Image Credit: Amanda Henderson

We had the good fortune of connecting with Said Abusaud and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Said, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
The general concept of risk boils down to the core concept of investing. You’re inherently risking that purchase by hoping there will be a future gain. The best way to eliminate risk is knowledge experience. And how you inquire on your experience is genuine interest. If you have genuine interest, you will be better in the long term. It’s the universal truth. As a director and a visual artist here in Dallas, how risk has injected into my life is by taking chances, and always studying. When my friends are at the bars on the weekends, 9 times out of 10 i’m at home wanting to be better, honing my style and always working on my craft. And because of this lifestyle, my incredible team that includes some of the most talented artists the world has to offer and way of thinking, my career has organically gotten me to places I could have never imagined. It’s a blessing and you always remain humble. If you are in the same place you were a year ago, you aren’t taking enough risks to get to the next goal. You either give it 200%, or don’t do it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My name is Said Abusaud, and I am a Director and Visual Artist residing in Dallas, Tx. I run a visual arts organization called Afterglow Gallery that features some of Dallas’s most elite artists including but not limited to; Carine Rice, Nite, Christina Gaines, Gezebel, Sudie, Ronnie Heart, Ekaternia Kouznetsova and others. The team, along with my PR firm People’s Revolt, follow my use of conceptual themes of profound intended emotions and desired concepts to portray the world we live in. With the help of my business partner, Carine Rice, we’ve created stories that have focused on mental health, and fictional stories that leave you wondering what the message is. By default I do not discuss what the meaning is to my work. It is my belief that art should always be in the form of a question, it should never have an answer. I carry this theme in all of my work, lacing hidden messages in each piece with the intention of being experienced as opposed to owned. All of my releases are exclusively released for a limited time only. I cant say that I have had any hardships with the existence of Afterglow Gallery. A lot of risk and time have been poured into my brand and naturally, you’re not always going to get it right. I don’t regret anything. I would do it all over again. It has been nothing but a blessing to work with such incredible talent and being able to share stories for the world to view. I am currently in production of a short film by the name of, Don’t Delete The Kisses. This is my biggest project to date, and it involves dreams; and how they are actually speaking to us in a metaphorical, symbolic language. This will be released in Fall of 2021.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Texas is very diverse. There is always something to do. Naturally by default, food would be on top of my list. Whiskey Cake, Glorias and El Paisano are some of my favorites place to eat locally and we would most definitely make pit stops there. Legacy West has a variety of shops that would also be on the list. And finally to finish it off; going to Reunion Tower for the views and drinks, along with seeing some of my favorite local musicians perform at the variety of venues Dallas has to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The individual that I would like to shoutout is an artist here in Dallas that continues to give her dues and in my opinion, has not been given all of the spotlight and attention that she so rightfully deserves. LO is a Cuban American, Indie Pop artist based out of Dallas, Texas. By blending elements of RnB and Pop, LO has seamlessly crafted her own unique, dreamy and dark sound. She is someone I have had the opportunity and honor to work with over the years and each time we do, we are able to step out of our comfort zones and create something really meaningful. She matches my drive, is always wanting to be better and continues to create and produce some of the most beautiful tracks I have ever listened to. She is someone that should be on everyones radar.

Website: www.afterglowgallery.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/afterglowgallery
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpVMHJNLT80&t=13s