Original artwork description:

My Own Hero is an original acrylic painting by American/Japanese professional artist, Alphonso J. Davis Jr.

Inspired by the artist's experiences as both a child and an adult, invoking a feeling a independence and determination. Look deep within yourself, and you may find your biggest inspiration is yourself. The vibrant colors, glossy finish, and the beauty of the work itself makes it stand out in any home or office environment. This painting does not come framed.

What's the inspiration behind this piece? Beware, long post...

I had worked at a company for a couple of years. Then there came a point where I as well as some of my colleagues decided to leave the company. I applied for hundreds of positions but I could only manage to be invited to just a couple of interviews over the course of several months. Meanwhile, my colleagues were trying to decide which of a number of offers they would take.

I bared no ill will towards my colleagues, but in terms of qualifications, there was no question as to who was better for positions in that field. I had achievements, seniority, bilingual ability, and I had even helped train some of them. After trying to make sense of just why I couldn't find work (and why they could), I reluctantly came to the conclusion that the only differentiating factor that one might consider is that they didn't quite look like me; they were not black. These thoughts would later be reinforced in conversations I would have in the few interviews to come.

The blatant disrespect I faced reached a point where I grew increasingly tired of the few HR managers I met metaphorically kicking their feet up on desks, clasping their hands behind their heads, beckoning me to come in at empress them. Nonetheless, I was prepared to empress them just the same. Some didn't even want to be impressed; just seeing me was a chore to them.

One hiring manager came in dressed in a polo shirt, sweatpants, and flip-flops asked me icebreaker questions for over 10 minutes. Eventually, I interject by saying, "I appreciate you calling me in. I have a lot of experience related to this position from my previous job. Would you like me to expound upon how I can use that experience here?" Without hesitation, he reponds, "No", and he continues to ask icebreaker questions. "What's the weather like in your hometown this time of year?" "What do people do there for fun?" "What's the most famous thing there?" This continues, and then, finally he asks, "So, do you have any questions?" There are even more interview stories, but I'll try not to make this too much longer.

Soon after that, I decided I was going to work as hard as I could to build businesses where I could be on the other side of the desk. My goal was to be my own hero in a way and maybe be someone else's. I want to make sure I would be in a position to help my family and other POC. If someone needs work or a break, I can be the one to help. What I'm building will be one less place where people would have to go through what I experienced.

Materials used:

Acrylic Paint, Marker

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