Episode 02 - Just Do — Voices Through Time

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Welcome to Episode 02! Benjamin Lai in New York and I exchange audio letters about our early artistic interests and pursuits. Ben trained in Belgium to learn the traditional discipline of decorative painting and I went after my dreams of becoming a fashion designer in New York.

We look back on our youthful ambitions, our failures, and how we were able to move on.

Ben and I met through mutual friends in the late-90s when I was living in New York. At one point, Ben and our other friends Hae-Sun and Eumi also lived in the same brick apartment building in Sunnyside, Queens.

In this episode, Ben talks about growing up in several places including the Bronx, Queens, and Moreno Valley, California. I left the San Fernando Valley in California to go to college in Boston and New York. Later, Ben left the States to pursue an adventure in Belgium which led to his unexpected career as a decorative painter.

I’m deeply grateful to Ben for sharing his story, insights, and wisdom. And to Stuart Baron and Joel Bluming for allowing me to bring their wonderful voices from the past into the present.

For more on Ben Lai’s work in decorative painting

www.experientialtextures.com

Rain Noe’s in-depth interview in 2011 with Ben about his work as a decorative painter