Perspective of an Artist

Stop giving so much enegery to people or things just to make others happy. Your happiness matter too, it always has. Your comfort matters and we all should be Ok with understanding what that means for us, how much it takes or gives to us, and how useful or useless some of these emotional investments and sacrifices can or can not be.

Hi family. We've heard the saying, "Knowing you worth" but what about working through internally to accept your worth... Yes, just simply accepting your self worth. I understand it's a huge personal milestone to start understanding you have worth, then the other is to understand that, that particular worth is validated but what about the acceptance of that worth. I struggled there for a while in those thougts for myself. Sure, I have worth but in order to fully embody the concept of my worth, I have to eventually at some point accept it. I beleive sometimes a lot of us struggle here too so I wanted to speak on my experience with arriving at my new level of self love by, "Accepting" My Self Worth. Stop Doing Things You Don't Like.

I know I took a break after the last episode. Self care is a must, even for Podcast hosts. However, I have some BIG news! I am currently making a film here in Houston, Texas. It's called, Meet Houston's Artists, and it's a docuseries! Myself, an underground artist, tell the stories of many multi-level career artists continuing to create amid COVID-19, Economic downfall & a country divided in Houston, Texas, USA. From painting out of their living rooms, doing pop-up art shows, and festivals to having a studio space in differing areas of the city. Each artist has their own story to how they got started in the city of Houston as artists and we will visit some of those locations and see how they are managing the mess, that is, 2020. You can view our LIVE streamed trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/MeetHoustonsArtists/videos/923420938155414/ or by following our social media pages for the Meet Houston's Atrtists Doucseries. Links below. What started out as a small passion project with just a few artists in within just a few weeks we erupted into a cast of 14 artists in Houston and we launched a crowd funding campaign on August 2st 2020 and as of today (8/10/2020) we are 52% funded! We have some really incredible and awesome backer rewards! You can pledge a donation here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meethoustonsartists/meet-houstons-artists-docuseries Also in this episode I do talk about how I feel about all of this... LOL, I'm still a human and I am sharing my art journey with you guys so why not know how this feels? Give us a follow! https://www.instagram.com/meethoustonsartists/ https://www.instagram.com/mo_lerouxart/ https://www.lerouxart.com/meethoustonsartists

I honestly didn't want to talk about this ever on my platform but I have to be honest about who I am, what I stand for, and what I feel. 2019 was already acting quite strange over a chicken sandwich but I digress. I think one of the best things we probably can do right now as human beings, is talk about what is going on so we can work through all of these emotions. COVID-19 was something I was aware of and made sure to err on the side of caution with but knowoing, even the Black Plague didn't last forever. Things always change. In additon to my rather cautious life already, I was thrown into an emotional tail spin with the news of George Floyd. Seeing yet again, another person who looks like me get murdred on film and subsequently the entire country and across the globe tune in as if we enjoy murder porn that sparked real outrage, fake outrage, protests, riots and ewww, it just got really bad. I speak here alone, from a place of personal self reflection, self interpretation, self opinion and I speak for no one else. I arrived at how this is actually a moral compass issue that we are grossly overlooking because we are locked in on the racial tensions, differences, and issues that plaques our nation's history past, present and sad enough, future. Visit the

I was asked to be interviewed by Podcast Host, Vince Pryor to be on the LGBT and Allies platform to discuss the current events, introduce myself, my art, explain the daily mantra, Stop Doing Things You Don't Like", and tell others a bit about my art, my inspiration and podcast.  The 2081 Project https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Xn... Join the, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like Movement" by participating with a follow or subscribtion to any of my social media platforms below!

Deciding to understand that most times in following your dreams or going for something in life others may not agree with, believe in, or understand oftens creates a throbbing lonliness at times. Our friends, associates and or family start to view us different and treat us that way too. I heard the cliche saying before, "It gets lonely when you follow your heart." After experiencing the loss of many relationships, platonic and romantic over just a carrer change or move I relealized how much truth still stands in that saying. Not everyone in your life is meant to stay or accompany you through your journey. No matter if that journey is figuring yourself out, your career, you likes, dislikes, or whatever, not everyone will be down to ride with you on the way. Let's talk about how this is actually a great thing and how being alone sometimes, is not such a bad thing when you are figuring it all out. Visit the

We all grieve very differently and I believe we do becasue not only do we all have our own individual ideas or beliefs what death is, but also how our relationship dynamics we may have had with the individual, the circumstances or events around the death and the actual approach you chose to grieve. My experience with my father's death in 2009 landed me in a weird emotional situation and wierd interactions with family but after a few years I had managed to continue to forgive, hold on to what was healthy, let go of what was not healthy and finally have peace for myself. Here is the story of how I dealt with all of it. -In memory of my Father, "Bug". Visit the

This seems to be quite a fitting time, although the real journey for me began in July of 2018, I'd like to share how a lot of times in my life, a voice or a feeling deep inside me that said, "Something doesn't feel right about this." I really began to question a lot of my emotions and reacations to things a bit more when I noticed how uncomfortable it made me. To constantly be sacrificing what I believed was healthy comfort, for someone else's unhealthy discomfort. I started reaching within and some of it I didn't like but I realzied I could change some of it to be more of what I like, builld towards my own version of happiness and experience more joy in my personal life. Visit the

Uh-oh, someone is starting to make you feel bad when you are around them or maybe they've always made you uncomfortable and you couldn't quite put your finger on why or how? In this episode I share a few instances in my life and some varying scenarios that helped me identify "Energy Vampires" and how I eventually matured, grew, and evolved into handling these types of people better, so I could arrive at a place I could have more inner peace and self love. Stop Doing Things You Don't Like, sometimes that includes people too. Visit the

You can still get crippled by fear even with going for your dreams or your version of happiness and not totally realize it or know how to work past it. Sometimes not having the confidence to be the first or go at it alone is the exact component that ends up holding you back. All the "greats" had to understand this, over come and go get it. Thanks to a fellow artist friend's suggestion, I can dive into this a bit in the episode referencing several points in our shared lives where we made the decision to allow fear to have a huge say, in how fast and how far we are going to go on our journey to our personal versions of happiness in life. Topic was submitted by local Houston Artist: Hugo Perez Check him and his art out on IG @https://www.instagram.com/hugoperezart/ AND his professional artist website https://hugoperezart.com/ Visit the>>>

We all poke fun at the people we know are living a false lifestyle, from the IG models, the "happy couples" or the super successful entreprenuers crushing it on social media... Meanwhile, we actually know some of these people in real life and know what the deal really is. Addtionally, if we are not the one's projecting a facade for the likes and ego boosts, there are some things I have come to realize that equally some people are just flat out afraid and have a lack of confidence to express their actual authenticity as a person on social media because they feel thier content doesn't have the value of the cliche pictures of food, stacks of money, or smiling faces hiding a unhealthy relationship. Let's see how far I take you down this rabbit hole with my own experiences, growth and lessons I am still learning along the way with boundaries between social media, authenticity and my real life. Topic submitted by local Houston Artist: Lesley Marie Diaz Check her art out on IG @https://www.instagram.com/lesleymariediaz/ Visit the

Most of us have been placed in awkward situations in the workplace, whether it's form the employer directly or another employee or supervisor... I think we can all agree that work culture sucks. Held to the standards set by the organization that likely doesn't maintain their on itegrity or due diligence in keeping work places safe and non hostile. We all have witnessed bullying, harrassment, coercion, deception, being looked over and playing favorites along with unfair compensation and full neglect. Safe to say, it's not at all an appealing aspect of life but nonetheless, a huge part of yours. In this episode I share my perspective on, "Why Work Culture is Awful". Stop Doing Things You Don't Like!

I have only been pursing a carrer as an artist for four years, I just recently got serious in the last two years. I had to overcome the fear of not knowing anything about having an art career, the different facets the art world, going against the odds of pulling it off fully and the quickly bending and winding turns and pockets of art culture. I equally understand that what I am and currently experiencing is probably and most surely only one very small snap shot and facet of an international and world wide phenomenom we call, the art world. Interesting enough, I understand and feel that I see a lot of people often artists, express their displeasure of how some things tend to go down locally, socially, and globally. I challenege that disgruntlement with, are we not the culture itself that allows and creates that tempo for the foolery we complain of? Most of us saw that duct-tapped bananna at Art Basel right? Somehow artits got Ok with allowing certain people in the art world to dictate the rules for us and Althought the artist did it as a joke, it was a very real time reminder of how janky this system often is. So if the game here is demanding indvidulality for my level of creative skill and self expression to be rewarded in whatever fulillment we seeking, monetary, happiness or both along with more opportunities to continue to do so, then why must we all pander and accept the idea that we have to do A, to get B when there is evidence that sometimes you can go 25 other ways before you land at B. In a nutshell, why must I do things the way an artist is "expected" or "supossed" to do things? The Stop Doing Things You Don't Like Collection, is available at https://www.lerouxart.com/shop . Join me in practicing and spreading the daily mantra while inspiring others to, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like."

In this episode I talk about my personal leap to entreprenuership. It actually was not planned at all or did I have any type of idea of how to do what I felt like I knew I wanted to do. It was a sudden decision of, if not now, then when? Throughout the several careers I've had from the military, police, firefighter and dental assistant, often times, things just didn't seem to feel right to me. I always felt that in someway maybe that was my higher self trying to tell me something more was to the feelings I had, but I never took the time to search within until I truthfully had no choice to stop valuing other people's opinions who are mine. After a intense and life changing mental breakdown in July of 2018, I blindly found the courage to take the leap to entreprenuership, and now I want to share that story and the journey I have been in on to, Stop Doing Things You Don't Like! Visit https://www.lerouxart.com/shop for the Stop Doing Things You Don't Like Collection. View my art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mo_lerouxart and watch some time laspes videos of my fire and resin process that I am certain no one else in the world does, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMa__eo4fum7HanXQX2r0zA I love you all and much love to the UK and Ireland, thank you for listening!

As silly as that title is to me, it is pretty much true. In this episode I share the story where I learned a lot of lessons but very slowly over time from three, once upon a time friends. In my life, I've moved around and lot and was pretty Ok with external change but struggled with internal growth while exploring myself and life. I learned from this event that not everyone is really your friend, not all apologies are sincere, and sometimes the path to your dreams really does mean leaving a few people by the wayside. I believe when something doesn't feel right, it's typically not. If the people you call your friends in your circle, don't inspire you to be great and motivate you to be better, then you do not have a circle, you have a cage. Stop Doing Things You Don't Like. LeRouxArt.com/shop visit the, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like Collection" and join me in practicing that daily mantra!

Yep. I am taking full self accountability on this one. I eventually realized at one point in my life, I was the toxic person. Often times, we like to automatically believe someone is attacking us and we're misunderstood but are we really? Sometimes we don't realize, as the old saying goes, "Hurt People, Hurt People" is a warning to a harsh life lesson. The one lesson where you realize you are NOT just being a charming butthole but really a broken emotional disaster, but don't fret. You are not alone and the sooner you find out, the sooner you can fix it. In this episode I talk about two very pivotal relationships in my life that helped to realize I played a role in being toxic too. There was a point people tried to accept my bad behavior for as long as they could, which now I realize they were trying to love me but the only one that could change and heal me, was me. View the, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like" Collection here, https://www.lerouxart.com/shop Let's inspire one another to practice this daily mantra and motivate us all to creat our version of happiness and peace. 

I get disappointed so deeply when things don't work out as we have planned, I'm sure we all do. However, sometimes I challeneged the idea that if things don't work out in personal relationships, why are we so quick to throw entire relationship and person away? Why not just recognize that just becase you both did not work one way as expected? Why does that automatically mean I have to throw you away entirely and not see the overall value of a person beyond failed relationship expectation? When things change in a relationship, they are often a cause of someone's personal sruggle or growth. It doesn't meant the person can not still add great and genuine value to your life. Perhaps as a friend, just not a mate or vice versa. You can just simply adjust your dynamics and still respect the good that works between one another with those boundaries set into place and respected. LeRouxArt.com

So it's 2016, I arrived in Houston, Texas, renting a room from some lady off of Craig's List and I was just fired from my last career. Despite the entire shake up of my world, running from my problems and feelings from the past, I found my way back to doing art but depression was finally taking it's ultimate toll on me. This is Part Two of the Episode, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like" where I explain how this daily mantra became the very thing that helped saved my life, got me into pursuing art as a career and finally loving myself. I announce the launching of the "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like Collection" where you join me with pursuing your version of happiness everyday with a few items that I know you'll see every day to stay motivated like, T-shirts, Prints -signed by Me! Hoodies, Notebooks to write down your journey or thoughts, home decor pillow cases, stickers and so much more. Go to https://www.lerouxart.com/shop to see what you may fall in love with. Also, you can check out my art while while you're there too!

What's going on tribe? In this special, two part episode I cover the makings of how I came to practicing and sharing, so passionately, my daily mantra, "Stop Doing Things You Don't Like". Nina Simone said, "It is the artist's duty to reflect the time." I believe we all are a bit frustrated in some aspect of ourlives that we didn't go after that one thing, and we will never know if we could have pulled it off. Many would say that's having a dream. 15 years is a long time to deny yourself the truth and respect you deserve to be happy. A lot of us felt like we had to fit inside some version of a box to make others happy or to convince ourselves that we should be even when there's something deep inside us that pulls us another direction. Part One is about my gradual shift from career to another career while I was just simply trying to figure out what else I might like other than art because I was taught and convinced so early in life, that despite my enjoyment of it, it was not a career path I should pursue. Part Two will bring us closer to where I am now in Houston in my art career but also what I have learned internally along the way.

I get it. You don't want to just walk out this job you already dont like because you are worried about not leaving properly... My whole thing is, if you hate it or even just don't like it, why do you care how you leave? Just leave. I think fear comes into play with this because we have been conditioned to feel dependent on someone else because we don't have trust and faith in our own abilities to succeed without knowing we have a safety net. Not that here is anything wrong with a safety net (lovingly known as a Plan B) but is it really a net, or a self inflicted trap to comfort when failure appears?

Transient Friends are people that often come in and out your life, while we... well, experience life. Not everyone sticks around and sometimes some people cycle in and out several times. In this Episode I talk about how your heart tells you something does'nt feel right about a situation and often times a particular person.