Yes - @HoustonStud

Yes

Yes

I’m at a major crossroads in my life where I’ve taken stock of my priorities. I’m choosing happiness. I love writing and the thoughtful use of language, and I take great pleasure in making people laugh. I am phenomenally proud of my physical fitness at my advanced age. I adore the community of friends and supporters that I have fostered on Instagram, but on that platform my Followers know a stylized character that has a limited opportunity to let you know about himself. I wanted a space where I could better articulate my life experiences and hopefully inspire others. Furthermore, I no longer wanted to be fearful of account deletion based on Instagram’s arbitrary enforcement of their vague “community guidelines” policies. Finally, I have dedicated much of my professional life to artist empowerment and advocacy. I sought a platform where I could more appropriately honor the brilliant photographers that have collaborated with me.

Sure. I’m in on the joke. I’m orchestrating it on myself. But, make no mistake, while I appreciate the humor of it all in the big picture, I take my business very seriously and am immensely proud of myself.

I worship a diverse conglomeration of men on Instagram. So many of them motivate me. After a while, I began to realize that the ones I admired the most had much more than a chiseled jaw, fuzzy bum and rock-hard abdominal muscles. They had humor. They had a passion for social justice. They exhibited genius-level intellect in their captions and use of hashtags. Very often, the users that offered this total package also had a clever or hilarious handle. When I launched on that platform I was @ryanlindsayhouston. So boring, right? So, I thought about it a lot. We were under the stress of the mandatory pandemic lockdown and it was a fun escape to brainstorm a character name. I carefully studied my posts and noticed a resounding quality that I could not ignore. I’m Southern, y’all. I sound Southern. I look Southern. I grew up in South Carolina and now I’m a Texan. But for obvious reasons the name couldn’t glorify the South in an inappropriate way. It had to be modern, sexy, funny and confident. I went through an exercise of brainstorming options with my friend Januari. We texted about it and sometimes I’d call her when I was cooking dinner to chat about the possibilities. Several names were under consideration but in the end “Seersucker Stud” clinched it. In my region, the seersucker suit is a uniform for Easter Sunday, tailgating or a boozy brunch. I do appreciate the alliteration and I personally think it is humorous. I mean…who actually refers to one’s self as a “stud?” The name offers an opportunity for self-reflection and growth. While it gives a glimpse into my past, it serves as a catalyst for greater authenticity and accountability.

That depends on how you define “take you seriously.” With the posts on my blog, take it or leave it. Have a laugh, shed a tear, roll your eyes or receive a call to action. If you believe that I make a statement that doesn’t show full cognizance of my privilege, challenge me. I’m ready for an open dialogue. Let’s have a good time. We can do all of these things through civil discourse and being respectful of one another.

My first photoshoot occurred a few months prior to my 40th birthday in 2017. While I’ve always been happy with my looks, I’ve never really tried. I was a competitive athlete growing up, but as an adult I didn’t prioritize eating healthy and sticking to a regular exercise regimen. I set a goal to get in the best shape of my life when I turned 40. I dedicated about 8 months to that process and the results were dramatic. I wanted to memorialize my efforts in photographs – with the main idea being that I would enjoy and be so proud to look at the images when I eventually was really, really old. I hired famed Houston photographer Evin Thayer and he shot me at both my home and his studio. In the end, while I cherished having the photographs – I was completely enamored with the act of modeling itself. It was exhilarating. And, it was challenging. Almost instantaneously, I was addicted.

Not if they want to stay my friend.

Not quite yet but I can see it on the horizon. When I do reach that point, I assure you that I will embrace it fully and with gusto.