I saw this line off a friend’s IG page a long time back and I instantly loved it. I didn’t know what to do with it, but it struck me in a very interesting way.

I reflected over it for a bit and asked myself if it would be an interesting thing to be known for. Before I even answered, I started making a mental plan of what it would take for me to be “iconic in the field, like Solomon’s seal.”

I did some research on the phrase, and the first search result it brought up didn’t leave me too impressed. The context it was used, the artist who used it and the type of art it was deployed in, seemed to be at variance with my personality or at least what I’ve always wanted to be known for.

I mused over the lost opportunity that statement held and what it could have been used for, but was disappointed at the banality of what and how it was eventually used.

But then, like my learned friend – Ayomide Ekerin had once quoted Nina Simone on the comment section of my MIP 5 – “the duty of the artist is to reflect the times”.

This quote was the start of many good things that came with re-engineering the phrase to mean exactly what I wanted it to.

There came the birth of my 9th MIP outing: ICONIC IN THE FIELD LIKE SOLOMON’S SEAL.

I had something entirely different in my mind and had even penciled down a thing or two ready to be deployed, but I woke up at 4am yesterday and I couldn’t stop thinking about the phrase; ICONIC IN THE FIELD LIKE SOLOMON’S SEAL.

And then,  “the duty of the artist is to reflect the times”.

There was a yearning in my spirit (or whatever the apostles say these days) to re-write the meaning and significance of the line in obedience to my duty as an artist.

Yes, you didn’t like the context it was used, but what have you done to change that? Or at the very least create what it means to you?

By the way, maybe it wasn’t as bad as I’d made it seem in the opening paragraphs of this, so I’ll just out it here and make you the judge.

It was a line from a Rick Ross’ song, where though his opening line was dope – “this is for the soldiers that see the sun at midnight” – the rest of the song went the way other street rap songs go. Truthfully, some lines off the song are not as bad, but ICONIC IN THE FIELD, LIKE SOLOMON’S SEAL stood out.

Some secondary research taught me that it had its history in agriculture – a plant that can be seen from miles away in a saturated field.

Now that was a lot better.

I think the line should inspire anyone to want to be their best quintessential self in whatever it is that they do. Personally, it is my answer to MTN’s existential question ‘WHAT ARE DOING TODAY?’

For all it’s worth, had I got this duty call earlier, I would have designed something nice and hang it on my bedhead to read it to myself every morning:

“WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY? BEING ICONIC IN THE FIELD LIKE SOLOMON’S SEAL”

It’s a daily creed to be phenomenally unique, and it takes a lot from you to be just that. It takes discipline, self-awareness, self-leadership and taking yourself very seriously. This includes constantly working on yourself, honing your craft, developing yourself in every way possible.

Make sure that everything you do–how you show up, how you act, what you say, what you do–is a reflection of who you are, so your character and spirit are consistent across every situation.

It has nothing to do with ego, but a confidence within you that elevates your relationships with everything else. You’ll stand out by being modest but happy with who you are.

To be frank, this is hard, consistent work and from experience, it doesn’t come easy. I can reel out scenarios where my wife especially would wish I didn’t have to pull all-nighters and then double down on early mornings and long weekends at my work table. At the start of our relationship, she used to admire the fact that I work harder than anyone she knows. Now I think she wishes she didn’t have to marry me along with my system, internet and hard drive. 

The process of being iconic in the field like Solomon’s Seal is hard, rocky work, but it’s all shades of worth it. But I think I can offer what I think would be a great start.

Again, for all it’s worth, I have learned that affirmations are some famously ignored ways to give you a great start to be better by the minute, in whatever you do. In MIP4, Through Adversity To The Stars, I wrote about how your mind is actually a diamond of limitless purpose and how you can max it out with the principle of Auto-Suggestion.

I’d mentioned using the principle of Auto-suggestion positively will get you no appreciable results until you learn to reach your subconscious mind with a thought system, backed up with spoken words, which have been well emotionalized with belief.

Before you dismiss this as some perspire too maguire bollocks, I’m happy to inform you that I have tried it and it works. When I wrote Through Adversity To The Stars, it was almost a personal letter and promise to myself to finish the year shinier, and after then I have known way simpler times.

In actually fact, I’m now a lot more iconic in the field than I’ve ever been.

And that’s me even putting it mildly, and that on if you know, you know.

We can have the ‘HERE’S TOs’ now.

Here’s to God, my chief muse and eternal support system.
Here’s to my Best Girl – the wind in my sail – you make me confident to do anything.
My brothers – Peter, Adeshina, Rock and Talha – y’all are a truckload of inspiration.
Here’s to you, giving me the privilege of  your attention.

Here’s to the soldiers that see the sun at midnight.

Here’s to you finding your path in this maze called life.

 May your creed to being iconic in the field like Solomon’s Seal be all shades of worth it.

Akerele Oluranti
4:47am, 1/08/2022
T: @Super_Akerele
IG: @superakerele