It can hard to get a read on Sean Fahie the first few times you meet him. The St. Croix-born artist, author and designer who calls his style, “hobo chic,” wears many hats and is seemingly connected to every single creative scene in the City of Atlanta.

To better understand the mind of Mr. Fahie is to read his book, “Things About Women and Other Short Stories I Seem to Forget.” Created mostly, during “drunken nights on the computer,” “Things About Women,” shows Sean in his most vulnerable and candid moments, and if you’ve ever spent a night (or day) partying with the guy you know that’s saying a lot.

Having had his heart broken by the woman who convinced him to move to Atlanta from Savannah by way of Augusta, Sean has used the pain and creativity to share his gospel of being “fuggin awesome,” around the ATL and beyond. Sean took the time to talk about some of the deeper (and not so deep) meanings and lessons to be had reading between the lines of his book that I’m pretty sure we can all laugh at and relate to.

“Live the kind of life that makes all of your exes jealous.”

I wrote that for my ex and every other girl I dealt with that wouldn’t deal with me after that (laughs). I actually painted that phrase. I had a bunch of blocks for my first solo show and I had a bunch of sayings on these blocks and I was selling them for $5. You could put them in your bathroom; it was like some inspirational shit. That was the one where I thought about it and was like, “That’s pretty funny.” You know, you go out, and see your ex and you’re like, “Yea, my life’s way better.” Then you walk away. There’s no, “hello.”

“Look in the mirror and smile. The world is yours and you don’t even know have to try and get it if you don’t want to. Some guy will break his neck trying to get it for you.”

When I love a girl,  I’m going to do the most that  I can and when I can’t, I can’t. I also realize there are a  lot of women that don’t have to, but in the same sense I can respect the woman when she does. There are women who walk around Lenox Mall specifically to find some simp who will make sure she gets what she needs.

“The problem with knowing a lot of people is that you get to watch a lot of them leave your life. We are all stars in the galaxy. Sometimes gathered like a cluster of light and sometimes you have to travel the vastness of it all by yourself. Just as long as you keep shining brightly. Cheers to the infinite amounts of energy that have influenced the life I love so much. I appreciate it.”

I look at everybody as their own star. Everyone is a star and everyone has their amount of energy and some shine brighter than others, but it makes them no less a star to another person. All stars, we travel through the universe not knowing where we’re going. Sometimes we’re in clusters together and you have a strong group of friends and sometimes you’re by yourself in the darkness, but you’re still shining and you can still shine regardless of whether anyone is there or not. That’s kind of how I was looking at that whole situation. Like, in my personal life I had what I would say was the coldest winter, but I was still never alone. I’d be at my house, I’d have no gas, but my homies would still be there. They’d be like, “Sean, let’s get a pitcher,” and I really didn’t have ANY money. They’d be like, “I didn’t ask you about money, I asked you to go out.” That was just homage to all the good people who looked out when they didn’t have to.”

“Have you ever been so depressed that all of your past accomplishments meant nothing? And all of your future accomplishments seem meaningless? And all you can do is just ball up in a corner of your bed and wonder why you were chosen to be alive that day.”

I own this black hoodie and my girl calls it my, “emo hoodie.” Before we were dating and she would come over, she would be like, “What’s wrong with you?” I’d be like, “What?” But I had my hoodie on and I’m listening to The Smiths and shit. Before she was there I had this hoodie and I’d have days where I’d wake up and say, “What am I doing this for? Why am I doing this?” I’d have my hoodie on, sit on the corner of the bed and listen to music and then try to think of ways to get out of that slump.

“You are the perfect story. Now go out and live it.”

I don’t have a day job. Well I do have a day job — that’s the work I go out and find, but I don’t have to be anywhere. At first it sucked a lot because I’m still trying to build clientele and all that, but I came to the realization that there’s 24 hours in my day. Literally, I can wake up when I want and go to sleep when I want. I might as well use this time like I am at a job, as long as I use the time as a means to an end to not go to an actual job and making sure my life is my job.

“Laziness and fear are two things that hold the human race back from its greatness and potential. Overcome these two obstacles and I’m certain your greatness is secured. Stop being afraid to give your dreams a try, and stop being lazy if you have the means by which to accomplish your goals.”

My demon was laziness. It’s the idea that fear will debilitate you from moving forward and laziness is like, “Ok, I’m not afraid to do it, but I don’t want to do it.” If you beat one, you’ve got to beat the other. Now I’m in a better mental position about it. I already knew I was going to do this, but I’ve actually got to do it. I’ve got to get out of bed and do it.

Photography by Kelsey Ryan