Kickstarting 2018!

As I am sliding into a common “GJD” ( Grey January Depression ) I remembered that it’s a good idea to list all the things to be thankful for in life. So that’s a perfect jumping off point for a traditional Blogger recap of 2017 and an outlook of what 2018 might have in store!

Yes I know I am a bit late to the party but hey, it has been a crazy ride…

Moving back to Germany

2017 was pretty intense for me as I settled back into the flow of my hometown of Hamburg after living 15 years in the Big Smoke aka London. This topic would warrant a whole blogpost in itself, but for now let’s just say it’s quite crazy how much I enjoy being back home! After slagging off Hamburg for the last 25 years for being boring, dull and lacking creative energy it’s quite amazing that my days are flying by and I am not bored for a second. I was SO sure that IF I EVER would return to Germany, the place to be would be Berlin…

So how come I ended up back up north? Well, because I realized that my work actually benefits from a slower pace of life and living in a smaller city! So instead of getting hit by FOAMO ( Fear Of Missing Out ) every day, bouncing around between sneaker launches and exhibition previews like a madman, I actually could sit my ass down to get some personal work done!

I am happy to report that I got pretty busy last year and I am very proud of the outcome: Being it pushing my art, connecting with cool creative people or getting some YouTube videos out there, the slower pace of life definetly helped me to be less distracted and more creative!

Of cause London will always have a very special place in my heart and I am still visiting frequently. If you are planning to visit London this year why not check out my London guide on my blog: http://www.solaris100.com/blog/2017/9/12/the-solaris-guide-to-london

Travelling

Whilst we are on the topic of traveling, I managed to get a fair amount of travel in as well: Copenhagen, London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Italy and Sweden… always having a great time hanging out with friends and family!

There are so many places I still have to see, so I really want to keep on ticking some cities off my list in 2018. I never been to Greece, Turkey, Finland, Norway or Hungary so this really needs to change this year! I want to focus on smaller city breaks instead of longer holidays as there is just too much to see. So if you can recommend anything, hit me up on all the regular Social Media channels @solaris100!

Art

I always painted and drew, but I am guilty of letting it slide a bit too much for the last couple of years which didn’t make me happy. I am much more happy now being back at it and even getting a couple of exhibitions under my belt in the UK and Germany.

As an artist you are always searching for an unique and authentic creative voice. After I started to just scribble around three years ago, a fresh visual direction opened up to me and I am really happy how my expressionist bubbles and colorful defacing of objects evolved month after month. Now in 2018 I feel really clear about the direction I want to take and can’t wait doing more art! Especially doing murals is a lot of fun and I am planning to blow up the size of my paintings considerably…

At this point I want to give a big shout out to the Street Art School Collective of Hamburg for letting me become a member and involving me into activities like painting murals and the Millerntor Gallery 2017. You can read about that here: 

http://www.solaris100.com/blog/2017/6/30/art-for-water-millerntor-gallery-2017

YouTube, Instagram and Social Media Madness

A bit thank you to everyone who follows me on Instagram and all the other obvious Social Media channels!!! Life really inspires me and I just love to share my travels with you. I met great friends online and your support and encouragement really means a lot to me. 

  Follow me on Insta here!
Follow me on Insta here!

I will do more YouTube videos in 2018 as it’s just a lot of fun dissecting nerdy topics like trainers or KAWS toys. I am really into watching videos about nerdy stuff whilst painting or doing chores around the house and it’s very inspiring to see how my fave YouTubers found their voice and raised their game over the years. This new age of direct content creation and distribution is just fantastic!

My current favorite YouTubers are:

Mei Leaf – Don is always entertaining dropping tea knowledge

Paul Cantu – Funny as hell Thrift God from Texas

The Sucklord – Conflicted NYC artist who meditates about Star Wars and the art world… 



So I hope you check em out and give them a thumbs up!

Crafting Solaris 100 Manor

Again really a blogpost in itself, but I am really happy to have found a new amazing flat against all odds three days before NYE 2017! Moving so closely before the new year wasn’t fun but it allowed me a fresh start into 2018. And now, after a solid month of visits to IKEA, I can report that Solaris100 Manor is full operational and offers me to hang out and work in style!

I am sure I’ll do a IKEA Cribs video of the place soon so keep your eyes peeled…

Wow… the Winter blues is gone! So this whole gratitude thing actually works!

I am definitely VERY grateful for everything that happened in the last year and the year before as it led me to this grey January day in Hamburg where I feel ready to F**KING ROCK in 2018!

Thank you so much for being part of the journey so far and let’s keep on moving together…

Grouphug!

xS100