Rafael Luna of Urban on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Rafael Luna shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Rafael, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I have this daily routine that has become a ritual. It’s always different because my days look particularly unique. Whether I have things to do or not, it is part of the first 90 minutes of my days. I typically get up and drink water. Sometimes before or after that I’ll use the little boys room (to make it sound funny). Then I’ll prepare my breakfast before showering. After then I take this mixture with water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and liquid orange ginger liposomal supplement. I’ll usually just take this before I have breakfast or just to simply start my day. It’s like my own personal elixir that gets me pumped for whatever I have to do during the day. It also gives me a sense of purpose and it does make me feel alive. The interesting thing is I have a timeline of what ingredients to use and when I wean off from. Apple cider vinegar is something I use for about 2-3 months then I take a big break from usually about 6 months or sometimes less depending on how my body is feeling. Lemon is also an ingredient I sometimes take off for a couple months and then reintroduce again. Water is usually the base for this drink but I have used different juices to mix like apple, guava, or my favorites; grape kedem juice or aloe vera. Another ingredient that is sometimes mixed in is Chia seeds. But not always. I do however use Chia seeds almost everyday in my breakfast meals. I feel like my first 90 minutes of my days are always on how what I take prepares me for what I’m doing for the day. Even if I have days where I do absolutely nothing there is always a sense of purpose that every day I am recharging. The things I take really do that. This is why I consider it as an elixir for the day which is a ritual. It is a routine but it doesn’t feel like one where I’m having to change it completely. Some routines can be boring but this one is really an important part of how I am and what I do has a form of intention.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi everyone! I am Rafael Luna but you can call me Raf. I do all things music and creative. You’ll mainly see me as a flutist who crosses over a wide array of genres, a composer who knows no limits, and an educator who is passionate about creating a generation of well-rounded individuals. My brand is very atypical because I’m in my own little world. It’s like having your own planet where people can come and go as they please. You can collaborate and network, and be part of something very gratifying. But it is not the center of attention because you can always explore whatever else is around. We are all little planets in a very immense and dense universe. I’m not really subjected to the norm and I see myself as a brand that is flexible. My approach to brand is holistic because I want to make sure that while yes I can reach anyone there is always a sense of targeting what aligns with my craft, values, and purpose. I do a lot of things and not all of them are necessarily creative. However, I am personally creative as a person in everything I do. I have a platform that has become a lot of things, it’s called, “The Raf Collective”, and currently I am expanding this idea that has been brewing from the start in 2017, which is to create a tailored workshop for current and new music students to explore improvisation, and how it is useful for many things. I have gone through various schools of thought over a long period of time enough to say that you can develop skills you never thought you would have through the process of improvising. Be sure to check out my links, especially my instagram where I tend to start my cross sharing about what I do and what I’m doing. I am developing a new website which will be on my bio site link. That new website is going to introduce a lot of projects and ideas that will be in the works. A lot of these things will be shown and released over the next 5 years. My thought process is that after those 5 years I can then create a 10-20 year plan that is going to fulfill my overall goal of inspiring and seeking new innovators.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I think relationships where you have a similar connection help you see yourself in ways where you change in the most positive form. This doesn’t mean that there was something wrong and there is a positive outcome rather you are seeing things differently. You start to mirror yourself and determine what you want out of yourself. Some relationships have levels of connection. The most deep ones have made me ask questions or have put me in positions to think. This creates a more refined identity. It can bring big changes but if you know yourself then it really is more of refining details. Overtime this is something we tend to not see because we are oftentimes more worried about how people see us rather than how we ourselves. When we see ourselves then you can blend anywhere and not feel like you have to try hard. It is easy to see what is fake and what is real. Everyone is different though and our various relationships with people can tell us a lot about ourselves.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
This is an important question for anyone but especially as an artist. We deal with a lot of things that quite honestly people don’t know about or ever get to hear. It’s the least spoken about since some things might be too personal and for some it’s just part of the development as we go in our journey and career. Suffering is a natural process in human development, no matter how big or small it is, it leads to a stronger you, a more than willing person to continue on whatever it is you are doing or wanting to go for. Success is the end goal and it is nice but I think for us to truly reap the reward of that success there is some kind of suffering involved. It makes you more aware and more human when we deal or talk about our craft. When it’s done in the best way possible It makes you more emotionally stable. We reach higher levels of understanding, whether it’s for ourselves or in others. It has taught me skills that are useful in my career and on a daily basis that is bigger than any success I feel like I’ve had. There is still always more to do and go for. It never stops and you never feel like there is an end. There are just levels and phases. The amount of suffering and success will always vary but it will exist if you want to reach a higher sense of being.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
I believe that the foundation of society is something I protect at all costs. Whether it’s for myself or for others. Understanding ways of life and having harmonious relationships are important. This is especially a huge deal in today’s world. The world is not perfect but wherever I am this is what I’m looking for and what I am wanting to create. When you can just love, that is a foundation for a prosperous society. We live in a very complex world but it is an individual responsibility to invoke the basic foundation of society. Meaning that it is an alignment as a being to protect cultural values in ourselves and in others.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I definitely am doing and have been doing all the things I was born to do. Sure there are instances where you are told to do something. Whether you do it or not is subjective. If you are influenced in the best way possible it does make you a better person because you learned something new. Gaining new knowledge or skillsets that maybe wouldn’t have happened on its own or through yourself is always a great thing. Besides doing what I think I was born to do, I am doing what makes me feel fulfilled. Every year and season is different. It’s like I start a new life every year and I’m just reaching closer to more possibilities. Everyone is different but I do think I will reach a point where I have a palette of options that allows for what I sense would be sustainable, and on top of that making sense of furthering my purpose(s) in this life. Overall I am just doing my best.

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