First-generation, Nigerian-American Theo Martins stays busy. As Creative Director of Good Posture, owner of Cereal & Such, music video director, actor, DJ, creator of The Theo Show, and a recording artist (try saying all of that in one breath), Theo is the consummate multi-hyphenate. We wanted to know how he gets it all in within a typical day, so we asked if we could tag along for a peek inside Theo’s world. We present The Life in a Day with Theo Martins.
6:30am: I get up around 6:30 2-3 times a week and head to Muay Thai sessions. Outside of that I’m usually up around 7:45am. Get a moment to center myself, make some tea, open the blinds and let the light in. I have a personal rule to never check email while in bed. Give myself some personal time and then step into the day with emails, etc.
9am: Now that Office & Gallery is up and running I make sure to keep all project related stuff there. I’ll take a phone call or send out emails from the house but I generally like to keep that energy in the new space. I love the space and what I’ve made here. Office & Gallery is my conceptual office & gallery. Cereal & such, my concept cereal bar and platform, is built inside the gallery and my clothing brand, Good Posture is housed here. It’s my very own Willy Wonka Factory.
9am: I take a meeting with our engineer. We’ve finished Cereal Sounds, a compilation album that’ll be out shortly. Can’t wait for everyone to hear it. It’s the soundtrack to the entire thing.
10am: I leave Free, (Producer on “Cereal Sounds”) with my engineer Henry to follow through on notes I’ve left for some subtle changes. I’m headed to a fitting for a shoot. Here’s a photo of me in the elevator entering the shoot location.
11am: I head back to the office to meet Sheewa. She and I go through details for opening the new space in East Hollywood for Cereal & such. This has been an especially deep project for me because as an artist having a physical infrastructure is the manifestation of an idea. It’s always good to have the right people in your corner when it comes to things of this sort. Sheewa is one of those folks. She cares a bunch. You need people who believe in you and the mission. No time for doubt.
12pm: I pack a light snack to hold me over through meals. If there’s a meeting or something happening I don’t like to interrupt the energy so I’ll pack a bite. I’ve been making Peanut Butter sandwiches – just fell back in love with these things.
1pm: Sample packaging from our collaboration with watch company Breda just arrived. I love working with the Breda family, they care about the details and care about making things. This is the box for our first (of four) watches this year. The slogan is “It’s Always Time For Cereal,” because it is.
2pm-5pm: Office & Gallery functions as a platform for artists of all mediums. I’m meeting a slew of folks here today who are either featuring their work here or stopping by to bless the space. Chinwe Okona, Jan Gatewood both come by the space to discuss their installations for our opening reception. It’s important for the artist to feel good about what they’re doing. This is all community here, the work is just as important as the environment it sits in. Passerby’s stroll in, locals ask what the cereal logo means. It’s all good fun to inform everyone of what this thing is.
6pm: I finally get a chance to sit for a real meal so I dip into a local Thai Town restaurant. They have the best dishes here. Free and my bud (Producer & Songwriter) TJ pull up and we have a bite.
7pm: I typically like to finish my days before 4pm so I can focus on personal work and the other stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to find the separation in work life and play life and I’ve come to realize they are synonymous. My business is based off of the principles and beliefs that I stand by. So, while there are some differences, much of the work I do in the space also impacts my life, and vice versa. There’s some art I commissioned from artist CW Moss that I’m considering bringing to the gallery to feature. I love his style and he was one of the first artists I met when I moved to LA. We played Tennis together, he’s good.
8pm: Ran into friends Tasbeeh & Jenien while out for a stroll. They’re incredible women with incredible minds. I love discussing politics, race, gender, pop culture with friends and they are two whose opinion I respect. I ordered a Belgium in case you’re wondering.
10pm: “La Di Da” by The Internet. I love this band so much and love this album. I directed their recent TV series “The Internet Presents The Internet” and subsequently the BTS for this music video. Watching it reminds me of the wild ride I’ve had with them in 2018. We’re working on some new stuff this year and I’m ready to get to work now. Bedtime, catch ya later.
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