TIME’S UP!

I started Minute Made New York as a project to showcase my skills and to expand my portfolio by profiling the amazing people around me, who I’ve had the honor of knowing and discovering, through my life experiences.

I was also inspired by Brandon Stanton of “Humans of New York,” in how he captured people and their stories. I was motivated to recreate that magic in a different way; through movement and voices. The series allowed me to know the people in my network, celebrate them and even allowed me to travel to Paris, for the first time, for others to see my work; one of my major life accomplishments.

With the dawn of the pandemic however, the series took an immediate halt, considering the state of the world.
In that time, my circumstances and priorities have completely shifted, making me re-examine the series and deciding that it was time for the minutes to come to an end. As a passion project, it has accomplished its goal and I am proud of the response that it has generated in the past few years.

Thank you to all of the people who decided to trust me with their stories. Thank you to everyone who watched every minute. Thank you to those who shared these videos. Thank you for making this project the success that it was. The series may be over, but it doesn’t mean that I will be done creating impactful content and continuing to tell stories through my lens.

New York City, good or bad, is a place that will continue to grow with the people who decide to live here.
So the next time you pass someone in the street, stand behind someone in line, or sit across from someone during your commute,
remember this series and realize that if you gave them a minute, they might have an amazing story to share. Until next time.

-Vixon J.

Every Minute

“…We was outside, playing with kids, running around, interacting with adults, getting into trouble. It’s not the same with them; they’re okay with sitting in front of a screen, not talking to each other…”

“…and one of the lessons that I learned, as a child, was that you have to break things down into small wins. And it was once I crossed that finish line that I finally came to the realization of it’s time you start telling people this story…”

"I like to treat my clients like they are Beyonce; you are the celebrity, like, you are! And if you just believe in that, one time for me, you would understand your capabilities of how far you can go, and where you can be in life."

“Sometimes people don’t know what to say, or don’t know what they’re saying, is offensive. I think one of the reasons I was put on this Earth is to educate people, and help them understand, this is not how you talk to people, or this is not a good way to talk to people…”

“…We’re working to bridge the gap between generations; it’s a Gen-to-Gen thing because there’s a big void and gap of, especially African American culture, from the youth and the old folks. The old folks are scared of the youth and the youth figure they know everything and they can’t learn nothing.”

"New York definitely affected me in a massive way. Having the opportunity to see artists that I admired greatly, in person, and to speak with them, and to be in their studio, was huge."

"People in New York are so often trying to be more stylish or more whatever. What I do think is beautiful about New York is all it takes is a smile to strike up a conversation.”

"The company came out of my failed attempts at head wraps, and I started to make these clutch purses... I sold one of my first tote bags that I made, I sold it for $120; and I was like 'oh, well shit. I'm going to keep doing this'."
"It is difficult to pack your bags and say I want to start a different life; but today, freedom tastes good. In Nigeria, as a gay man, you're looking at your back because you don't know what will happen. America gives people the opportunity to be who they are."

"Weight loss surgery is not cosmetic surgery; it's not plastic surgery. A lot of people feel like it's because you're lazy and that's why you need it get it done because you just can't go to the gym and work out; it doesn't work like that for everybody...”

"...Before I even got out of Genesis, which is the first book of the Bible, I was like, huh, this is fascinating; do Christians know about this?... People can believe in what they want; you know; you can believe in the Devil, you can believe in God, you can believe in Buddha, whatever.”

"...And for a long time, women of color weren't shown in a light that was beautiful or desirable. That's why natural hair is so important to me; it's more than just hair, natural hair is a lifestyle. It's who we are."

"There's so much going on, as far as emotion, as far as telling a story, just by showing the face of a person. This piece is a large-scale head that is actually sipping water, but most of the emotional center is in the eyes; in the portraiture.”

"...One of the hosts was going out to LA and she said, I would love for you to come, however, of course, the station couldn't pay for it. So, I literally gathered my funds and booked the flight; booked the hotel and, when I went out there, she was so surprised; 'Wow!

"We save lives; you know, if I could, I would go to the highest building in the city and, really just, shine a light on what we do here. None of our children here have gone down the road that was intended for them to go down.”

"Personally, I had a uncle who was locked up when I was sixteen, it happened; he's still locked up, and I know the effects it had on myself and my family,, so I can relate to the children who have family that's away."

"I can't imagine having a parent not be there; not being able to see my parent when I want to; having to look at a parent behind a glass window. They need a lot of encouragement, a lot of support, a lot of motivation, and they need to learn to face their fears..."
"...All of the kids who are involved in CPNYC have a therapist, like they do their mental health services on site; so it's getting rid of, not only the stigma of having incarceration in your family, but the stigma of mental health and saying that this stuff is important..."

"...Here we are, in this world, and there are people who need these resources, not for art, but for habitat. And, so I made it my agenda to use even more found materials; more recycled materials..."

"It takes energy to do anything; whatever we do, it's about having that energy and with visual art is with me, personally, it's about having positive energy, and that's been my main focus..."

"...Just seeing my dreams come true; just becoming the artist, for real, like, for a job. So, to be on Showtime at the Apollo, and to have a number one record, and having my music come on the radio and hearing my own voice and going "Oh my God, that's me!;" those kind of things have been a fulfillment of my dreams."

"...It was at Meatloaf Kitchen, which was the only place that would take us when we first started this; this guy came in, he wasn't in the best shape and he was really polite. I gave him a pair of shoes; he's like, 'I have to have these' and he smiled.”

"I was recently diagnosed with a retinal disease called Stargardts. The hardest thing is appearing to be normal... With every person that I meet, I want them to leave understanding that there is always a silver lining in any situation in life."

"I always hated my chest area and I always hated buying bras; I was trying to find a way to make the experience easier, using new technology, and that's what TruNude is; we're trying to make your most personal garments personal."

"The biggest challenge that I've ever faced, as an educator: meeting students that I could not reach. It feels like it's unfinished work and you always have to remember that you're learning right along with them. Your students are going to teach you something if you're willing to be open to it."

"When I take pictures, I just capture situations; I just document certain things, and my goal is to be a historian. My main thing is to capture something important more than something pretty."

"The best advice that I would ever give parents that just have children: shove out the world and just learn your child. When I don't have anything else to push me to move forward in my life... for them to be happy is my main motivator."

"I'm very appreciative of every new account we get on; like, I consider every single person that I have an experience with, whether it be someone that's in the industry or a general consumer, to be a win... Still get excited when I walk into a place and I see Owney's on the shelf."

"I've never presented my artwork to strangers. I might post pictures on social media, but I never said, 'here's my art, tell me what you think, buy it...' I was never willing to share it; this was very personal to me, where I feel like I'm growing.”

"What I've learned is that you share this dream with a million other peoples. What makes you stand out from whatever you're doing; whatever you're chasing is doing more work, reading more books... you can have talent, but talent's not going to take you anywhere unless you dedicate your time and your discipline and your talent."

"I've let a ton of people stay in my house; I don't believe in letting anyone sleep on the streets. Just knowing that I'm there for people and that I'm holding them down and I'm helping them get through that...”

"When hashtag 'BlackLivesMatters,' when it really hit... there was a protest that was happening here in the city. I remember getting phone calls from parents and other family members; 'Don't go out,' 'If you going to cover the story, stay in the station'... Emphatically, I was like 'No, this is history!'"

"...Me and my sister are non-traditional artists; and neither one of us went to school and we wind up achieving... Me and my girlfriend, we sat down, and we started talking about it and that's what really got me back to picking up a brush.”

"One of the main things I think about being an entrepreneur, you have to manage your effort. You know how much effort it takes to get that quota, or that thing you want. So I know what I have to do; the rituals I have to do, to come out and sell the most books and captivate the most people and really get myself out there."
"A couple of years ago, I toured Europe for the second time; this time for a month... It was amazing, and I traveled with my friends and created music, and it was really eye opening how global the culture of hip-hop is and how we take it for granted."
"When I first moved to Brooklyn, I was this giddy twenty-four year old, and I was running around, trying to find myself. And then my brother bought me my camera, and I was taking pictures to actually draw, and then I liked the fact that the camera was something I can hide behind too, because I was kind of shy..."
"I go to Animal Care and Control; I meet a few dogs and they're all cute, but everyone said 'your dog will pick you...' I sat on a bench and, as soon as I sat on the bench, he came right up, and put his feet on my lap and stuck his head on my chest, and that was my dog."

"...I got outside my car and saw a baby mountain lion. At this point, I was fairly worried that the mother was going to come out and come after me... Fear and the unknown is a tremendous force, I think, in all of our lives.”

"...We really wanted to do it in a specific way, because hot dogs are everywhere. If you're going to come to the market with hot dogs, you got to step up your game. When they leave here, with a good experience, they're going to tell twenty; thirty other people..."
"...I want to talk to people and hear some amazing stories... and just ask really basic questions; that's what I'm always getting to, you know; I don't care about the hype, like, does this affect the average person? What do they need to know? These news and information that we disperse makes people's lives better."

"...I bought a little effect pedal and a little looper and I was just like, I'mma make it work. It started shaping my plan and my sound so much that, it just kinda became a part of who I am.”

"I just want to make other people happy. I believe that the best and the easiest way to do that is by performing, so I'm following my dreams and making the most of my life."

"To me, everything is experimentation. What I love about being a photographer is I don't follow any rule book; I trust my eyes, that's the technique I use. If it looks good to my eyes, if it makes me do the dance after I take the shot, then that's what it is."
"I had a musician friend and he believed in me and wanted to put a band around me. 2013, we had our first show at Groove (NYC); the club asked us to come back. 2014 is when they said, 'You want to do every Wednesday?' and we took it."
"We like to utilize the power, the energy that we have, within ourselves, to create... We really wanted to get involved in the web series community. He has the skill set, as far as shooting and directing; I have the writing skill that I didn't really know about, until now."
"In 2010, me and my partners wanted to produce a comedy show in Long Island. One of the comedians, at the time, that we thought that we can get, within our budget, was Kevin Hart... with drive, and the passion, and endless meetings, we finally got the opportunity to pull off this show..."
"What motivates me everyday... the opportunity to tell the truth through art. I finally feel like I have the courage, as an artist, as a writer, as a woman, as a person, to come out and tell the truth and just be like, this is what happened to me."
"I had to really sit down and stop listening to the radio... so I would not be mimicking anybody. They asked me, like, 'what's your genre?' I'm like, look, I'm soul; meaning, I sing with soul, so I'll sing anything, from rock, country to whatever, I just do it with soul, god dammit..."

"We started Art by Ravelo last year and it was just about drawing a picture, but now that I had growth within my company, I know now that it's more than just about a picture."

"I did Stone Soul picnic out here... that was my first time doing a major tour-type stage and just looking out to that crowd and seeing a hundred thousand people, as far as you can see, that shit was incredible. Most people would say 'Did you get nervous? Did you freeze up?”

"I guess I'll never forget, my and my friend Tyler, we rode across Texas together, that was pretty fun. I could not believe that one can do that; you know, one can just like, cycle... the distance that we covered was just really interesting; how much ground you can really cover, just on a bike."
"I feel a lot of folks don't have that passion, that thing, that makes them wake up in the morning. I currently work at the MTA at night, and when I get home, during the day, it's music, music, music; It's very rare that you find that thing that you can pursue that you love..."
"So right now, we're doing little sketch shorts, and my goal would be to do a web series, but my main goal is to do a network show; like I would love to be a show runner, but, be in it, and direct it and write it and like that kind of person; like Jewish Tina Fey basically..."

"I think if I had an unlimited budget, I would take the time to develop my skills and develop the story I want to tell because I feel like I'm on the edge of whatever greatness is inside of me."

"I want to be remembered for being the girl that you can chill with on the stoop that has superpowers; the girl from Brooklyn who's mad cool... but then you see her on a stage and she transforms into this whole other being."

"We just went back to Venezuela; we brought back something that probably a lot of people oversee, which is street food. People get together around the street cars and they have their lunch, just standing there and just mingling and sharing their lunch time; it's lovely."

"I am a director, producer and actor... The entertainment business isn't always what it seems; it seems sometimes like that it's nothing but the popularity contest. That's definitely not my goal, like, I want to be able to break the stereotype."

"I encourage people to learn the move and then put your own style to it; feel what the person felt when they were creating the dance. You don't have to speak and tell people what it is, you can just show it in your body; just be able to really express yourself."

"...When my Godmother was incarcerated, she was away for about five years and, I think, three years in, was when this project happened, called Wet Paint, and Wet Paint was basically about her, you know, keep her presence... Everybody that's alive is a work in progress..."

"Really, it's a lifestyle to go somewhere where you don't know anybody and you don't know where you're gonna sleep from day to day. It's really your responsibility to go out there and be seen, be heard; you know, meet people..."

"...That's like my biggest dream; for people to come and enjoy my desserts... and to put my kids in school because I never went, and it would make me the happiest woman in the world to see my boys, my black boys, don't be a statistic."

"I am inspired by movement; both movement of the human body and movement of images. So, I try to answer every day 'What is the call to action?', and for me, it's action... Kinetic storytelling, that is what motivates me."

"I'm most passionate about the arts and creating and designing; showcasing my ideas to the world and seeing people's viewpoints on what I create, and that excites me..."

"I just spent a month in Namibia (South Africa)... If you are someone born into a heritage, or a culture, it will do you such service to go to that place of origin... it really established that, regardless of where I am, there is no physical place that is home..."

"...You gotta cross the street with five thousand people without mayhem, and stumbling and rumbling... because you learn how to walk through the puddles, through the rain, through the snow when you come to New York City. New York is the school of all schools..."

"My dream job is to eventually have these on a food truck... I want to go everywhere and give soul food; soul desserts... this is real banana pudding, peach cobbler, sweet potato pie; I do all of that and add soul and I want to put that on the truck and make it affordable."

"I carved out a space, in the middle of Manhattan, in which I can actually find some mind space to finish (the novel). So, for thirty days, I slept very little, but I finished the novel."

"I guess I've always been writing. It wasn't going to be a career at first. My family are immigrants, and they're like '...no, no, no, that doesn't make money; math, engineering, that makes money."

"...and the kids, you know... our future is the children and if they're not properly educated, if they don't know what they need to know about the world they're living in, you know, unfortunately, it's going to devour them; and the world don't play fair."

"I feel awkward sometimes when I'm seen, either on the street or in an airport, and people know who I am. It feels kind of weird because, you know, that's not who I am; that's not who I want to be."

"Other than death, life is the most important thing; like we really have to come back as a community, and as a people, and talk about birth. We're so disconnected from the way we come into the planet and we don't think about the way we leave the planet."

"...And in that moment, I realized that the way that (Joakim Noah's) dad was looking at him after this accomplishment, was the same way that my dad looks at me when I come in the door; doing nothing and just walking around."

"I'm passionate about living life according to how I feel and just seeking absolute happiness. There's a lot of things that people consider the norm, and that's not really the norm because it contradicts how you feel..."

"The world is getting better and worse because we are living in a world of duality. One can't exist without the other, and things must balance off, so the better we get, the worse it's going to get; but the better will always prevail over those bad forces..."
"The thing that drives me most is probably my daughter. She looks up to me in a way that no one else has ever looked up to me before and it's like, I'm her hero and I know, because of her, I have to succeed; there's no other way."

"One of my passions has always been television and women have always been my passion, being a woman. I would consider myself a champion of women because women go through a lot of things that sometimes are not talked about."

"I think what motivates me is the people that I know; I want to succeed, not just for myself, but for people who know me and want to see me succeed. To that end, you know, doing stand up comedy is a lot about that; it's like a room of strangers that you want to get to agree with you and be comfortable with you and find you funny."

"We're not just Barbies; we're not just tools or eye candy for the media eye. There are so many of us that are writing and producing and directing that you don't see, that you don't hear or talk about."

"Recently, I've decided to start shooting street photography. I can photograph anything I want and I'm finding that way more fulfilling. Commercial photography was great because I'd get money, but money wasn't everything, even though it's a lot right now."

"I'm passionate about giving a voice for people who don't necessarily have a voice in media. Personally, it would be giving a voice to the Asian-American community."

"I'm a makeup artist and I absolutely love my job. I don't just make it about what I see, I make it about the person that's sitting in my chair and how to enhance their natural beauty."

 

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