myself from other artists out there.
Let me tell you how this applies to you, because I know that, obviously, everyone can’t (and shouldn’t) just switch their art form to printmaking. I have a friend who’s an amazing painter. He has adopted this idea for himself, and he’s been experimenting with new ways to make his paintings stand apart from all the other painters out there. His new approach to painting has opened up his mind to keep separating, not only the style of his paintings, but also the subject matter and the way he’s conducting business in general. It’s been an awesome experience for me to witness, and also learn from the ways he’s creating his art. I hope that you can take some of my experiences and try to ask yourself similar questions to help you stand apart.
The last thing I want to touch on is my observations on what can happen if you don’t take the time to explore new ways to become unique in your art form. I know that we all get inspiration from a lot of different artists out there. I’m going to use my friend Mike Giant for this example, because he’s a super well known artist, and his work gets mimicked all over the world. I know that this doesn’t bother Mike, because his distinctive style is his alone, and everyone in his subculture knows it. There’s a lot of artist’s out there who are trying to be just like him, and I mean JUST like him. All the way down to the way he signs his artwork. Mike signs all of his originals with his finger print and his signature. So there’s artists out there creating similar content, in the same exact style, and signing their names along with their fingerprints, just like he does. I don’t think that these artists realize that they all belong to the same subculture as Mike, and people know that they are “copy-cats” of his work.
One of the reasons why Mike, and most famous artists, are so well known is because they created an original or influential style. These individuals are pioneers in the distinct way they create art, and this is what businesses are looking for. If you want someone to hire you to do a mural, company logo, or anything else, I believe it’s important to be able to offer them something that can stand apart from all of the other competing artists that are going after the same job. The goal of any art seeking business is to have something profound and original created. Even if your goal isn’t to get hired by companies, it’s still incredibly important to find your own unique style, but this is especially true if you're trying to “compete” in the business of art.
I’m very aware that this isn’t an easy task by any means, but all great things take time. There’s a reason why the quote, “There’s nothing new under the sun” exists, although I don't exactly agree with it. Art has been created since the dawn of man, but out of the millions of pieces of art in this world, it still has the potential to be truly original. The question now is, what are you going to do to be original? Can you think of ways to mesh styles together, or better yet, take the deep dive into figuring out creative ways to make your art truly unique? I would recommend applying this to your work from here on out. Try to keep your ideas and the way you execute them fresh and innovative, until you land on something that is uniquely your own. And even if you do land on something new and exciting, don’t stop there. Always strive to be better and don’t let anything hold you back.
Thanks again for visiting my blog, and I hope you all stay safe and healthy. Make sure to head over to my new YouTube Channel and subscribe. I’m going to start a series of videos that brings these posts to you visually, and probably also audibly through a podcast. Also be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Much Love To All,
Alex Carmona