Abdul El-Sayed — Abdul El-Sayed X Detroit Artist Phillip Simpson

Hey friends, I'm here with the incredible Phillip Simpson, an artist that is well known to anybody in the city Detroit. He's created the Smile [music] brand. You've seen his murals. Uh we're going to talk a little bit about what motivates his art, about [music] what it's like to be a small business owner, what it's like to spread joy even in moments of hardship, and what it all means to this city and and where we go from here. What's up, y'all? Thanks for having me. >> [music] >> The whole Smile mission started in 2010, and uh before that I was really into detail, really into drawing portraits and figure painting, and I like, "Man, I want something different." >> Yeah. So, now 16 years in, putting so many smiles out there in the world, um started right here in Detroit. >> [music] >> It feels good to feel people to receive it and then give it back. Yeah. And I always tell people like, the more you put out the energy, the more it come back, you know? >> Yeah. And so, that's why >> [music] >> we get kind words over when we out in public, people are saying hello or like, "Yo, Phil, man, I see your work." This is a good energy. It's a good vibe. Tell me about the nose loop. Every one of your Every one of your pieces have the nose loop. >> Come asked. Um every face starts with a P in the nose for Phillip and positivity. >> Oh, so what it is is a P. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a signature. Oh, so I was going to say, it's definitely a signature, but like, where did it come from? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. It started from a um a blind contour exercise that I did in art school at U of M, where uh you have to close your eyes and you're drawing, but you have all your eye All your lines have to connect. And so, I will always start with the eye and go to the nose, and I kept that signature now for 20 years. But, the P is for feel and positive. But, uh you didn't notice one other signature. Can you guess the other signature that you may see in every face? So, >> It's the eye That's the eye connection. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, the eyes. So, in every All the eyes we have lowercase eyes. Uh once again, my name is Phillip with two lowercase eyes, and positive also have two lower case eyes. Oh. So, it's all it's all a message about being positive, being kind. But yeah, those are my main two signatures. And if Yeah, yep. And if we're doing the full face, it's usually two-tone. Uh inspired by yin and yang. So, cuz because I do believe with anytime there's light, there's there's dark. So, um I I definitely champion the balance of it all. So, our last name is Simpson. >> [music] >> And growing up, The Simpsons came out and uh of course I was a huge fan of Bart Simpson [music] growing up. Then I have a sister, so I would tease us like we're Bart and Lisa. But this was inspired by [music] Virgil Abloh. He passed away. Um the creative director, um artist, designer. But I wouldn't even consider this is uh one of my favorite pieces here. This is pretty cool though. Let me take you over here though. This This is the when When you're talking to talking to me, man, it's about family. And this is this is my game, dude. This is my family portrait. This is the one piece in the room that we would never sell. This is uh our doggy Rocky, Journey, Jidori, [music] my wife Sarita, and myself. And this is the type of piece where I made off the top of my head. It would It didn't I didn't need any reference. Um this was just all here, man. It's just it's about family. This piece here is is titled Big Mama. Um and this is inspired by all the strong grandmothers out there. Um so, she got three boys with her. And [music] for young men like myself who my granny was a huge part of me growing up, these two pieces mean so much to me cuz they represent family. That's a very valid question. Um as my role as an artist who also took the role of spreading joy, I'm telling people to smile. I'm asking people to smile when they're going through a lot of hard things. And sometimes they may respond with "You always trying to smile, man. It's stuff real It's real stuff going on. I can't pay my bills. I'm not I My response is usually not political or not thinking too drastic at all, but just we were blessed to wake up this morning. We were blessed to still have that capable to to spread the joy. And I know with my family it starts there. It starts at home for me. And even though when when bills are tight or electricity is tight or when food is going up in the markets, yeah, we deal with that. And and sometimes it's it's not steaks. It's It's It's uh more Yeah, it's it's more affordable what's going on. So I never have a true answer to My answer is always leading with kindness. >> [music] >> And some reason the Lord has put that on me, it's working. It's really working. Um And I know kindness doesn't help financial. But when it's when the response is how to go about my day with my character I can't let >> [music] >> I try my best not to let that determine my my attitude towards the world. I understand it's dark days out there. It's days where you want to cry. There's days [music] where you don't feel like smiling. My purpose is never to tell you to show your teeth all the time. It's just a reminder that kindness exists. It's just a reminder to spread joy. [music] Cuz there's some days, man, you you wake up it's like, man, the weather something going on in the world, my family, my [music] someone passed away. Just you may not want to smile at that moment. But you just got to keep that energy going so that smiles will come back, you know? As an artist I didn't even know what health care was. >> [music] >> I trying to make a living through selling a painting. But my lovely wife have health insurance. and that's how I got caught up in actually being able to go to the dentist. Being able to get a checkup. But I do know it's very important. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And then I do know that some of my [clears throat] artist friends does not have health health insurance. So that's something we talk about sometimes, trying to figure that out. And there's ways to get it, but I didn't know until I got married. [music] Yeah. What would it mean if you just had health care? You don't have to worry about it. Oh my goodness. A blessing. That would be incredible. Well, we're trying to we're trying to build an America where everybody [music] gets health care health care they need, regardless of what they do. Cuz that's the thing about it is you know, how many [music] folks could make beautiful art but for right? I don't know if I can afford [music] the health care. I'm not going to be able to provide health care for my family. I got a kid with asthma. I'm not you know, I might as well just stay in this job doing this thing that I [music] don't let me let me go into the flow state, you know? Uh back to the flow state. That's right. >> Right. [music] Um that's the thing. It's like I we want a world where everybody can do those things >> [music] >> that make them feel whole and human. Yeah. Right? And you being whole and human, we all [music] got bodies. All of us need need health care. And it's just one of those one of those things [music] that you shouldn't have to worry about being able to access. No, I appreciate you [music] on that. >> We're working on it. Your background shows shows that. Yeah, yeah, for sure. [clears throat] You know, you you you trained in a system and then you realize that the whole system was built on a lie. Right? You learn all this stuff and you're trying to [music] like take care of people and you realize like the people who need the most care can actually get the care. And at that point you're like, you know what? I'd rather not work in this system. I'll work on [music] this system. So why? That's what I've been trying to do for my career. It's like how do you build a system where every doctor knows that anytime there's somebody who needs care, the question of how they going to pay for [music] it is not uh an issue. Wow. But like you see the system operating now and it's entirely about making sure that, you know, rich business people can profit [music] off off of people getting sick, which is just >> Yeah. You know, it's it's to me it's like one of the [music] worst indictments on our country. Um and I think that kind of politics is what we're trying to build here and you know, you're um you're doing that part. So, I know >> [music] >> uh you were saying you you know, you're not super political, but like are all artists political? Yeah, no, that's facts. [music] Facts. When people ask, "What do you want to be in life?" I always say artist. Yeah. So, I I I am living my dream. I I [music] I still can't believe I'm I'm 15 years in uh as a father and a husband uh and I get to create art for a living. It's uh every day is something new. Whether I'm sketching [music] on my iPad or if I'm uh painting on a large mural or a large canvas, I'm pushing myself to the limits and I love it. Yeah. I'm not going to front, man. This [music] is uh a dream come true. And every day I'm very thankful. I thank the Lord that like, hey, I get to paint and I got to I get to tell people why