Rob Lee: Welcome to The Truth in Us Art, your source for conversations, joining arts, culture and community. These are stories that matter and I am your host Rob Lee. Today, I'm excited to welcome back my next guest, a Washington, D.C. based artist, instructor and activist. Known for her vibrant, abstract work blending her Middle Eastern heritage and Caribbean influences, she returns to continue our conversation. Please welcome back to the program, Alexi Abi. Welcome back to the podcast.
Yeah. It's great to have you here and it's been a couple of years, I think. Yeah, I think it's been like, like three years.
Yeah, three years. So it's a really good point to come back and it gives me sort of the opportunity to, in some ways, in this podcast, right some wrongs because I might ask a question that's like, I could ask a better version of that and also to catch up with a guest. But before we get into that, I want to give you the space to reintroduce yourself to the audience that may not have listened to the first episode. They should, but if you would, please introduce yourself and what's been a source of inspiration for you lately.
Alexi Abi: Okay, so hi, my name is Alexi. Abstract by Alexi is my artist name, my artist brand. I'm a visual artist, multi-visual artist based out of Washington, DC. I primarily do work in the DMV area.
I'm an educator and an arts advocate and I just love to create something that's been inspiring me lately. I feel like, shoot, emotional and political climate. Not to say like the elections and stuff, but I am from Lebanon so there's been this ongoing war for like a year and a half now, maybe a little bit over.
And just dealing with that, experiencing that firsthand, having my family over there, trying to work a full-time job, trying to create art, trying to be a regular person and wake up every day and do what I'm supposed to do. I've been like sourcing my inspiration just from like my students, my friends, people who are supporting me through my journey in life and just trying to grow and be a better artist in general. I've been wanting to advance my technical skills. So I've been using that to kind of push me to do different sort of creations than what I've been making in the past.
Rob Lee: Thank you. It's almost like you had the question because I'm looking at it right. You can see the screen. I'm making the questions that are being done smaller. So my last question, you already answered. Oh, you're good. You're good. That's really cool. That's why you let the guest cook. Yes. You make me look like I'm doing better than I'm actually doing.
Alexi Abi: All right, good. I mean, whatever I can do, you know, if you need a referral, I got you.
Rob Lee: So thank you for giving us that reintroduction and sort of that context on what's inspiring you. I'm hearing progress. I'm hearing sort of, you know, one of the things in mind is sort of what's happening abroad as far as family culture, homeland and all that stuff.
And it is something that plays a role and we'll definitely tap back into a part of that later. But we're here, right? We're here in DC. I've been down here so much in the last three months, like every weekend, I've been down here for something, whether it's the worm moon thing, whether it's like, you know, I'm over there to the Gucci store to do a little, you know, grinding and all of that good stuff.
But I will say when I come here, we're here to eat. DC is busy. When I'm here to eat and I feel like my level of productivity increases. I'm recording podcasts, I'm networking, I'm in this computer, getting it. How does being down here, being based down here as an artist, how does that like environment influence your creative process and then your approach to being an artist?
Alexi Abi: Oh, my God, so much like I tell people all the time, if you're an artist, DC is the place to be and it's a good place to start for multiple reasons. Like the first thing I would say is that this is a good place to start because there is so much opportunity and there's so much help. Like there is a good community. There is a good network of people out here that can lead you in the right direction to do what you want to do.
Beyond that, it's kind of up to the individual to pursue that and to really take it seriously. But I feel like the resources here, you have tool to create. You have the mayor's office of creative affairs. You have people, you have spaces like the Eaton and they used to be one called Selena. There's places in Anacostia, Anacostia Art Center.
Different art centers that you can go to, Project Create and just go and collaborate with other creative people. Even if you're just going there to hang out or to say what's up to someone that you know, you always run into somebody that has the opportunity to do more. Even me, like so I teach in Anacostia and I'm always down there like I'll go on my lunch break just to take a walk or go get coffee and I'll run into someone and then they're like, oh shoot, do you want to go pay for us next week? Or hey, we're having this event or oh my God, you're an artist.
Can you do this or oh, you teach like can we have you do this with the kids at this church or wherever? So I feel like that in itself is really cool. The Eaton is specifically like I was just here on Wednesday, I think, or Tuesday to do a photo shoot and like an interview for a magazine or a wild side media.
So I was literally just here. You can tell like this is like a creative spot for sure, creative hub. And I feel like the creatives in DC like really know where those spots are. Like we have our little nooks and places where we go to collaborate and hang out and network. So like even if you're one of those people that's like in the cut, you're hiding, you're kind of hibernating and you feel like, OK, I feel like going out today and you go out to one of the spots like you never know who you're going to run into or who you're going to reconnect with. And I feel like it just brings opportunity as it comes.
Rob Lee: That's really good. And shout out to Monica, who's been on the podcast from Wild Side. And each of those places you mentioned where that networking and that opportunity and just kind of being at the right place at the right time. But being around it makes it just happen more often.
Yes. I've noticed that in the times that I've come down here like Guantanacostia and just seeing people out there and being here, obviously, 202create, you know, all of these different places that you mentioned earlier, I as a person that's from out of town that comes down to do interviews and connect with folks, I've been able to connect with all of them just naturally and not feel like something that's sort of forced. And, you know, some of the interviews that I've done over the 800 plus have featured folks from there for like, like Aaron, for instance, Aaron Myers. So, you know, you have different folks that have popped on. It's always kind of cool in that way. And, you know, I'm from Baltimore and the podcast is based primarily in Baltimore and it's always sort of that divide. Yeah, you know, you can't go down to DC. It's like, it's literally.
Alexi Abi: I would say that like one of my best friends, she was here for a while. Like she moved up to Baltimore just because Baltimore is the arts district, like it's the arts area. But I wouldn't say like, I don't know. I don't know. I'm not like from here from here. Like I wasn't born here anything. I don't know the beef with DC and Baltimore.
Why so heavy right now? But I feel like with artists like, I know DC artists that go to Baltimore and collaborate with Baltimore artists and Baltimore artists that come here and collaborate with DC artists exhibit a you and I right now. This is true. So, you know, I don't know. I've never like personally, I've never felt that I feel like creative anywhere kind of connect like, yeah.
Rob Lee: It's so true. And I think, and I think that's what I'm getting at. I think the whatever that divide might be is not real. I think it's artificial. I think like to your point, people come down here, they go up and it's sort of there and I'll even add to it. Philadelphia is almost like a pipeline between those three different distinct communities and, you know, with Baltimore, it has, I think, five or six sort of like arts districts. And, um, and sort of, yeah, that's, that's one of the things that I've noticed. And then coming down here, that vibe, that productivity thing is different. Once you get past sort of the surface level weird connections, everyone is like, how can I take advantage?
Alexi Abi: I feel like it's like a, it's like historical to like, it's on some type time, like, oh yeah, I'm balking more folks. Yeah. The DC people, like, I don't know. Like that's like, that's just outgrown, you know, like, I feel like now people would joke around more than they take it seriously. Right. You know, right.
Rob Lee: And I think in any of those, those cities, because I find like a lot of things I see back at home in Baltimore is has this almost tourism element that's a driver. And, you know, we're recording today and you mentioned it's sort of the, uh, Cherry Blossom festival.
Have you read? And like, I came down here via the train, I think it was packed. One person got off at Baltimore. I was like, there's, I might have to stand and like, did you over sell seats?
So have you? And it's a tourism driver. And then there's the different conventions and so on. And I'm always looking for, once you get past sort of that surface level, there's the tourism, there's the making a community more oriented around people who are visiting. I'm curious about what's the real there. That's the thing that I'm always looking for. Yeah. Yeah.
Alexi Abi: No, I feel that because even me, like I've been in DC for nine years and so now I'm bored and I'm like, dang, what is there to do? Like, especially in the winter, especially in the winter. Um, cause I feel like COVID really hit the economy and the culture. Um, a lot. Like there's not, there used to be so many activities and so many things to do. And there still is, but you have to like look for them a little bit harder than you used to.
Um, it's a lot. I feel like being an artist, you can find the art ones more easily, but if you're not like people don't know about a lot of stuff that's going on. Um, and I don't know if that's just like, um, for marketing or poor word of mouth, um, lack of communicating to other people like, Hey, this is going on. But, um, I don't know. Like something to kind of like different after COVID for sure.
Rob Lee: That's true. And there is, I have this unrelated, but it, and I'll move into this next question. But I think it works thematically. So I re listened to this interview on trash air, um, with Tonya Mosley.
And it was with, uh, Derek Thompson, who's a writer from the Atlantic, and they were talking about this, uh, anti-social American life. And so it is folks are on TikTok showing videos of them celebrating when plants get canceled. Oh yeah.
Cause people are not inclined to go out and do things. And I think that that's a piece of it as well. So when somebody puts on an event, I was at one last night when I, when I go to college, when, and when folks put on an event, um, you're almost looking for, this has to be the biggest hit possible.
We can't do another one. So it's like, how do you make something alluring amidst people are inclined to stay home? Things are expensive now. People don't want to drive. People get into accidents. I ain't looking at anybody specifically.
Alexi Abi: I don't even, don't even bring it up. But, um, yeah, no, I think, especially to like the burnout is real. I feel like we got a big break during COVID during the pandemic, especially when we had to stay in. Um, and now like I'm not that old, man. I'm like 28. I get tired as a mug.
Like I am so tired all the time. I do do a lot not to discredit anything I do do, but sometimes I'm like, I spent all day yesterday relaxing. Like I worked and stuff, but I didn't do anything after I got home.
Like, why am I so burnt out? But I'll have like events back to back to back. And then I'll have like a week or two where I'm not doing any events. But then like, I try to take time for myself within that week or two, but then we have more events back to back or I get asked to do like different gigs or work or whatever it may be. But I'm like tired. Like it's different. It's totally different.
Rob Lee: You're, you're a go getter. I watch you. I'm like, you know, she is busy, dizzy. And so no, it makes sense. And I think that's why I wanted to really look at how does it being down here kind of maybe serve and like help that out. You know what I mean? Like you can be busy, but not really making any traction, but you could be busy and making traction. I think you make attraction.
Alexi Abi: I think shout out to all the people in my life. I have great friends and a great network of people and then everything is close. That's also helpful. Like, like DC is eight by eight miles, like nothing's too far away and I drive. So it makes things a little bit easier. So I'm driven and running.
Rob Lee: I skateboard everywhere. So I want to, I want to move a little bit into sort of like art. And then there's the travel component I want to talk about first.
Let's talk about this one. So your use of color is very vibrant, very distinct. And, you know, are there any specific color palettes or combinations that you find yourself being consistently drawn to? And, you know, do they connect to anything for you personally from, you know, your experience or your, your heritage? Could you speak a bit on that?
Alexi Abi: Oh, I use a lot of earth tones. Like the Lebanese flag is red and green. Um, there's like a Christmas tree. Only if it's a theater tree. Um, everyone makes fun of my flag.
I don't know why haters, but, um, the theater is actually cool. Cause it's like in there because it's the tree of God, like from the Bible. So that's why, um, our tree looks like a Christmas flag. So the red is my favorite color.
So I'm actually, I would say I use a lot of reds in my art, like pink, pink is the offset of a red, you know? Um, and I don't know if it's because it's on the Lebanese flag or what, but. I feel like that associates, I like a lot of earth tones, um, which could resemble the tree on, on there too. But I feel like Lebanon is such a very, um, shoot, like geographically, um, Oh, it's the word I want to say diverse country. So you have the beach with the beautiful sunset with the tropical colors, palm trees, coconut trees, all that pineapple trees.
You have palms. You have the mountains where it snows. You can go skiing in the winter. You have waterfalls and grottoes, like any type of, any, anything. We have the desert, um, like far in the East, um, towards like the very end of Lebanon, um, like mountains, farms, like different things. So I feel like I've gotten to experience like a lot of different, um, like natural settings, nature settings to where I'm like, where I get inspiration, um, to do a lot of my artwork beyond that.
I went to college in the Virgin Islands. Like I mentioned last time. So being there, the colors there are like vibrant. Like you feel like you're in 4k ultra all the time. Um, I would take pictures with my iPhone and it looks like I took it with a professional camera just because of like the different hues and stuff you get, um, to see in real life. So I feel like I really got a lot of my color inspiration from the Caribbean and from the beaches in Lebanon. Like I like a lot of like the sunset, warm colors, earth tones. Um, I like to do a lot of animals. So I incorporate like earth tones into my animals. Um, and then like more of my abstract stuff uses a lot of like royal colors, like purple, like magenta. Um, I like to use a lot of gold, a lot of gold in my art. Um, so yeah, I would say that's where my inspiration comes from.
Rob Lee: I love it. And again, you're kind of poking at the next question a little bit. So, and thank you for that. That does make sense. And it does track. Um, I'm, I'm seeing, I like, I'm one of the big cats. I'm seeing that for some reason in my head.
I feel like there's maybe some gold involved there. Um, so that's really cool. And I, and you touched on sort of, you said the cedar tree, right?
So are there any other sort of symbols or patterns and motifs like culturally? Cause you touched on the Virgin Islands. That's a part of your story that shows up in your work that's incorporated, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Alexi Abi: Um, I would say plants, man, plants are life and they grow. And I feel like plants that present us as people, I'm a plant mom. I have a bunch of plants. And when I'm not doing well, those joints die. They do. Like they start to like, I'm like, Oh my God, I need to get better energy within myself. Like, um, I don't know. I just feel like a reflection of plants with the way we are as people a lot of the time. So I feel like I like to do, uh, I like to paint a lot of plants just to reflect like, what's happened? What's the mood of my, what am I feeling? Like what type of plant am I painting or drawing right now? Um, and yeah, um, trying to think with us.
Rob Lee: What is the plant that you find yourself like drawing the most or most curious about and what is it about? Like, like plants is like, look, I need to really get the texture on this leaf. Right?
Alexi Abi: Like, I love roses. Roses are my favorite flower. Um, I don't know. Like I like a lot of royalty and romance. I'm a, uh, I'm a lover girl, you know, on the low. I don't act like it.
I'm very much so like nonchalant. I'm a lover girl. Roses are my favorite flower. I like, I like want to perfect my roses. I like roses and I like hibiscus flowers.
I obviously work with Chris Pirate. So cherry blossoms are awesome. I don't do them as much because I see them all the time and that's his thing. But I still like to practice like working on them and stuff. But yeah, roses, I like to do leaves a lot.
Like I really want to master like making like the big jungle leaves, the tropical leaves that comes from the Caribbean and from Lebanon. Two, but I just love the textures of them, the colors. Like sometimes you have like these different like turquoise, different blues and greens, different earthy earth tones, like undertones in them and same for the rose. Like just trying to get that dimensional effect that comes out of it. Because when you're like starting off, it looks crazy. But then once you add in like the textures and the different shadings and shadows and whatever you need, it can look super realistic.
Rob Lee: So that makes sense. And like I was saying, like you said earlier, you know, you're one of your favorite colors is red and you said a row of those, like all of that tracks. That makes sense. And so I want to take it back to to travel. Because that's another thing that I've seen, right? For you, I've seen you, but you have some different places that you talked about sort of, you know, back home, you talked about Virgin Islands, you know, there's beaches, there's environments that won't quite have here in this, you know, Del Marvo Peninsula, people like to call it. So traveling and I touched on it a little bit. I've been doing a little bit too much.
I've been road running, but traveling is recently like highlighted my awareness of like sensory details, looking at the smells and the sort of visuals around you. And there's inspiration that comes from it. I always have a notepad on me.
You know, putting down like, you know, thoughts, ideas. And being here in DC, I always walk around by like the empathy just to get an idea, structurally, from an architectural lens, how the different embassies look and is that reflective of the architecture of the homeland, I suppose. And this city is very sensory rich. You got all types of smells, different foods. So I'm curious, with specific like sensory influences beyond the visual, because you work in a visual space, but beyond the visual, do you find influencing your more abstract work?
Alexi Abi: Oh, my gosh, that's a good question.
Rob Lee: Nothing but good questions. That'd be thrown out there.
Alexi Abi: Man, so I would say like, again, back to play, I also like my life for some reason, like some consciously, you're making me realize that. Poison Ivy? Oh, my God, no. So I like to have a lot of lavender in the house. We have a hydroponic sub at the school that I work at. And they grow a lot of lavender. My building also grows a lot of lavender on the rooftop. So I'll like pick a lot of lavender and I'll put it into my candles. I like like eucalyptus and sage, all the really like essential, calming essential oil smells. And then like I said, roses, I keep flowers in the house too. That always smell good.
So I feel like the smells I have in my home really will affect my abstract artwork because they're like calming, fresh sense, like happy sense, you know, so most of my abstract work is like super colorful and calming and people will like look at it and they'll be like, wow, this looks so awesome. It's so calm. Like it's making me feel calm and so peaceful. And I'm like, they're like, what made you think of this? And I was like, I'm just doing it, you know, this is how I felt.
I'm glad that you feel like how I felt when I made it. So I feel like it really, yeah, like I didn't realize how much like smells sense that you can affect work. But that's crazy. Why are you making me think more about it? I'm like, maybe that's contributing to other people.
Rob Lee: I'll say this when I was in New Orleans earlier this month, we were courting us in March. I ended up going to this witch shop, right? And right there, I'm already like, y'all bugging. You're getting me out, yeah. And I'm looking at different, they have these different fragrances in there, right? Like this is for this, you know, this is the money.
Alexi Abi: I love that, I need some of that. Oh my gosh. No, I'm really, um, yeah, I'm really big on this. I like, here I am with the roses again, rosewater. I spray rosewater all the time, everywhere. 24-7. I love it.
Rob Lee: So, kind of going a little bit deeper in that before I move into this next section, and maybe there isn't another one that fits. But is there any other sort of like external like inspirations that pop up? Like, you know, as I was saying a moment ago, you know, the sort of surroundings, like, you know, I might see some street art and it's like, um, when I was in Brooklyn for One Air Fest, it was some graffiti that was like Brooklyn, the oldest love story. And I was like, I'm gonna take this quote.
And I'm gonna mark when I did it, and I'm gonna come back to it. It's almost like, um, I call it a stem. Okay. You know, roses. Yes. But I call it a stem that I'm gonna come back to and elicit some sort of inspiration from.
So, maybe it's something you see, maybe it's buildings or what have you, but when you're out and about in a city like this, or in other cities you're in, is there an external like inspiration that you can think of?
Alexi Abi: Yeah, for sure. So, I love sports. I'm really grateful and blessed that I have an opportunity to work with someone who is involved with our sports team. It's really cool. I've always loved basketball. I grew up in Wichita, you know, in CWA, Wichita State.
Yeah. I played basketball with the KU for like a semester in basketball. Basketball is like, I mean, I played basketball for like 10 years. So, I feel like sports is a big thing, a big external factor. I've actually drawn a lot of basketballs.
Like a lot. Like I love doing like stuff related to basketball, like someone like holding the ball, like different sort of jersey styles. The boys at the high school that play football, I help them customize their cleats and get inspiration just from like different football teams and stuff that they want to reference that my professional athletes will play with. Not play with, we'll get designed.
What else is like external? Sometimes I'll go out. Well, I was going to be an architect at one point. I was a school for architecture. So, I do love to do like cityscapes and different things. So, I'll draw, like I'll sketch out buildings, I'll practice like my perspective drawings.
That's something I do teach my kids as well. They love that project. They're like amazed at how they're like, whoa, this is not that hard to make.
I'm like, no, it's not. And how like they're able to make like buildings look realistic. And DC is a great place for that because I think our architecture dates back to like European architecture from like Rome and what's it called? Rome and Greece. I've been studying my art history for my time. But yeah, DC took a lot of the like our monument, the capital, all of that is like, correct me if I'm wrong.
I want to say it's like Baroque style art that architecture that they took and Renaissance style. And they kind of like brought it here. So, I feel like that in itself is inspirational because it's like that's not American history. That is like history. And it's cool to see like, you know, what technology and what knowledge did they have so many years ago to be able to design this and keep a stable structure.
And it dates back to the ancient Egyptians and the pyramids and the obelisk like the monument that stuff is an Egypt, the pyramids like those are obelisk. True. So it's like really crazy just to see like, dang, like somebody drew this, but they created it in real life. So I feel like sometimes to like all design stuff, like whether it's like clothes or maybe just like an adamant objects or whatever. And I'm like, yo, this would be cool if it was a real thing. Yeah.
Rob Lee: So that makes sense though, why I feel when I'm around the capital that, you know, I'm feeling energized. You know, I run always run into one of the brothers and they see me when my beard's a little more beardy. They're like, bro, it's like, nah, I'm just regular black. My guy, it's happening in four cities.
Alexi Abi: Now I find that I get mistaken as Ethiopian and they're not Ethiopian. They're like my brother. I'm like, hmm.
Rob Lee: Um, I got a couple more questions I'm going to hit you with. And this next one is goes back to sort of the ethos, right? Of this season. And I'm really enjoying catching up with, you know, some of the guests that I've had on of the 800 plus episodes and, you know, some of my favorite guests, some of those things I want to go back into as far as questions and subject matter and then seeing folks that have really blown out their, their work and taking it to this next level. So for you, especially as your work has evolved, right? It's been, as you touch on like three years, like, do you differentiate, differentiate intuition from like deliberate choice when it comes to like, sort of your creative process?
Alexi Abi: Oh, can you kind of dive into that a little deeper? What do you mean?
Rob Lee: So when I'm looking at this, like, sometimes you just know, like, this is how I'm going to go about this. I don't need to really look at what the process was. What I used to do is just like, this is matter of fact right now.
I know my way home, right? Whereas sometimes it's like, well, I got to do this in this order. Otherwise, if I don't do it in that order, then I'm not going to be able to get the result I'm looking for. Yes.
Alexi Abi: So that depends on like the type of project that I'm doing for sure. So if it's more of an abstract thing, easy, like, oh my God, you're getting me back into the day.
Bro, I used to spend hours for no freaking reason, like no reason whatsoever. I would like draw my stuff out first, because I used to sketch. I was a sketch artist before I started painting. I would draw out all my patterns and designs and whatever. Then I would go like, like, color by numbers, like one by one and just do my stuff. And like, when I stopped doing that and I just started painting my stuff, because I, like, you have muscle memory.
So once I had like my muscle memory down pat, I was like, bruh, I was spending time doing this. Like, I could have just took it out of the equation. But when it comes to like, I just painted a lion recently, so like stuff that I'm trying to make look more realistic. That's where you have to do this step by step in order to get the result you want. So that's a science, there's a science to specific like techniques and art. So for that, you have to do the under, you sketch it out first. You have to do the under toning, the under painting, the washes. Then you've got to have to start with like the base of the image. Then you add the details in later.
So like the details of the eyes, the nose, the whiskers, the main, all that comes at the end. Because if you take one step out of the recipe and like reorder the recipe, you're not going to get the consistency you want. It's the same with baking, right? So like when you're baking a cake, you put it, you're supposed to do what your liquids before your thaw is. So if you do the thaw before the liquids is going to come out a comfy cake.
Rob Lee: So that makes sense. And as a person who's not a good baker, I'm a good cook. Yeah. Because cooking, this is my strongest segue, because cooking is a lot of play involved. So for you, where does play come into your work?
Alexi Abi: Man, that's like creating your salmon once you cook it. Would you do that? That's not right. You know what I'm saying? But my play comes in when I'm doing like my movements art… Not kinetic arts, but like, more of my art that moves when I add more movement into like my textures and my backgrounds. I'll literally just throw paint on the canvas and start just using my hands or using tools to get it to go in certain directions and then I'll add lines and shapes and then I'll blow on it or something. I'll do a lot of external stuff to the painting that isn't a proper technique. It's more playing, more fun to where I'm just making something and having a good time doing it.
Rob Lee: You're able to learn a lot from that too of, alright, I enjoy this because sometimes the other thing, we're so, and this is why I like New Orleans so much, right? Sometimes we just aren't doing things that are fun.
It's just like just have fun. So like when I was coming over here, going back to sort of the process and I like the way that you separated the two, like, you know, depends on what it is. You know, it might be, this might be a little bit more deliberate. This might be a little bit more like, I'm just going to follow this flow, right?
Alexi Abi: Like playing the game too, like if you're in a, like I practice playing basketball or you're in a game playing basketball, if you're doing one on one for fun and you're at the old high school court or whatever, you're going to have all these rules and technicalities. But when you're on a team and you're trying to win, to win a championship or something, you have to follow the recipe.
Rob Lee: You know what I'm saying? I've been watching, I'm a mixed guy now, right? I've been watching a lot of basketball this evening.
Alexi Abi: I don't even want to talk to anyone.
Rob Lee: Look, yeah, whatever, I can't. But, you know, I've been watching a lot of it and I just see it's just no technique. It's just a lot of, a lot of three point shots, not a lot of technique. But even going with that sort of example, it's the equivalent of play in my head. All of this play, all of this is a game, right? But the game within the game, the play part of it is you're just playing the horse. You're just messing around. I'm going to shoot this hook shot from half court. You'll never do that.
Alexi Abi: Yeah. But if you need to, you've got the practice to do it.
Rob Lee: So, you know, you know, trick shot. Right. But the thing that I do is I was coming over here. I know what I do need to do at a minimum.
You know, so a little while back. When I would do a setup and I'm outside of my normal like space, I've recorded a lot recently, but it's still a foreign space for me. So I know what I need. I check my legs while we were talking. I make sure you're comfortable because you're coming from outside and just, if I'm like, yeah, get ready, do it.
You know, that leads to a really bad opening. So taking that care and attention, that's learning that that's part of the process now. And while you're doing that, we're, while we're having that conversation, I'm doing my mic check without doing my mic check. You know what I mean? So it's a little bit more seamless, but if there were multiple people, let's say I'm doing something more client oriented, I need to check a lot more things in that process is a little longer.
So setting up for you coming was maybe 10 minutes, but setting up for like a larger thing and depending on the environment, it's much longer. So it's, you know, you got to check these things. You don't have a checklist. Yeah.
Alexi Abi: No, for sure.
Rob Lee: I got one last real question and then I have added several rapid fire questions for you. Okay, that you did this to yourself. Okay. So many artists find the business of quote unquote being an artist can overshadow the creative work itself. This is a little loaded, I think. So you're balancing studio time, community engagement, activism, your teacher, you do all of these different things. How do you manage that balance?
Alexi Abi: I love what I do. You know, I think that's a big part of it. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it. And I wouldn't find the structure or the balance to do so. Sometimes like I do do too much. I overbook myself. But as I've grown as a person who runs their own business and as an artist to understand how to maintain organization and proper, like a good relationship with people, don't do anything that you know you can't do. I used to take on stuff like even though I knew like, oh my God, this is going to be tight or I'm going to run late to this next one or whatever, I would be a yes girl. I'm saying yes to everything.
But without communicating anything, I wouldn't let them know, oh, I have a gig at this certain time. Can we push it? Do you think to later is it possible?
Do you have any flexibility? Whatever. Now when I'm like starting to organize my time, make my commitments and make time for myself, I will put stuff on my calendar, all schedule things. Mind you, stuff happens, stuff will happen with the other party as you and I know. Things do happen. But just finding time to reschedule, communicate, make sure there's no hard feelings. Really get a good relationship. I try to build good relationships first with people that I work with, with clients or patrons or anybody that I'm working with. And make sure we have some sort of concrete relationship. You know who I am, my morals, my ethics, my rights and responsibilities as to what I do and how seriously I take what I do. And from there I feel like that's a good basis to set up any groundwork with whoever it may be, whether it's an organization or a partner, someone interviewing me.
It doesn't really matter. But yeah, I feel like I'll find time. I know I have nine to five, not technically, but I work a full time.
So within these hours I don't have time. The fortunate thing with my nine to five, I'm able to pull in partners and sponsors and create art and engage the community and the students. And not only am I benefiting my students, but these organizations are also benefiting as well because their mission is being fulfilled too. So the students are getting a lot out of it. They're being, what's it called, the doors are open to resources for them after school, after they graduate. Now they have connections.
Now they have more of an idea of what's out there. And then these organizations are here fulfilling their mission, doing what they do to help these kids. So that's a big part of what I do. And then I get to be there to do what I love to do.
Rob Lee: That's great. That's really good. It's really important and to have that balance because I think about it myself. I don't like going to social things. And I appreciate, one of the things I appreciate about you outside of the course making the time to do this today is that you communicate. And I think that that's a really important thing because I've had folks who will get on a pod, book it, hold that slot and then cancel five minutes beforehand. And it's like, I put in a couple hours of research before these questions. I've said this for years. I don't get that time back.
And then, or it's this scenario where, hey, we have the schedule for tomorrow. Yeah, can I postpone it out for like a couple of months? Cool. But it's just like, I might not be interested in a couple of months. And again, I've already done it. And I try to be very specific as to what the requirements are if we're going to do this. Because I think a lot of times folks get it and I'll close on this. I think folks get it as they're doing me a favor. But it's like, this is collaborative in its nature. So if someone comes on and I'm down for a good conversation, then it's going to be a flat conversation.
Well, if I didn't prepare and had like crap questions that didn't research the person, it's not going to be a good conversation. So it's like a dance partner situation, but it takes effort and engagement. So especially in this season, I've made it essentially a requirement that if the episode is going up, you have to do the community share thing. It can't be this sort of your half and half. Oh, I did this thing and then it's out there because I this is my creative expression.
Alexi Abi: Exactly. Yeah, I learned that I was a behavior therapist before I was an artist and my clients, I don't get paid if they cancel with certain companies. They would cancel like then and there. Like I'd be set up, have my Zoom set up, have I would get to the person's house sometimes and they wouldn't be there.
And I'm like, oh my God, I don't get paid for my travel time or for my gas and for my energy. So that too. And then just like growing as a person, I used to like white lie a lot, cover things up like, oh, yeah, I'm just running like five minutes later. Oh yeah, I'm doing this right now.
I'll be there soon or oh, I forgot that was today. Like what I'm just like, you know what? That's my fault. I messed up. I'm going to take the accountability or this is what happened.
Like what happened with the car and stuff like I told you. So I just learned just be honest, be yourself, be an apologetic and people don't want to work with you. It wasn't meant to be. If stuff goes wrong, it wasn't meant to be, but if stuff goes the way it's supposed to go and you're doing your best and you're trying, you know, everything's cool. That's great.
Rob Lee: I got four rapid fire questions. Okay. So don't overthink these. All right. You kind of touched on this a little bit earlier. So where do you go? What's your favorite place to go to see art in DC? First place that comes to mind. There are several. Don't overthink it.
Alexi Abi: My favorite place. Lord, I want to say Anacostia just because there's so much art in Anacostia and I'm not like being biased. Like I love the museums and stuff, but I've been to the museum so many times.
I would say my most recent favorite exhibit was the one at the Hitchhorns with the Brazilian artist. My mom loved that. My mom is like really like, uh, Amy was all right. Like she's particular. She was like, oh, you should learn how to do stuff like this. I was like, dang mom, I'm sorry. But I feel like, uh, her exhibit, that was my favorite exhibit, but to see community artwork, Southeast DC. Okay. Yes.
Rob Lee: Here's the next one. This was when I added while we were talking. What is your favorite DC related jersey? Any sport?
Alexi Abi: Obviously the Wizards with the Chris Pirate collab, like what? That's good.
Rob Lee: Um, now you're a traveler. You try a little bit. You do a little globe trotting. What is one thing that always finds a way to make it into your bag regardless of where you're going?
Alexi Abi: Oh my God. Um, my sketchbook low key. I might not use it all the time either, but I'll always bring it with me or my iPad so I could do procreate. Yeah. My little God kids love it.
Rob Lee: This is the last one because I think that this pod is not purely art. It's a culture thing. A lot of the guests happen to be artists, but it's culture, culture, culture is very important. I'm a culture guy. So, okay. So for DC, DC secret spots. What is your favorite place to go in DC that's not art related? Oh, I got a few of those. Give me three.
Alexi Abi: Um, I would say Lord, I got to think of it though because I go to a lot of places. Um, secret spots man. You got me thinking. Hold on. We might have to edit this honestly because there's, um, it's not even that secret. Like Art Tech House, people don't know that they have a bar. Never heard of it. You ever heard of Art Tech House?
Oh my gosh. It's a VR, it's like a VR art museum, but it's digital art. All of it is like VR art. It's interactive.
The whole thing is like art and technology combined. It's a super cool museum. I love going there. I like going to like little parks in DC, not necessarily Rocks Peak, but I have my little parks that I go to like uptown, kind of near Tenly Town. I like to go to the Wharf a lot and just be by the water. Um, and then I would say, uh, shoot, I go to Anacostia Park a lot too. It's nice out there.
Yeah. You like to be out there in the, in the nature, around the water. With the plants in the water. Yeah, I'm always, if I'm always out with the plants in the water, that's usually where I'm at. I'll like ride my bike or just be out. I just like to be outside.
Rob Lee: Okay. That's good. And then you gave us some places. You gave us some places that on the, Stick-a-moor-a-noke.
Alexi Abi: It's not a super secret place, but a lot of people don't know about it, but that's where all the black-owned businesses are. I work there. Like I said, I work at a managed Chris Pirates store down there. Um, so that is a great place. Like they have like go-go, they have like karaoke night. They have a food hall and different like vendors. There's a spa. There's like a gym there and everybody, all the owners are locally, locally from this area.
Rob Lee: That's great. And that's it. You've exhausted all of my questions. Cool. So, uh, two things I want to do is one, thank you for coming onto the podcast. This is great coming back. And um, two, I want to invite and encourage you to share with the listeners, social media website, any of those final things you want folks to know to follow you and stay up to date with what you got going on.
Alexi Abi: Okay, cool. Well, my social media is abstract by Alexi. Abstract is plural with the S. Don't forget the S. You're not going to find me. Um, my other Instagram is like from Lebanon. That's another way to get ahold of me. Um, my website is abstract by Alexi.com. Um, and yeah, catch me in DC guys.
Rob Lee: And there you have it folks. I want to again, think the great Alexis Abbey for coming onto the podcast. It's always a treat to reconnect and to, to have a great conversation. And again, thank you to the fine folks here at Eaton DC for the hospitality and being a place that we had this great conversation today. So for Eaton DC, for Alexi Abbey, I'm Rob Lee, Santa There's art, culture and community. In and around your neck of the woods, you just have to look for it.
