I really can’t believe I’m in Hawaiʻi. And listening to Dante Basco speak last weekend made me realize that you have to be open to the unforeseen possibilities of life.He talked about starting as a breakdancer with his brothers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, eventually getting into acting, and later finding opportunities in voice acting that he hadn’t even planned for.

And what’s interesting is that he didn’t necessarily know where those opportunities would take him. He had his own plans, but other things came along that became part of his career.I wanted to ask him a question but didn’t get the chance.

Instead, I thanked him for acknowledging how Black people and Black culture influenced his journey. He told me I was on a journey too, and that he hoped I knew it.I thought about that afterward because I definitely didn’t plan on living in Hawaiʻi a year ago.

What Am I Actually Building?

I’ve been having a lot of conversations about The Hidden Creation lately, particularly what I want it to become.I’ve been creating things for over ten years. There are more than 900 uploads on my YouTube channel, over 100 gigabytes of cannabis footage, years of photography, books I’ve published, and my culinary career.

And somehow, I can still think I need to make something new.I’ve also been reaching out to restaurants, event organizers, and cannabis brands here in Hawaiʻi. I’ve photographed the Hawaiʻi Jazz Getaway, documented food events, and continued trying to develop relationships with people working in hospitality.Some opportunities are paid assignments. Others are introductions, collaborations, or simply places I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

But I’ve been wondering whether having all these different opportunities means I’m building a business or just keeping myself busy.Because if I need another assignment every time I want to generate income, that’s still another job. It’s just one where I happen to own the camera.

I’ve always admired Anthony Bourdain, not simply because he traveled around eating food, but because he could understand something about a place through the people he met.Being a chef and photographer, I’ve wanted to do something similar.

Here in Hawaii, I work in a kitchen while photographing restaurants and events. So I’m already experiencing food from both sides.I’m not walking around with a television crew. I’m sending emails, carrying my camera, and figuring out who might be interested in working together.But I started wondering what my own version of that could look like.Especially when I’ve already spent years developing the skills and creating the material.

Before going to Capitol Modern, I saw Megalopolis, and that movie was definitely out there, especially toward the end.But what I found interesting was Cesar. I actually believe he wants to create a better world. I’m just not sure he fully understands the people he’s trying to help.He’s often looking at them from above, through binoculars or through his own ideas about what their future should look like.

He knows the wealthy people around him are putting on a show, but he’s still part of that world.And when his accounts are frozen, suddenly he can’t do much. His ability to change society still depends on the system he’s trying to change.Then there’s his utopia. People are displaced, the old city remains, and not everybody gets to participate in this future he’s imagining. Even his personal relationships are full of resentment and people feeling forgotten.

Afterward, I listened to Francis Ford Coppola discuss the film. He talked about human potential, education, technology, and why artists should create things they personally care about.I can appreciate that vision, but I kept coming back to Cesar.Because wanting to improve people’s lives isn’t the same as understanding them. He creates what he believes people need, but does he know whether it’s what they want?

Later, at Capitol Modern, I listened to Dante talk about creating opportunities and telling stories from your own perspective.Two different artists, with very different experiences, and both gave me something to think about.Cannabis Is Still Part of the ConversationThis week I’ve also been thinking about how I present cannabis through The Hidden Creation.For years, cannabis cooking and education have been a big part of what I’ve created.

I have the videos, recipes, books, and experience. But I’ve been considering removing Infused Dining as the main language on my website and presenting the food itself.Because the food doesn’t suddenly become less valuable when it isn’t infused.I can still cook, create desserts, photograph food, and share culinary experiences. Cannabis can remain part of my educational work without every dinner or every new visitor needing to enter through that subject.I’ve also been reaching out to brands that make storage accessories, infusion equipment, and products connected to cannabis culture.And I think there’s something interesting there because I can approach those products as both a chef and a photographer.

I can look at how something functions, how people might use it, how it’s designed, and whether it’s worth discussing with my audience.But getting a product doesn’t automatically make it a paid collaboration. That’s another part of the business I’m learning to distinguish.

I had another idea after a long day working in the kitchen.What if I kept writing these weekly blogs and, at the end of each month, turned the most interesting parts into a newsletter?I could call it The Hidden Experience.People could subscribe to follow what I’m creating, whether that’s food, photography, cannabis education, books, or something else I’m exploring.And eventually, if I start hosting dinners or other experiences again, I would already have a way to reach people who are interested.I haven’t launched it yet. It’s still an idea.But I like that it would connect the things I’m already creating instead of requiring me to start another completely separate project.

What These Two Weeks Have Made Me Think About

Last week, I was asking what The Hidden Creation is becoming. This week, I’ve been thinking more about who I’m creating it for and what kind of life I actually want it to support.And that’s where Megalopolis came back into the conversation for me.I don’t think my situation is the same as Cesar’s. But watching somebody build this enormous vision without fully understanding the people involved made me question something about building anything.

You can have an idea you believe in, but you still have to understand the people you’re trying to reach.Dante’s story also reminded me that opportunities don’t always arrive in the form you originally imagined.I want The Hidden Creation to become financially sustainable. But I also want time to travel, experience art, meet people, work on my books, and enjoy things without turning every experience into another business opportunity.

I’m still thinking about learning how to draw, and I want to visit more museums. Sometimes I just want to go to the movies.I think there’s room for all of that.And maybe the next part of building The Hidden Creation is paying more attention to what’s already happening, what people respond to, and what opportunities I might not have considered yet.

Because I really didn’t expect to end up in Hawaiʻi.

And here I am.

Have you ever had an unexpected opportunity change what you thought you were building?

Resources

The Hidden Creation: https://www.thehiddencreation.comYouTube —

Food and cannabis education: https://www.youtube.com/@thehiddencreationBooks

Educational resources: https://payhip.com/TheHiddenCreation