The vaulT | Circa 2020begin.
foreword.
by Michael Humphrey, Ph.D.
Avery Martin was carried to this point by grace, which begins with a father who gave him an identity, an anchor, and he would long mention his ‘pops’ first. Dad arrived for everything to see his son. Lately, though, he has been naming his mother first, someone who mirrors him more, who projects him with her foresight and who sharpens him with her critical lens. The two sides of his life have balanced a human, a man who refines the definition daily. Brothers balance the sides, one on each coast. Friends fill in the spaces for a collaborator, a raconteur, a believer in reciprocity.
Always questioning, and believing, his faith is central. Jesus means more than a name. Jesus has entered his heart. Jesus was left when everything else left. When Avery was asking Who am I, does Avery actually exist, could I eliminate, should I eliminate ... what’s the yams? Driving a Honda Civic on the left side of the road, asking, pressed him against the line between this and the other side of the road, though at the end of the day, the yams are the power that be.
How do you see Avery? What is his who? Avery lives in a world that sees what first and often overlooks who. In a world of gray, his who is light. He shares light. He knows compassion, conviction, presence, energy, love. He doesn’t know everything. He knows journeys, ambition, clarity, confidence, openness. He doesn’t know everything quite yet. When he gives, he gives. No reciprocity required. Maybe reciprocity desired. His recipe for life requires sage. Reciprocity is nice, but sage sharing really is being cool with getting rid of any expectation that you get something back.
a q&a.
I recently sat down with Avery Martin (22) to answer one question: who is Avery Martin?
He technically has nothing specific to promote outside of himself, nor has he been a trending topic (yet). As described by himself in a humble, yet self-assured manner, “I’m just a guy. Who is Avery? Me - I’m him.”
That doesn’t answer the question much.
As described by his header, Martin is a “communicator and creative collaborator,” but that’s merely what he is.
We, along with Martin, are more concerned with who he is. This is frequently pondered in Martin’s universe of discourse and connection.
Here is our conversation.
* = unwritable in words, i.e. laughs or facial expressions. Edited for conciseness and clarity.
Q: Since we’re close, I’ll let you know a bit about my creative process. Here’s how I approach these: 52% casual lifestyle editorial, 37.5% personality quiz, and 10.5% hard-nosed investor.
A: I’m cool with that, especially the personality quiz part. Big fan.
Q: What’s the best personality quiz you’ve taken?
A: Hmm, it may not be my favorite, but it gave me my favorite result. I took one during my time in undergrad that was like a mindful Myers-Briggs.
Q: 16Personalities?
A: Yeah, that one! I ended up getting INFJ-A, which means I’m an advocate. I’m in some good company too, I’m up there with MLK and Marie Kondo. I’m with it - apparently, it’s rare *he says with the slightest sardonic smile*.
Q: So how would you describe this project of yours?
A: This is both a portfolio of my work and myself. I feel that it is necessary for anyone that views what is created (what I do) to also get a feel of the creator (who I am). It’s by no means a self-serving showcase of how proud I am to be myself - instead, it’s a conversation starter that I hope gives others the confidence to share a piece of themselves and a piece of their story as well. Not just with me, but with the world.
continue.
A (cont’d): But it’s also a test: how well can I present who I am to any audience? I told myself, “You’ve got X amount of hours to use your media to adequately tell the story of who this being is, not just what this being does.” It became a matter of putting myself both in the driver’s seat and the passenger. I’m telling you who I am, but I’m also discerning myself through the subtext. I’m editing, but I’m also leaving some inevitable flaws. This is an exhibition of that. I’m exploring who I am, while giving a presentation.
Q: Why?
A: As in “why did I do this?”
Q: It seems as though you could have transferred some of your energy into other projects for your portfolio. What made you go this route of bearing parts of your soul rather than creating a standard “About Me” page?
A: I could’ve, I definitely could’ve. But therein lies the problem I came across. You sit down to write an “About Me,” or you’re accosted with the introductory inquiry of “tell me about yourself” and what do you revert to? You just end up filling in the blanks: age, salient identities, etcetera. That’s cool, I’m not saying the minimal or less direct approach is a bad thing, but that ain’t really me. It’s a bunch of what. No who, no voice. That’s what connects us.
Martin captures a photo of graduates at the Class of 2019 CSU College of Health and Human Sciences commencement ceremony.
Q: I can respect that. So, if we live in a world of “what’s,” is it awkward to lead with who you are?
A: Not at all. If anything, the converse is awkward. It’s boxed in. This is a tool to subvert that. A method for individuals to get to know themselves through their medium(s) of expertise, and it turns out to be a pretty decent interpersonal marketing strategy. Here’s the first draft.
Q: So what value does this have in the wider world? How will this be used to help people, or make money?
A: Press play below.