C7 FAMILY
2-3/28-1/26
#7 - LOVE
WITH LOVE BEING ONE OF THE PRIMARY THEMES IN C7, IT’S ONLY RIGHT THAT I PROVIDE SOME BACKSTORY BEYOND WHAT IS SAID THROUGH THE CLOTHING. THIS WORD HAS HAD A DEEP SIGNIFICANCE TO ME THROUGHOUT THE LAST 4 YEARS, AND I WOULD HAVE NOTHING IF IT WASN’T FOR THE ENERGY SURROUNDING THE WORD. SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LOVE IS NOT ONLY HAS IT EXISTED FOR AN INCREDIBLY LONG TIME, BUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS A DIFFERENT DEFINITION AND VERSION OF LOVE. LIKE I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, WITH EVERY PERSON ON OUR PLANET GROWING UP IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT, EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT ENERGY SURROUNDING THAT WORD. THIS DIFFERENCE IS WHAT MAKES EVERY ONE OF US BEAUTIFUL, SINCE IT REVEALS OUR TRUEST AND MOST RAW EMOTIONS, HOWEVER IN A LOT OF THESE CASES THESE EMOTIONS ARE DISREGARDED. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL DOESN’T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THESE EMOTIONS, IT CAN LEAD THE INDIVIDUAL INTO A MUCH DARKER STATE OF MIND. THIS ENTIRE BRAND IS MY EXPRESSION OF THIS ENERGY, MY WAY OF PUTTING THESE EMOTIONS INTO SOMETHING PHYSICAL.
WHEN I REFLECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT MY PARENTS BUILT FOR ME GROWING UP, IT MAKES ME UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHY I THINK THE WAY THAT I DO. I DON’T EVER REMEMBER BEING TOLD THAT WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS IMPOSSIBLE, AND THAT I COULDN'T DO THE THINGS THAT I DREAMT OF. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE TRULY BEAUTIFUL IMPACT THAT THIS HAS ON SOMEONE, AND I ONLY FULLY REALIZED ITS IMPACT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. THIS KIND OF ENERGY IS SOMETHING THAT HAS COMPELTELY MOLDED MY BRAIN, AND I GUARANTEE IF MY PARENTS DIDN’T GIVE ME THIS KIND OF TREATMENT, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY. I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THIS LIFE, AND NO MATTER HOW HIGH OR LOW I AM I’LL NEVER FORGET THE IMPACT OF THIS ENERGY. I WANT TO IMBUE C7 WITH MY GRATEFULNESS TO MY PARENTS AND EVERY TIME I’VE BEEN SHOWN LOVE IN THE PAST, LIKE MY THANK YOU CARD TO THE UNIVERSE.
I’VE BECOME OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA THAT LOVE IS AN ALMOST INFINITE RESOURCE. DOING THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO DO, FOR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING YOU LOVE GIVES US A GLIMPSE INTO THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF THIS ENERGY. IN THESE INSTANCES, YOU MIGHT THINK OF THAT PERSON YOU’RE HELPING AND REMEMBER A TIME THEY HELPED YOU, OR SOMETHING THEY MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH THAT YOU COULD PARTIALLY RELIEVE THEM OF BY DOING THIS TASK. WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I BELIEVE THE VALUE OF THESE LITTLE TASKS BUILDS UP OVER TIME, CREATING VALUABLE RELATIONSHIPS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE GOING TO BE WHAT GIVES YOU LONGEVITY AND COMFORT IN LIFE, AND THEY WILL BE WHAT YOU REFLECT ON BEFORE YOUR DEATH. I WAS SHOWN A STUDY MULTIPLE TIMES IN MY CLASSES THAT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO CORRELATION TO HAPPINESS FROM INCREASED FINANCIAL WEALTH AFTER 100K ANUALLY, AND THE MAJORITY OF OLDER PEOPLE SAID THAT THE KEY TO LIVING A FULFILLING LIFE IS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. IF SOMEONE’S ONLY REASON FOR DOING SOMETHING IS TO GET RICH, THEY ARE SETTING THEMSELVES UP FOR A FUTURE CRISIS. ONCE THEY ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, THEY WILL FEEL LOST SINCE THE ONLY THING THEY WORRIED ABOUT WAS MONEY, AS OPPOSED TO REMAINING FOCUSED ON DOING WHAT THEY LOVE WITH PEOPLE THEY LOVE. I BRING THIS UP TO FURTHER REFLECT ON THE ENERGY OF LOVE, SINCE IT IS THE REASON THAT YOU ARE READING THESE WORDS. IF I DIDN’T LOVE WHAT I WAS DOING, I WOULDN’T FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO EXPRESS IT THIS THOROUGHLY.
WITH THAT CONTEXT IN MIND, YOU CAN SEE WHY I AM SO PASSIONATE ABOUT PUTTING THAT WORD ON CLOTHING AND WHY I HAVE SO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THIS PROJECT. I PLAN ON USING THE LOVE PRINT FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE IT IS NOT ONLY THE CORE VALUE OF THE BRAND, BUT ALSO THE PREDECESSOR OF THE SCREENPRINTING ERA. ONCE I MOVE BACK TO THE BAY IN THE SUMMER, I PLAN ON INVESTING IN A PRINTER THAT ALLOWS ME TO PRINT ON TRANSPARENCIES, SO THE POSSIBILITIES WILL BE ENDLESS. I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE GARMENT ITSELF EXPRESSING MY TASTE IN CLOTHES AND A SCREEN PRINTED DESIGN SHOWING MY TASTE IN CUSTOMIZATION OF SAID GARMENT. I WANT THESE PRINTS TO FEEL PERSONAL, AND I PLAN ON USING THEM AS THE MEDIUM FOR COLLABORATION. I HAVE A MASSIVE RESPECT FOR THE WORLD OF GRAFFITI AND THE DEDICATION THAT THE ARTISTS IN IT HAVE TO THEIR CRAFT. I AM INSPIRED BY THIS DEDICATION AND I HAVE A SIMILAR MENTALITY WITH THIS BRAND, SO COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR WORLDS IS INEVITABLE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THAT COLLABORATIONS WILL BE DECIDED. I WILL NEVER DO A COLLABORATION ONLY BECAUSE THE MONEY IS GOOD, UNLESS THE VALUES AND PRACTICES OF THAT OTHER ENTITY ALIGN WITH C7. WITH THIS BRAND BEING A REPRESENTATION OF MYSELF, I WILL ALWAYS PRIORITIZE MY VALUES OVER NUMBERS. LOVE WILL FOREVER BE A PART OF ME AND A PART OF C7, AND I TRULY HOPE THAT ENERGY CAN BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH THE PIECES I CREATE.
-CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG