What Does it Mean To Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 16

I was talking to a good friend of mine, Tamara Leacock (great fashion designer and artist/goddess/comrade) about drug problems and art. Got me thinking…Can someone or should someone be free to promote their drug experience as positive for the sake of their art?

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 10

I myself am still struggling to understand what art does to me when I view it, hear it, see it, read it. It’s easier to understand what music as an art form does. It literally moves my body, or drives me to tears. Visual art…different. I get stuck in analyzation. I’m pretty sure that’s not what the artist intended…

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Days, 30 Musings, Day 9

Me telling the story of a song before performing at Vegan Jam!

Stories have been used since the beginning of time to TEACH! I wonder…what’s my Life’s Lesson?

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Days, 30 Musings, Day 8

Me and Calvin, my co host for “The Show” where we share our lives and more.

To tell a story means to connect with someone by saying “Look, here’s my life, or a piece of it. Won’t you find yourself in it?” It’s really a gift to share and receive someone’s story.

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 4

Singing at an event.

I can’t really call myself a multi-disciplinary artist because I’m not all that disciplined. I just like to do a bunch of different things.

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 3

A writer…a special type of artist because you have to utilize language, and it’s not universal. How do you tap into the language of the human soul through such limited means?

 

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 2

Musin’ on the roof.

Does being an artist mean I filter everything through myself? Yes.

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days, Day 1

What does it mean?

What does it mean to be an artist?

One thing that I know it means to be an artist is to make choices. Cut the fat. What do I want to say? Who do I want to say it to? Where is this coming from, and where is it going…what is…it?

What Does it Mean to Be An Artist?: 30 Musings, 30 Days

I’ve decided that I’m an artist in the most all encompassing sense of the word, and there’s no turning back.

But it doesn’t mean that I’ve decided to be broke, defeated, or an outcast.

I decide to channel my Divine Life Purpose through the creative means of writing, blogging, singing, acting, performing, modeling, and talk show hosting, vlogging, concepts, ideas, etc.

In honor of this and all the artists out there, I want to publish 30 musings over the next 30 days about what it means to me, and other amazing artists who will be submitting over the month of November.

Stay tuned for this.

My Dad once asked me if I had any homework. I said “no.” He said, “Well, create some!” So, I’m doing it.

LIKE THIS PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/helesetheartist

And you can visit me on Tumblr at helesetalks. It’ll all be posted there anyway.

It’s weird to self plug, as an artist…but as a creative who must learn to earn…

Such is life.

Join the 40/40 Club

…Maybe 40 is a good number for me. I always thought that would be an age where I would really buckle down and focus on my music. I felt that by then I would be fully in my womanhood, settled in my career, maybe be divorced, have a kid who adored me, and be fiercely independent.

This week I attended two events that were 40th Anniversaries. One was the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program‘s 40th Anniversary-Celebrity Pro-Am and Dinner Gala. It was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. It was a pretty snazzy venue as dazzling faces of all shades filled the room. Katrina Adams, Executive Director of HJTEP is beautiful, down to earth, and about the mission of the organization. She inspired this young Black Female to be as dedicated to my purpose as she is to bringing tennis to youth from inner-city neighborhoods while offering them opportunities for education and self growth. Some of the youth stood at the podium to receive recognition and give honor to various leadership in the organization, one of which is my best friend, Mekellah Matthias, who is the Executive Assistant at HJTEP, who is set to be the next generation of leadership at the program. Everyone glowed with satisfaction as the night went on, and as the tables were cleared, a glass of champagne was toasted as the stress of the weeks leading up to the event was finally released. If you know anything about non-profit,  you know that the staff of HJTEP had to do a ton of work to make this happen even with hired help. The funds raised that evening will go on to support such bright and dynamic young people such as Vashni Belleste, now an alum, who will be attending college in New Orleans in the fall. To all of the staff at HJTEP I say “Job well done, now let’s pop champagne.”

The second  event I attended I literally had to drag myself to, but I’m so glad I did. I was invited to sing at The 40th Annual Spring Poetry Festival at City College held by  the University’s Poetry Outreach Center. I was sick as a dog that morning, but was able to visualize doing one of my favorite things (performing) in the Great Hall that evening. It worked. Writer, professor and Director of Poetry Outreach Pam Laskin, whom I met through JP Howard, founder of the Woman Writers in Bloom Poetry Salon (WWBPS), invited me to sing at this event after she heard me sing at WWBPS’s anniversary (but it was only their first!). I gladly accepted but had no idea I’d be sick that day. Still I arrived.  They honored Barry Wellenstein, who founded the Poetry Outreach Center which services public school children and the writing community as a whole. The Great Hall, where the event was held, was mighty and massive in its architecture. The acoustics make you sound like you’re in a cathedral in the late 18th century. I was called up by Pam to sing my one or two songs a capella, and I was seemingly shy, because I was confident in my skills yet nervous because I was so congested. I sang a snippet of a standard, “Body and Soul” and then an original, “You Told Me You Loved Me” and then it was over. The gracious audience continued to thank me the whole evening, and I felt  my sense of gratitude  for sharing my gift grow.  (And a sense of missed opportunity, because so many great people, so little energy and so little cards! Oh how I need a business card. That’s gotta be on my to-do list before 40!) The conn
ections you can make through people are amazing. I met JP Howard through a long time friend of mine, Akinfe Fatou, who’s new book of poetry Swoon is out now. The Universe is something, ain’t it?

So, there you have it. Two 40th’s in one week and here I am. I survived. I’m intuiting that the events of this week are only going to mirror, in a grander way, what’s in store for me when I get to 40. I hope you’ll stay along for the journey.