Is there more to life than the 4 walls that surround your day to day? Imagine, one minute you’re going through the status quo only for that illusion to fade. While some are happy and content to go through the same old routine day in and day out, succumbing to the rules set before them, others would opt for something more colorful.
The origins of each artist is never really the same and in the case of Raffy Graffiti, that freedom came at the realization that there’s more than just walls around him.
More than just a game
When I spoke with Raffy Leynes, aka Raffy Graffiti on the origins of his online persona, he quoted the game Jet Set Radio on its stance on what Graffiti is.
“Graffiti is an art while vandalism is a crime”
It set the tone on how our conversation would go and it revolved primarily on gaming and how it made an impact on his life both professionally and personally. You see when encountering Raffy Graffiti in the wilds of the metro particularly in events, you’d notice that his wares include art that revolved around various game franchises.
Recounting his childhood, he mentioned how his fondest memories as a kid were playing video games with his cousin like Red Alert 2, CTR or other Playstation titles during that era. With his friends and peers, it expanded his network and introduced him to worlds abound with their bonding experiences being supplemented by multiplayer experiences like Overwatch.
Even to this day gaming plays a big part of who he is with him now finding joy sharing these worlds with his wife whether it be through couch co-op gaming or being his wife’s pit crew to her F1 driver for games like Clair Obscur.
Graffiti doesn’t replace, it adds on
Prior to being Raffy Graffiti, we need to take a step back to Raffy Leynes’ earlier years. Having graduated from the University of Santo Tomas and working in a bank for almost a decade, he’d assimilate into society. While individualism is genuinely celebrated by companies these days, the tipping point of having to remove that individuality was Raffy’s turning point on his journey to a new path.
It’s difficult to pivot but remember, life whether you go through it alone or as a party would oftentimes lead you to a fateful encounter or two. Remember that gaming in many ways added to his experiences and whether it was those game nights with the homies or just browsing magazines at the time like GamePro or Game Masters, a new goal was in front of him. It’s time for a creative breakout.
His old gaming buddy Jason offered an opportunity to write for GG Network and the rest they say is history. Like Graffiti covering another work of art and adding onto it, Raffy Graffiti’s creative journey whether it be written, artistic or even with streaming kept accumulating over time. It may have taken a while to leave the comfort of his old office stomping grounds but it was that leap of faith that thrust him into the world of geeks, gaming and art.
Raffy Graffiti
Each artist’s journey is unique in its own right and while everyone’s goals may be similar, what drove him is something most would find relatable. Call it spite or even call it the fear of failure but it’s in taking that leap of faith, solidifying that he’s going for his dreams to make creatives a viable path in life that drives him while still having fun along the way.
Before ending our fun conversation, I asked him whether he had any insecurities with his art and funnily enough, like the concept of Graffiti in itself, it all made sense. Comparisons don’t bother him as much because people naturally would gravitate to what they know and to be compared to the masters of old and new is a compliment in itself.
As for whether his art was good enough, he mentioned how he’d work on it “as a jeopardy player would” in identifying his weaknesses so that he knew where to put his efforts next.
The Future
A lot of musings were shared between the two of us but there was this line of thinking that his wife introduced him to that guides his actions that stuck with me the most: to be ready for the opportunities. Opportunities may come and go but you’ll need to be ready for them when they come.
For those that are still hesitating on whether to start their creative journey or not, he left these words:
“Do it! If you want to make art then DO IT and If you enjoy making art then just KEEP DOING IT! Don’t take yourself out of the journey. If it’s a speedbump then it’s just a speedbump. Don’t lock yourself out from the wonderful experience of chasing your art dreams. There’s so much out here!”
To learn more about Raffy Graffiti or check out what he does, check out his links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raffygraffiti
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raffygraffiti
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/raffygraffiti
