So with all of the final touches in order, I have finally given my printer the "go-ahead" to fulfill my first order of 100 copies of The Vision Project A Coloring Book For Black Girls Who Rock :) I have been working on the digital drawings in this book for the last 2 years and the art series of the same name for the last 8 years. This is such an exciting time in life and as I watch this book process unfold, there are a mix of emotions present that I feel comfortable enough with to be able to address openly. I hope that they may shed light on any long term projects any of my readers have embarked upon recently themselves.
"The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step" ~Lao Tzu
At times we can get swept up in all of the "political turmoil" of today as residents and citizens and refugees and immigrants and minorities living in the United States of America but as an artist, my mission is to find grounding in self expression. That means my personal work has to speak to some aspect of the world we live in. It is my job, as a full time creative who is dedicated to living an authentic and culturally inclined lifestyle, to unravel and share my own life enhancing experiences using a precise visual language.
Now, the particular lexicon that my experiences have provided me with over the last 35 years of my life can speak to being a Black woman, a 1st generation American, a Jamaican, a New Yorker, a traveler, a child of immigrants, a beauty outsider, an artist, a photographer, a dancer, an educator, a sales person, a logistics coordinator, a gal Friday, and I could go on. The reason I bring this up is because we should choose wisely regarding our speaking arts and how they can enhance or demotivate our fellow human beings. We should reflect on our past successes and failures to help shape the world around us, making improvements in even 1% increments. We should stop being petty to ourselves and the people we love around us. We should chase our dreams together.
In a time when most people are complaining daily about the state of the union, how fit or unfit the new candidates are, how clear the race lines have become, how uncertain the gender lines have become, how exposed the undeveloped youth are to it all, we each have to be decisive about what role we play in society. I chose the role of optimist, the role of remaining sincere of heart, the role model who sets a good example of not being held back by any circumstances whatsoever. I choose the role of entrepreneur, full time creative, thought leader, joy and abundance advocate. I choose the role of being completely true to myself no matter how crazy that may seem to any observer.
The Vision Project A Coloring Book For Black Girls Who Rock is my genuine yet humble contribution to the improvement upon the growing Black women's identity movements. The freedom we have earned to fiercely snatch our identities and never be dictated to about them not now or ever again. This work is a testimony. I pray those of you who purchase a copy are positively affected by my efforts. I am humbly presenting my soul to the world and that is probably never supposed to be easy anyway.
So just do it, no matter what do that thing you've always wanted to do. Write that script, direct that film, give that speech, draw that vision, shoot that shot! As it manifests, nurture it and do not angrily say to a mango seed, "give me back my fruit right now!" ...it never works. The mango seed is my favorite example of a goal and the primary reason I always keep a garden. Who are we to tell our seeds when to yield? We are the ones put here to tend to those seeds regardless of any circumstances. So remember that your thoughts are seeds and they too need cultivation. Listen to healing vibrations on youtube, talk about your issues with a loved one, resolve that old disagreement, forgive people, do what you want like really! Right now, do what you want to do because there's no telling when that seed will sprout and need the next level of nutrients. So pluck out the weeds aka naysayers and keep it moving. Your life's mission is too important to fall victim to your negative self-talk, gifted from fellow negative self-talkers!
So this probably just constitutes a rant but I'm devoted to every word. P.S. I just finished my first book!!!!! CLICK HERE
