We were lucky to catch up with Lee Fountain recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lee, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Why am I here? Single handedly one of the greatest most mysterious questions of all time. Since the dawn of man, every single person both living and dead have asked themselves this question. For me I quickly discovered that the answer to this question wasn’t going to come objectively, it could only come from me. If I didn’t figure this out on my own, other people were going to figure out for me. What ended up having to do was base my purpose on the most powerful emotion one could feel, love. What do I love and why do I love it? In my opinion God is love and any action based in that feeling is literally walking with God as long as it doesn’t intentionally impede on the happiness of others. I love art, I’ve loved art since I was 3 years old watching Michael Jackson moonwalk on Motown 25, watching Luke Skywalker ignite his green lightsaber to face Darth Vader, seeing Spider-Man swing through the city, watching Ryoko in Tenchi Muyo fly through outer space. That feeling never faded and when I got into Hip Hop music I got serious about it. Artist like Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Lupe Fiasco convinced me that it was possible for a black, eccentric, geek to not only have a voice in the arts but that he could make a positive impact as well. I was 19 when they were making waves, watching these guy combining different artistic disciplines, creating experiences that I had never seen before. It was at that moment I found my purpose which was to continue the their work in my own vision.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Lee Fountain Aka “Lee The Myth” and I am a multifaceted artist based in Dallas Texas. Before I began this journey into the arts there was quote I read from one of my favorite Philosophers Alan Watts which went “The tragedy of evolution is that it created a limited animal with unlimited horizon. Men have to artificially and arbitrarily restrict their intake of experiences and focus all their output on decisive action. The most any of us can do is fashion something-an object or ourselves-and drop it in the confusion, make an offering of it. So to speak to the life force.’ I read that and did my version of that. The first art form I wanted a career in was music. My other dreams were there but that was first one I wanted to make money off of and be famous for. My albums were always conceptual and had an anime theme to them which allowed me to combine both art forms. This attracted both people in the anime industry and the music industry from the likes of Godswill Ugwa at Viz Media to DJ Charlee Brown of The VibesHTX in Houston. Charlee ended becoming a business partner, brother, collaborator, and character in my manga series. We unified our camps and created “Vibe Haus” a musical, anime, manga experience where we show chapters of Meta Kaizoku in “Motion Manga” form and have live DJ sets. We also sell physical copies of the book there as well. When it comes to my discipline I’m a strong believer in working ahead and minimal distractions. I cut out 4 hours a day to my craft and always work my creative muscles by challenging myself. Always challenge yourself and live life. Life has the best stuff when it comes to inspiration. Meta Kaizoku, my manga series is easily one of my proudest creations being that its a legit manga and offers an opportunity for people of color to be represented authentically in the medium. The story and the characters are all based off my real life. Experiences I’ve had, feelings I’ve felt, and things I’ve done. This is what I believe sets it apart from other works. It’s the first manga based on true events. I want it to encourage people to be able to look at their own lives and see the beauty in it, the art in it. I’ve also recently released and EP called “Access To Excess” with one of my best friends and fellow VibesHtx member Brandon Vayne.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
As I reflect on what got mere to this point I would have to say having confidence, vision, and passion where the key qualities. I would go broke spending the last few dollars I had to pay my illustrator, and stayed home till I was 30 years old working a job paying me $15.00 to get a free education. Having a dream while experiencing life is really difficult but I had blind, unwavering faith in my vision. I used to not think much of myself back before all this. In allot of ways I wanted to become someone who I could be proud of. I just knew that by becoming the artist I believed myself to be, I could love and be proud of me. In turn I’d gain the perseverance to never to stop creating my vision, no matter what the cost.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents provided me the space, love, and support needed for to truly be all that I am. Even when they couldn’t fully see or understand my dreams or the vision I had for my life, they trusted me to inevitably make the right calls. They allowed me to chase every dream I ever had from the comfort of our home as long as I got a college education which was pretty sweet deal if you ask me. My Mom and Dad would voice act for on my projects and help me make music too! If I had to sum it up their support has been the most impactful thing they did for me!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leethemyth/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LEETHEMYTH
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbglMqtmQgNJoYjd-BGb9kw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/leethemyth
Image Credits
Tyree King
