Gary Williams Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Steadfast Supply
This is a great spot created by locals for local artisans to sell/share their products. They have everything from a kids' clothing boutique to a small men's and women's vintage collection. They also carry jewelry and handmade leather goods. In addition to the goods, you will find a clean co- working space in the back if you want to post up for the day. Free Wi-Fi!
Major
Major has been a staple sneaker spot in DC for a while. They always have heat and get the latest drops. You can usually find a good buy any time you show up. They use their IG feed, @MajorDC, to announce drops and sales. This is a great spot for Ultra Boost and Jordans if you're on your game.
Great Falls Park
Great Falls is the perfect escape from fast- paced city life and a gem just a stone's throw from the city. It has great trails and rapids, perfect for a variety of activities from kayaking to rock climbing. It's a good spot for a date or just a peaceful getaway to reset.
Maketto
Maketto, for one, boasts great design. Along with an amazing atmosphere, it is home to the greatest pork buns ever! I'm not a coffee drinker, but I hear they do some of the best brews in the city. Eat, commune, shop, or read; this is your place. They often hold great events for creatives there as well. This is a must visit.
When I was freelancing, I would often notice that I’d meet the team that came up with this concept and most of the time, those people didn’t look like me. A lot of times they were marketing to people who did look like me. For me, that was a red flag – I felt like there needed to be more representation at the table.
There’s was disconnect there, so we at Creative Theory said, Well, let’s try to fill that gap. As an agency, we not only champion the stories of Black and brown people; any time we can, we try to bring those people to the table for projects we work on. It’s about our community. It’s about giving opportunities to our community
Gary is the director and co-founder of Creative Theory Agency, which is a culture-focused digital marketing agency specializing in ideation and production. As the director, Gary focuses on leading the team in all things creative, from design to foresight and driving the agency's innovation. He studied multimedia arts in school, which encompassed graphic design, photography, and video, and naturally gravitated to photography. Gary credits his dad for being a hobbyist photographer, meaning there was always a camera and photos around the house. The next thing he, knew Gary was the family photographer. There was always curiosity, but it wasn’t long until the curiosity developed into a passion.