"you are what you eat"

In a recent interview with a fairly "famous" architect who has changed the trajectory of his practice to be a lot more socially based in the last decade, he had some inspiring guidance. i asked him, if he thought he had the luxury of choosing to do more socially based work after a whole career of getting p-izz-aid on upscale projects. furthermore i told him that I’ve been told by some that it’s best to succeed by the status quo before you start shaking things up and breaking rules. i mean at 28 and as a woman of color is that a priveledge that i really have? would i really be taken seriously or will it be the, "she's doing that because she couldn't succeed at the traditional way" kind of thing...

He said to me, You never have to be a conformist. You don’t have to succeed by the status quo. If you want to design stuff in the middle of the street and disrupt shit in order to get people's attention and make change...Design stuff in the middle of the street! you'll ecome known for it. A very specific group will look at you as worth something. You will not get a lot of work in the traditional sense and it takes a great deal of courage. but its bullshit to “succeed” by the status quo. he went on to say, "you are what you eat…if you do shit work you will be known for shit work and people will come to you for that” you will become known for what you do. if you don't want to do the "traditional path" don't do it. you don't endure the shittiness of that path just to "say you did it" if you cave now, you will never be known for what you want to do. and people won't take you seriously. you have to do it NOW. Where is your strength of character if you don’t?

interesting question...we'll see how it gets answered later this year post graduation!