Manifest Monday : Rocko Seymour

By Shavonne Taisha

There are so many brilliant artist in our community. For the past few years whenever I needed a laugh or advice i’d turn to Rock Seymour’s Instagram for RAW TALENT and truth. Last week I hit Rock up, because he deserves recognition for his consistency in content curation.

Shavonne: How old were you when you first discovered your innate passion for art?

Rocko: It was around 16 that I started to become conscious that I had a passion for art. That’s when I wrote a 100 page screen play in between practicing the bass guitar while acting, singing, and dancing in the schools rendition of West Side Story. 

S: You have mastered the ability to do just about everything. How are you able to dedicate time to yourself?

R: (Laughs hysterically) Funny enough, That is how I dedicate time to myself. The things that I’ve learned to do stem directly from my interests so the display of my talent is really a culmination of me dedicating a lot of time to myself. I’m fortunate because I enjoy the process of manifesting and bringing things to fruition. Every time I’m involved in something creative I’m dedicating time to myself. I’m living in my purpose. 

S: Last month, you announced that one of your old photos was developed into the cover art for Brooklyn legend, KotatheFriend’s album “Foto”. What was it like seeing the response to his new body of work?

R: Kotathefriend was actually there when I took the photo which made it even more authentic. Seeing the response to his album “Foto” was really reassuring as an artist from NYC. When a fellow NYC artist is being genuine and getting praise internationally it’s a win for all of us. 

S: A few weeks ago, you announced becoming the Media Coordinator for Pink Tacos. How has your brotherhood enabled you to expand your talents?

R: Brotherhood is such a beautiful term to use, I need to use that term more. Brotherhood definitely enabled me to expand my talents, because I really identified with Proof and admired what he was doing with PinkTacosNYC. Proof & I respect each other and want to see each other win that’s brotherhood in a nutshell. So when the position became available I reached out and felt comfortable doing so because of that brotherhood element you speak of. Working with people you trust and respect allows you to be more flexible and expansive. 

S: Where did you study lighting design?

R: I originally got into lighting design via filmmaking. I wanted to learn how to make convincing party scenes and stylize my shots. It was mostly self taught through interest first and experience second. 

S: How does lighting transform the environment of your sets?

R: Lighting transforms the environment of my sets by giving them a more abstract look. It’s like wearing rose colored glasses, we don’t live in a red world, or a blue world, or rainbow world so to put environments under creative lighting makes the environment seem more surreal and dreamlike. 

S: I know I’m not the first to say this but I truly miss your IGTV talks. They have changed my perspective many times and broadened my ability to look beyond me. When can we expect to see more of your face on camera?

R: I’m sorry! I’ve been slacking, I moved recently so I haven’t had a moment to sit in front of the camera for IG, HOWEVER! I do have new content I recorded before the move about freelance advice on my YouTube page “Rocko’s Rules”, my YouTube page includes those IGTV TALKS as well! I’m happy to hear that they’ve helped you, new ones are on the way! 

S: You are constantly updating your social media. Which of your latest projects are your favorites? Why?

R: The projects that are my favorites lately are these vignettes I have on my IGTV where I capture a mood or a personality in a short clip. Because they’re so short and I have so many I have to try new things on each one and that makes the process more exciting. 

S: What artists local or international would you love to collaborate with in the near future? Why?

R: KID CUDI, CITY MORGUE, ABRA, SCARLXRD, THE WEEKND, AZEALIA BANKS, KANYE WEST, & SLIPKNOT All of these artists make unique music, they march to the beat of their own drum and I make unique visuals so I feel like they’ll be receptive to my style and respect me as an artist. 

S: What are your career goals? Where can we find you in the next two years?

R: My career goal is essentially to make feature length films and have a career in public speaking for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs. In 2 years you’ll see me making appearances at film festivals to campaign for my upcoming short films and developing new series’ for video on demand platforms like Netflix, Hulu, & Amazon Prime. 

S: How do you practice manifestation in your personal life? What does it mean/ look like to you?

R: To me manifestation means to bring something to life. I practice manifestation in my personal life by engulfing myself in whatever it is that I want to come to fruition. I start with the bigger picture and make it smaller and smaller until I figure out every nook and cranny, then I put it back together my way. I remind myself that little by little, a little becomes a lot. It looks like reading a few articles every day, then buying a few books every month, watching a few videos every day, executing on what you learn and then before you know it you’re doing the damn thing. That’s exactly how I became a filmmaker and that’s also how I started my lighting company 1800GETLITT. You have to bathe in it and take every opportunity you can to get closer and closer to it, then you’ll just be there. People do this when they want to be in relationships, when they want to work for certain companies, it’s a beautiful skill to practice.