One might find my interest in Gordon Parks fascinating...
While I remain in complete awe of his creative, professional, social, and material accomplishments, I find the true wonder of Parks to be the way he thought... the way he carried himself behind, and away, from the lens.
As a young black photographer there were not too many people of color to model a career after when I started out. So my initial attraction to Mr. Park's was motivated by a desire to find people in the industry that looked like me. Artists that came from where I came from. Folks with the same self esteem conflicts, experiences, and ambitions as me. Gordon Parks was all of that and more.
Here was a man of color born in poverty during the pinnacle of American racism. He was able to push past the limitations of color and break through the boundaries of his own mind to create a body of work, across multiple disciplines, that has yet to be matched. (In case you are not familiar with Gordon Parks, his creative accomplishments span photography, cinematography, musical composition, journalism, and prose.) A true Production Artist!
Thanks to a well lived life, Mr. Parks is abundantly documented. His memoirs and biographies give invaluable subtext to the story of his success and offer a treasure chest of examples. 
Here's what I took special note of... He was a gentleman. He carried himself with honor and dignity. I'd call his disposition, 'Royal Humility'. He held his head high, and spoke with authority, but not in a way that made people feel inadequate. His humble beginnings did not define him. He did not let culture or his peers define him either. A search for truth and beauty define him. He embraced difficulty. If there was something he wanted, he treated difficulty as a starting point, not a dead end. He wasn't afraid to speak up, be wrong, and he definitely wasn't afraid to fail. And so, he took a lot of chances! He was curious and open to life, new people, and ways of doing things. He respected his subjects and assignments. He engaged them on a personal level. He listened to them. He did not judge them. He let his creativity grow wild.
He did have difficulty in his personal life, but he made sure the people he loved always knew where he stood. I think that's the best anyone can do. Be honest. Own up to your mistakes, let your flaws breathe. Show your confidence in generosity. He acknowledged his offenses publicly and privately. He was never too big to apologize.
I admire the way he carried himself. The way he loved. The way he dealt with adversity. I admire the way he cared for what was in front of his lens. And like his photos, he composed words and music with the same refreshing depth and passion. I believe these were the building blocks of his success. And those are the the reasons he is my hero.
Of all the stars that glimmer in my creative sky (Jacques Cousteau, Vittorio Storaro, Conrad Hall, Gordon Willis, Ed Sabol, Cecil B DeMille, etc) Gordon Parks is my North Star. I try to channel his spirit in everything I do. But instead of trying to recreate his accomplishments - I am trying so hard to recreate his thought processes. I want to be the man he was behind, and away from the lens.
