By Mood Magazine NYC
Some artists chase inspiration.
Others seem to carry it with them wherever they go.
When I sat down with Raheem Nelson, I expected to hear about paintings, photography, and murals. What I didn’t expect was that his artistic journey would begin not in a gallery, but in the imagination of a seven-year-old boy creating comic books simply because he couldn’t imagine not creating.
Long before there were clients, exhibitions, billboards or public commissions, there were pencils, paper, and endless curiosity.
“I started as a cartoonist,” Raheem told me. “I was always making my own comic books.”
Maybe that’s the thing about artists. They don’t wake up one morning and decide to become creative. They simply never stop being the child who looks at the world and wonders, What if?
For Raheem, curiosity became the foundation of everything.
Light.
Color.
Perspective.
Photography entered his life almost by accident. Originally, it was simply a practical tool—a way to capture reference images for his illustrations. But somewhere between documenting the world and interpreting it, photography became another artistic language.
As a student in New York City, the streets themselves became his classroom. Every building offered a lesson in design. Every neighborhood became another page in an ever-growing sketchbook.
Listening to him speak, I realized something.
The most interesting artists don’t just observe the world.
They collect it.
Of course, creativity isn’t always the difficult part.
Finding the next opportunity can be.
Like many artists, Raheem has experienced seasons of uncertainty. Building a client base, growing a business, and maintaining momentum require just as much discipline as making the work itself.
But rather than waiting for opportunities, he’s learned to build relationships.
Networking.
Showing up.
Remaining open.
One of those relationships eventually led him to New Orleans, where he painted two large-scale murals inside a restaurant in the French Quarter.
“I still go back,” he said with a smile. “I can see the artwork every time.”
There’s something comforting about knowing a piece of your imagination continues living long after you’ve packed your brushes and gone home.
When I asked who inspired him most, the answer came quickly.
Illustrator George Pratt.
Not simply because of his extraordinary talent, but because mentorship evolved into friendship.
The best creative relationships often work that way.
They remind us that inspiration isn’t something we consume.
It’s something we share.
Today, Raheem is completing a large-scale floral painting inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Claude Monet—a work that began as a digital commission before transforming into something entirely unexpected.
He’s also developing an art book inspired by Clipse’s latest album, blending visual storytelling with hip-hop culture in a way that feels uniquely his own.
Nothing about his journey has been linear.
And maybe that’s exactly why it feels authentic.
Before we finished our conversation, I asked him what advice he’d give someone hoping to follow a similar path.
He didn’t talk about fame.
He didn’t talk about money.
He simply said, “Stay open to new opportunities.”
Simple words.
But maybe every successful creative life is built on exactly that.
The willingness to say yes before you know exactly where the journey will lead.
As I walked away, I found myself thinking less about the paintings and more about the person creating them.
Because perhaps the greatest work of art isn’t hanging in a gallery.
Perhaps it’s the life an artist patiently paints, one opportunity, one relationship, and one fearless decision at a time.
by Jarvus Ricardo Hester
