Her powerful and provocative artistry fails to capture the hearts of those who don't quite understand her message. Often overlooked in the art world, Beyoncé has struggled for years to gain the respect of her peers. That all changes when she meets A...
The freeway was a parking lot, backed up for miles on either side of the 405. Rush hour never ended in L.A., yet the bumper to bumper traffic on a Sunday afternoon was a new level of gridlock, even for Southern California. A minor fender bender a few miles back and road construction at just the right point had effectively snarled traffic for as far as the eye could see.
"Maybe you can take surface streets," I said as I looked at my phone again. Waze, Google, Maps. None of them saw a reasonable path to our destination. "You can exit on Sawtelle just up there, make a right, then take Venice to hit the 10. It's longer, but it'll get us there faster than this."
Paul sighed and gripped the steering wheel, drumming his fingers against the leather. He had been unusually quiet since we met up, barely saying two words throughout the 30-minute standstill.
"Is everythin' okay?"
"Yes. Sorry, Bey. Just a bit stressed."
"Work?"
"It's always work." Paul softly chuckled and shook his head, signaling before glancing in the side mirror to switch lanes. "Always feels like everyone wants a piece of me. Bigger projects, more responsibilities. More responsibility means more pressure. And the cycle never ends. They expect more out of me, so much so that it's hard not to disappoint, but I need some free time for myself and to spend time with others. I practically had to beg to go to Brazil with my guys."
"Would you think about leavin'?"
Paul hesitated and released a slow, steady breath. "I have, especially after this last project; it's tempting, honestly. I just need a break so I can focus on fleshing out the studio."
"What's stoppin' you?"
He glanced over and smiled, though his eyes didn't match the mirth, clouded by an unseen doubt.
"I don't know. Scared, maybe? Like what if I make the wrong choice? To give up a stable job for the dream. And fail."
"Paul, don't say that. You're amazin' at what you do and I can't see you failing on your first try. I mean, Drake is a loyal customer, and I seen some of your work in Pharrell's new video. You're bringin' in a huge commission for each piece. That's just scratchin' the surface."
He remained quiet and focused his attention back on the road.
Paul had a gift for ceramic art that he indulged in as a personal passion outside of his corporate gig. His Instagram was no longer private; he took the time to clean his feed and open it up again to the general public. And it didn't take long for the pieces to become an even hotter commodity, especially after Drake posted a photo of Paul's sculptures in his mansion on his own Instagram.
