It’s Sunday 9am and I’m headed up town to a see a mentor off the A line in The Heights. Finally a moment to read for 30 minutes. Studying on the train has become a mainstay for me here in NYC. Mostly entrepreneurship and business building books, every so often I bring some art with me as well. This week a small book by Vogue on Manolo Blahnik.

I’m a good 4 pages in, absorbing the beautiful designs and Blahnik’s need for control and detail. Sound familiar? And out of my left ear from two fabulously dressed ladies ten feet across from me, (presumably headed to brunch)…

It’s too bad she’s getting married. Her wedding shower will be the last time she’ll ever get a lap dance. 

And the though running through my head at that moment is, I’m now living a Elliott Erwitt photo in realtime. Where’s my camera when I need it?

Now, it’s often thought that photography, fashion, portrait or other wise is the study of light, mood, outfit, message and the like. My friends, New York City is it’s own case study in photography and story telling. While my book on Blahnik may have been the original intent of study, this moment in front of me provided far more depth and study than any flowery peep toe pattern ever could. #Stunned

Artists are hungry for knowledge. Never truly happy with their work, they search to improve their craft towards perfection. Today’s brilliant photo is tomorrow’s ugly critique. Knowing this to be unattainable, we read, study, practice, obsess, talk through and fantasize. For me, the greatest method of study still is everyday observation. It’s more than just watching, it’s actively listening, going beyond the facade of what’s being said, and seeing how what’s being said matches up with body language, facial expression, outfit choices et al. And the two ladies dressed to the nines for Sunday brunch, talking about lap dances and the end of an era? That moment speaks more volumes than one has time to write.

The point? You never know where inspiration will strike, or in this instance…dance.