creativity, healing

Meditation of Serenity and Power

Icons, heroines, mavericks like

Marsha P and Fannie Lou

We do this cuz of them

They did this for you

We give

Flowers to the Fearless

and middle fingers to the law

cuz it’s meant to trample us

and empower colonial empire

Where a few get tall on the

downfall of the many

So what’s the remedy?

What does it mean to care

for a neighbor in need

To be on the scene when times

are rough, and the kids are bleedin’

I need: empathy, compassion, a listening ear

I have: This body, my breath, all the time in the world

Breathe in, serenity

Breathe out, assuredness

Breathe in, protection

Breathe out, knowingness

How do we define these conflicts

Is it really us and them?

What makes us “us” to begin with

and why can’t they stand us?

Why can’t they stand with us

to rebuild this world

Nevertheless, here we stand

We, by our sides, pieces of humankind

remaking a liberation recipe:

safety, freedom, dignity, desire

Finding the highest quality ingredients

and

making due with what we have now

Author’s note: I found this poem searching through older journals, seeking to access wisdom from my past self. This comes from around June of 2023. Some of the language reminds me of sayings from Toni Morrison – her and Audre Lorde recently had a shared birthday, February 18th. This is dedicated to the legends and our lineages.

creativity, culture

Sounds of Resist! (EP Review)

EP Review: Ozulé’s Resist! – A Soundtrack for Revolution and Reckoning

Ozulé’s latest project isn’t just an EP—it’s a pre-apocalyptic transmission, a call to consciousness, and a battle cry wrapped in synths, basslines, and unrelenting lyricism. From the first track to the last, the record pulses with urgency, channeling the tension of a world at a tipping point while refusing to succumb to despair.

It all ignites with Burnin’ Toxic, a garage punk-meets-breakbeat hip-hop explosion that sets the stakes: ecological collapse, unchecked corporate greed, and the widening gap between those who see the fire and those who look away. That dissonance—between truth and denial, action and apathy—carries through the EP’s sonic and thematic core. Still Here turns inward, grappling with the fragility of survival in an era of uncertainty, while Rocketship finds Ozulé at a crossroads, weighing whether to escape or stand and fight.

Then, the descent into control and resistance begins. Puppet Master tightens the strings with an eerie, theatrical build, revealing the mechanisms of manipulation before unleashing a full-scale reckoning. By the time Red Blooded kicks in, the collective has taken the streets, and there’s no turning back. With its infectious pulse and anthemic call to action, it’s the EP’s heart—the moment where defiance crystallizes into movement.

But the true triumph is in its ending. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us lifts its head toward the horizon, delivering an Afrofuturist victory lap that acknowledges the struggle while reveling in the unbreakable spirit of those who dare to fight for more. The bass knocks like a war drum, the lyrics shine like prophecy, and Ozulé makes one thing clear: the future belongs to those who refuse to be stopped.

Verdict: A masterclass in storytelling through sound, Resist! is a resistance piece, a reckoning, and a rallying cry all at once.

Resist! EP is available exclusively on Bandcamp for streaming and purchase: https://ozul3.bandcamp.com/album/resist

Now, let’s take you through each song, track by track:

Song Review: Ozulé’s Burnin’ Toxic Is a High-Octane Clash of Urgency and Denial

Ozulé isn’t here to ease you in—Burnin’ Toxic kicks off like a revving engine, launching straight into a world on the verge of collapse. Blending garage punk’s raucous energy with breakbeat hip-hop’s relentless churn, the lead single from Resist! is a pulse-pounding ride through climate anxiety, corporate greed, and willful ignorance.

The song’s structure is as gripping as its subject matter. Ozulé voices two characters locked in a battle of perspective: one panicked by the rising temperature—both literal and metaphorical—the other stubbornly oblivious, spewing streams of denials. The contrast isn’t just thematic; it’s embedded in the performance itself, with Ozulé shifting between a incredulous mezzo-soprano and a nonchalant tenor. The result? A volatile call-and-response that plays out like a musical tug-of-war, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Sonically, Burnin’ Toxic is as relentless as its message. The beat grinds forward like a machine refusing to shut down, while a distorted bassline rumbles underneath, creating a sense of impending doom. And just when you think the track might let up, the engine roars again—an unsettling reminder that this crisis isn’t on pause.

As the first glimpse into Resist!, Burnin’ Toxic sets the tone for what’s to come: a world teetering between action and catastrophe. It’s urgent. It’s exhilarating. And it demands an answer—will we slam the brakes, or crash headlong into disaster?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Still Here Is a Gritty, Grief-Stricken Battle Cry

If Burnin’ Toxic was the ignition, Still Here is the aftermath—the moment when the adrenaline fades, leaving only raw survival in its wake. A searing fusion of electronic and hardcore synthpop, Ozulé’s second track on Resist! plunges headfirst into uncertainty, grief, and the fragile thread tethering us to life itself.

“We know it’s not certain, we’ll breathe again, we’ll breathe again.” The haunting refrain carries a chilling double meaning, lingering in the air like a held breath. Written in the throes of 2021, when COVID-19 ravaged lungs and lives alike, the track wrestles with what it means to persist in the face of relentless loss. The production mirrors that desperation—grungy drum and bass elements pound forward, unrelenting, while Ozulé’s vocals cut through with a rawness that feels less like singing and more like pleading.

But where the song could succumb to despair, it instead finds release. A warped, pitch-shifted performance heightens the sense of disorientation, yet the energy builds toward a defiant dance-break bridge—an invitation, however desperate, to shake off the weight of anguish, if only for a moment. Movement, even in mourning, is still movement.

With Still Here, Ozulé doesn’t offer easy answers—only the question that lingers long after the final synth fades: How do we keep breathing when the air feels too heavy to hold?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Rocketship Shoots for the Stars, But at What Cost?

Drifting between escape and devotion, Rocketship is Resist!’s most intimate reckoning yet. Where previous tracks thrash against the chaos of a crumbling world, this one lingers in the quiet ache of choice: Do we stay and fight, or do we leave it all behind?

Ozulé’s signature blend of crooning melodic rap and cosmic cloud production gives Rocketship an otherworldly glow—twinkling synths and dazzling sound effects stretch across the mix like stardust, while a weighty bassline keeps everything tethered to reality. The vocal delivery is solitary, almost abandoned, switching between a pensive lower-register rap and soaring high melodies. The absence of a second voice leaves a question hanging in space: What will the person on the other end of this plea decide?

The song itself mirrors its central conflict. Its structure loops back to where it began, orbiting the same impossible dilemma: is flight an act of survival or surrender? It’s a time-sensitive decision, one that pulses beneath the moderate tempo like a countdown clock.

More than just a love song or an escape anthem, Rocketship captures the crossroads of crisis and connection, where revolution isn’t just about the world—it’s about who we hold onto in the wreckage. And as the final notes fade into the void, Ozulé leaves us with the real question: What’s worth staying for?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Puppet Pulls the Strings of Dissent

If Burnin’ Toxic was the ignition and Still Here the reckoning, Puppet Master is where the illusion shatters—and the audience refuses to play along.

A fusion of eerie rock and sharp-edged hip-hop, the track unfolds like a theatrical confrontation. Its pacing is slow and deliberate, each verse tightening the noose as ghostly wails swirl in the background, whispering warnings from the shadows of those who saw the truth too late. The tension finally snaps as a gnarly, cutting guitar solo tears through the fabric of the song, a moment of sheer, electrified release.

“These acts are outrageous / Our silence won’t save us,” Ozulé intones, voice shifting from observer to instigator. The slow-burn delivery gives way to full-scale upheaval, the once-passive crowd now rising against the unseen hands pulling their strings. The song’s three-act structure mirrors the movement of a play—exposition, revelation, and a final plea to those still bound to the system. It’s a call to those still tethered—those dancing to unseen hands, unaware of the strings pulling them toward destruction.

Theatre and revolution collide in Puppet Master. With its theatrical flair and operatic intensity, Puppet Master doesn’t just expose control—it dares us to sever the ties. And as the final echoes fade, the lingering question remains: Will you take back your power, or will you keep dancing to someone else’s tune?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Red Blooded Sparks a Movement

If Puppet Master was the call to wake up, Red Blooded is the rallying cry. This dance-pop anthem pulses with the electricity of mass resistance, merging high-energy grooves with unshakable purpose. It’s the sound of feet hitting the pavement, voices rising in unison, and a future being written in real time.

Funky basslines and shimmering synths give the track a buoyant, almost celebratory energy—a revolution that moves as much as it marches. Ozulé delivers each lyric with emphatic conviction, weaving themes of corporate accountability, collective action, and radical hope into an irresistible chorus:

“Corporate accountability / Compassionate community / Family / Building what we wanna see / Piece together a remedy.”

The song’s rhythm is an undeniable force—one part protest chant, one part roller-rink anthem, all parts movement music. It acknowledges the weight of oppression but refuses to let it dictate the future: “As outcasts we’re targets, though together we’re powerful.” It’s a declaration, an invitation, a promise.

At its core, Red Blooded isn’t just a song—it’s a moment for the movement. The soundtrack to bodies in motion, hearts on fire, and a collective ready to make good trouble. Will you step in?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Ends on a Triumphant High Note

After the fire of resistance in Red Blooded, Ozulé’s Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us lands like the first breath of dawn—a moment of victory, even in the face of struggle. Dripping in cloud rap’s signature dreaminess, this track floats above the wreckage, eyes set on the limitless horizon.

Producer Persian lays down a beat reminiscent of Pi’erre Bourne and Playboi Carti, where rolling basslines push forward with quiet insistence. The song’s energy is steady, yet unrelenting, a rhythm that knocks on the door to the future and refuses to be denied.

“Though we’ve seen hard times, dark times / Day be in sight / Covered by night / We learned to fly.”

There’s no naive optimism here—just an unshakable knowing. The lyrics acknowledge the weight of history but declare, without hesitation, that the future is already in motion. It’s a celebration of Black pasts and Black futures, of survival and transcendence, of shining under pressure. As Ozulé proclaims:

“When you see us, you gon’ know we the diamonds.”

Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us isn’t just an outro—it’s an affirmation. The resistance doesn’t end. The movement doesn’t falter. And the future? It’s already here.

Resist! EP is available exclusively on Bandcamp for streaming and purchase: https://ozul3.bandcamp.com/album/resist

creativity

Resist! EP: An Anthem for the Breaking Point

Resist! EP – An Anthem for the Breaking Point

In a world teetering on the edge, Resist! pulses with the raw energy of upheaval and the unyielding spirit of defiance. Ozulé masterfully fuses hip-hop, rock, pop, and electronic into a sonic battlefield, where sleek synths slice through the chaos and bass-heavy rhythms ground the storm. This EP doesn’t just mirror the turbulence of our times—it dares to fight back.

Each track moves like a chapter in a dystopian saga: from slow, haunting meditations to electrifying battle cries, the tempo swings with the weight of urgency. Lyrically, Ozulé takes no shortcuts—this is an unfiltered transmission, written and performed with conviction. Through their sharp delivery and dynamic vocal range, they ask the hardest questions: When power spirals out of control, when disease and war leave society fractured, what role do we play in shaping what comes next?

Born from the tension of pandemic-era distress, political volatility, and a world crying out for change, Resist! is both a reckoning and a rallying call. Like the last light before the fall—or the first spark of revolution—this EP doesn’t just acknowledge crisis; it moves through it with resolve, searching for the sound of a better future.

Do you hear it calling?

Resist! is now exclusively on Bandcamp, and you can steam and purchase here: https://ozul3.bandcamp.com/album/resist

accountability, creativity

Welcome to 2025!

Welcome to 2025! We alive!

I’ve come to break this posting drought and share the lessons and universal synchronicities that have approached me recently:

Manifestation and attraction – Coinciding with the Cancer full moon and the Sun’s opposition to Mars, I started to receive news that made me very happy. Pure delight and glee!

I had been accepted to serve as a board member of an arts organization I support. I completed one of my first art grant applications. I was connecting with guides who could support my growth and development. I won a raffle and won enrollment into a comics and graphics class.

In my journal, I wrote, ‘The universe wants me to be an artist. And I accept!’ All of these felt like supportive confirmation that I am on the right course, that the universe is calling me in to experience my desires more fully and on a wider scale. 

I’ve been considering, as I often do, how to organize, make time for, and share the various forms of art I create. This led me to realize: I can’t do it all, all the time. There will be seasons of creation ebbs and flows – so I am letting go of all or nothing thinking, perfectionism, and pre-judgment (e.g. ‘If I can’t write the essay as perfectly crafted as I imagine in my fantasy…’ – you know the rest) NO! Instead, I am realizing that there will be pockets of time and energy I can harness – 15 minutes is a wonderful block of time to jot out ideas and get a message drafted. I want to make consistent progress towards developing my cadence of creation. Then, I’ll prime myself to flow.

Pro-motion: My soul sibling Ayanda has a beautiful tapestry of paradigm-shifting content for artists on her platforms. One of the ideas she teaches that stuck with me is the concept of “pro-motion.” She considers this the things we do to breathe life and energy into our projects, to help them move and be visible and reach the people they are meant to.

Think of this as an act of love that honors all involved: the audience, by being given the opportunity to experience your art and its transformative properties; yourself, for honoring your time and energy to bring the creation into being; and the idea itself as well, to tap into its full creative potential and reach. We can have such unsavory connotations around thinks like marketing and promotion, networking, and the like, but these are opportunities to amplify the goodness of what we create. In 2025, I said that I am going to be more open with sharing my art and intentionally free about how I engage in pro-motion.

Creative flow, sacred release – As Tabitha Brown recently admonished: finish what you started. This statement struck a nerve with me. I felt a mixture of emotions, including nervous, convicted, and yet still open to hearing what she was saying. My book-in-progress, Searching for Sun, immediately came to mind. I had been having misgivings about the scope and viability of this project, my qualifications to write on the subject matter, and embarrassment at the state of the work thus far (sometimes stream of consciousness, sometimes joke-riddled, and more often than not tangents upon (related!) tangents). I have to remember that my particular voice gives the work its character, charm, and flavor. Let the spices flow!

As I have learned in my music career, finishing what’s in the queue allows the next idea to have its turn. Many times, I will not be able to mentally or emotionally clear my slate until the previous project I’ve worked on has been posted and shared. In truth, I think that’s why I’ve had a hard time getting back into my recording lab – I have projects from the end of 2023 that are begging to be published. I think it’s time to give them the shine they deserve, and allow myself to move on.

These are a few of my insights from the first few weeks of 2025. I hope that my practice of easy creation and release guides me to where I need to be, and that this has been helpful for you too. Ashé.

learning, social

The Wisdom of Childhood (even at your big age!)

I work with a group of young adults who are aiming to develop their leadership skills, and we were engaging in our daily check in. A check in can be any prompt, any question to take a pulse check, let people know how you’re showing up to the space, and settle into the group for the day. That day’s prompt was: ‘Tell me a fun fact about yourself’. We’d write our answer on a notecard, fold it up and place it in a cup, and then would guess who it belonged to.

I pondered over my fact for a moment. Some ideas popped to my mind immediately: I am a poet; I am a musician. Those seemed to speak to the surface level, as even in the first few weeks they would soon come to find those out. I wanted to go a bit deeper and share another part of myself. So, before I knew it, I ended up writing ‘My favorite playground game is freeze tag.’ Even as I wrote, my eyes lit up remembering the thrill of the game. I folded my paper and handed it over.

As a staff member in this group, I belong in a somewhat liminal space of participation. Often, I participate in check ins as a practice to build trust, community, and accountability, though I have an opt-out button I can press when needed. I was tempted to opt out on this day, the facilitator not having handed me a card initially, but I decided to take a step and put my bid in the bag.

The facilitator began calling out fun facts, and the guessing began. Some were easier to guess, others left the group stumped. ‘I make music’, ‘I’m a pisces’, ‘I have 14 nieces and nephews’, ‘I LOVE pickles, and I even drink the juice’. This last one earned some laughs from the group. Then, the facilitator called out my fact: ‘My favorite playground game is freeze tag.’

The room shifted a bit, then let out some uncomfortable laughter. ‘Who’s is this?’ someone insisted. Another comment, ‘At your big age…’ and another, ‘Right…’ and more chuckling. Then the guessing began, and came denial after denial. One person offered, ‘I didn’t write this, but I do like freeze tag.’ The guesses had made it to nearly everyone, and I knew my time was coming. The facilitator said, ‘Who’s is this?’ and rather than be outed, I made my move. ‘This is mine!’ I spoke up, assuredly shooting my hand in the air and claiming the fact.

We moved on, and the next person’s was ‘I play the Sims… at my big age’ and we knew immediately who it belonged to. She laughed into her hand, and people around began to chime in that they liked the game too, and started discussing game play.

As I sat listening to the facts be claimed, I began to think about the parts of ourselves that we allow to be known, and the parts we cover up or leave behind as we enter different stages and phases of life. This group consists of adults between 18 and 45 years old, still in the earlier parts of adulthood. It makes sense why a tidbit about recess and childhood games might have been off putting – for many, they are coming into their sense of adulthood, not keen on the attachments to childhood. However, I offer, there are benefits to remaining connected to those childhood days. There is wisdom in childhood.

Besides free tag being an ultimate game of collaboration, strategy, physical prowess, and interdependence, there’s plenty more the game has to offer, even though I don’t get to play it on a daily basis as I once did.

When we allow ourselves to remember what being a child was like, we open ourselves to a world of wisdom that our childhood selves may not have been able to tap. Did I see freezetag in the aforementioned terms while playing as a child? Definitely not. And yet, those were the elements that drew me to the game, even when I was not able to name them. By coming back with an adult perspective and a child’s experience, I unlock new dimensions of understanding.

I hope those coming into their adulthood don’t totally eschew their childhoods forever. After all, for most people in that group, the majority of their lives had been spent in the under 18 years, having lived more time as children than adults. We may put away certain aspects of ourselves for a time to mature in new ways, but there is valuable experience in all parts of our lives.

Adults who disconnect from their childhoods ruin the childhoods of other children. Remember how it felt to be a child, and let that inform your empathy as an adult who has the power, access, and ability your younger self may have dreamed of having one day. Be the adult in a child’s life that you wish you had. And how can you do that, unless you remember, unless you stop to consider your child self and their child self.

I proudly nurture my inner child and tend to the parts of myself that wished for different experiences as a child. It has been a very healing experience to re-nurture myself from an empowered place.

In wanting to grow up and escape the confines of childhood, I hope that we don’t move so fast and so far away that we become severed from this important aspect of who we are.

There is wisdom in childhood. Go back and fetch your wisdom. Allow yourself to play. There’s no need to be ashamed! You can be proud of who you are today, and yesterday.

creativity, healing

One More For Tonight

And so, today is my WordPress Anniversary! Huzzah 😀

~~~~~

Just one more for tonight, I feel another one on my brain’s edge, toes curling the edge of the diving board, hyperventilating before the dive in.

I feel a fluttering about my companion. How she was activated and I, unaware. Her agitated and I laughing and enthused. Why, why was I laughing. Why couldn’t I be quiet.

Audre Lorde talks about the Transformation of Silence into Language and Action. Says those things which are not said will eat us alive. Our silence will not protect us. That it is in saying that we shape our action, rather than sit by passively in the face of our impending demise. Death is the final silence. So it is better to speak…

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.

-Audre Lorde

Perfect love casts out fear. And if you must, do it afraid…

One day soon I’ll give attention to those matters that have been plaguing me, punching me in the teeth, angry and willing themselves to be seen.

These sounds, taking shape into an echoed whisper…

accountability, culture

Amanda Seales: You Are Not Too Much.

These people love telling Black women to be quiet and stay in place. The notion is so pervasive and damaging, so I’m here to drag this as the tired, misogynoir laden, crud-on-the-bottom-of-the-shoe mess that it is.

++++

Context and Controversy: What’s Happenin’, Amanda?!

Amanda Seales, actress/comedian/multi-hyphenate social justice advocate widely known for her performance on HBO’s Insecure, recently posted a video thanking fans for being consistent supporters, because her peers in the Black entertainment industry have not been as inviting. Amanda mentioned several Black mainstream outlets such as Black Girls Rock, Essence, and the NAACP Image Awards that have not invited her to awards shows or recognitions, even when she has contributed to those shows previously.

In response, the video has started going viral, and at least three headlining articles were written by prominent media outlets, with two response articles on The Root (1,2), and one from Essence (3). The op-eds essentially doubled down on their stance that this was an Amanda problem of her own making, since she is supposedly difficult to work with and unlikeable.

My Take: Let’s Look At The Bigger Picture

I take issue with this being framed as an individual’s self sabotaging demise. The framing here minimizes larger social dynamics at play and makes this into an individual level problem. Rather, we need to recognize the pattern of discrimination and group pressure Black women face to be palatable. Particularly, it is Black women with strong opinions, confident demeanors, and no-nonsense standards who end up being scoffed at, shamed, and otherwise ostracized for their public presentation. This framing also obscures how “likeability” is coded for how much someone can align with hegemonic standards in service of imperialism (read: siding with racist, cis/sexist, classist, nationalist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist ideals and norms). 

These articles considered this as possible explanation, then chose to stand on the weaker, person-centered position. When issues are approached from an individual level, it’s considered a personal problem and a failing of character. However, this is a phenomena not only socially experienced among many Black women, but structurally entrenched in how Black women are able to navigate their position and exercise their power in society.

Black women are multi-faceted and deserve space to show up in their full and flawed being. In this society however, Black women aren’t afforded space to have strong characters, especially outside prescribed and familiar tropes like Mammy and Jezebel. 

Yes, Amanda uses “big words” and has a high standard of quality. These are qualities that contribute to, not take away, from the authenticity of her message and ability to show up fully. She has a master’s degree in African American Studies from Columbia University. Her variety game show is Smart, Funny, and Black – this is her brand! 

From AmandaSeales.com and the AmandaVerse Patreon

Give Black Women Space to Express

There’s a difference between someone being intimidating and someone feeling intimidated. The first is a perception of energy, the second is how one reacts to that perception.

Similarly, on her Small Doses podcast, Amanda talks about how a group of roommates from college collectively decided they didn’t like her, with the lead of the group saying she didn’t like how Amanda was a show off (4). First, this is subjective and a matter of perception, much more likely a reflection of the person who initially said it. And well, that characteristic certainly would have been to Amanda’s benefit as an entertainer and stage performer. We are quick to demonize qualities in Black women that aren’t submissive to social hegemony and hierarchy. So, in their eyes, they experience her as a woman who shows off or is full of herself or narcissistic… or any other snide remarks that are used to demean and devalue confident and assertive Black women.

Am I saying Amanda is a faultless saint? Not necessarily! To be honest, I don’t really know her like that. From what I’ve seen of her shows, she is honest about her shortcomings and growth areas, mentioning at one point how she lost her fuse because a pillow color wasn’t what she requested (4). The bigger discrepancy here is that this characterization and blackballing justification comes off as disingenuous. It’s odd that people can name the ways Black women are largely limited to expressions that appease the quo at risk of being ostracized, then in the same breath turn and propose that Amanda is the exception to acknowledged patterns of misogynoir in society! 

What’s Really Happening Here, BFFRRN

Of all the people who Hollywood accepts – countless abusers and harmful people – the towel is being thrown in at Amanda? For being *checks notes* …unlikeable? (3)

What seems more likely to me is that Amanda is a woman with brains and bite, has a high caliber of execution, knows the game, and certain dusties wanna bring her down a peg, into the mudslinging games she no longer wants to or has to play (5). She’s creating avenues of independence as Black women often do. And when she’s gone, the industry will miss her. She’s unabashed, forthright, incisive, clever, and speaks truth to power. So much so that I think she makes people uncomfortable to reckon with how they’ve bended and balked to secure their position in the industry. 

Solidarity

So I stand with Amanda and all the Black women who are told they have attitudes, who are pitted against one another and told there’s only room for one, who’ve been asked (or threatened) to turn down their volume and quash their fire, who have had passion mistaken for aggression.

I don’t know Amanda Seales but I do know what is said of Black women. I have seen how Black women have been dragged through hell while striving for public success and curating a delicate balance of so-called likeability. And I do know how dusty muhfuckas love to “humble” a woman who dare make a name for herself without their approval. So these antics are getting my full side-eye and garnered my immediate suspicion. As I dig further the brows furrow more deeply and the glare intensifies.

At best, this seems like an unfair evisceration, not comparable to the scale with which this is picking up steam. There was a comment on Threads that stood out to me, essentially asking: ‘what are “we” mad at her for?’ Essentially this person was poised to pile on to the witch hunt without even knowing why. And my use of witch hunt here is purposeful. The witch hunts were essentially a campaign of patriarchy to disempower and annihilate women who were seen as “too powerful” “too strange” or “too much.”  

Am I Too Much? Or Are You Insecure That You Aren’t Enough (oop)

Amanda gives it to us straight in her most recent three-part Small Doses podcast, talking about the notion of being “Too Much.” And while she addresses this topic more widely from the vantage point of her life growing up and in society at large, it’s clear this is correlated to her current treatment in the industry and how she’s perceived and interacted with, especially in the past week.

Let’s name what’s really likely at play here and keep the focus there. Say misogynoir, the hatred of Black women. Say racism and sexism in the entertainment industry. Say anti-intellectualism and rampant white supremacy culture. Say anti-Blackness and respectability politics. Say anything other than a lukewarm ‘I dunno… I just don’t like her, you know?’ Say you standin on oppressive social expectations and keep it a buck. 

Whether intentional or not, this campaign to discredit and disarm Amanda hurts all Black women and does not advance us. It really doesn’t. Because these denouncements show we are not allowed to be fully realized people. We aren’t allowed have dissenting opinions. We cannot complain or want to see conditions for ourselves and our people improve. It’s a load of bullshit.

I stand with the people who aren’t having this old tired mess anymore. We’re done with it. You’re gonna miss us when we’re gone.

Testing the Ice

Everyone loves to cheer on the brazen person willing to speak up and say what everyone else is thinking. That’s what Amanda does. These people simultaneously decrease the risk for the group while gaining wins for the group. But inversely, these people take on a lot of risk, and in turn see little allegiance when it’s time to take up a defense or find themselves in need of protection. Psychology researchers called this the ‘testing the ice’ phenomena. 

To dig deeper into what this phenomena means, imagine being on a frozen lake, unsure if the ice will hold. One person goes onto the ice to test its ability to hold weight. The testing person inches forward at the perimeter of the unknown, claiming more and more ground and gaining confidence. Their teammates cheer them on to keep going while standing safe on shore. If the ice breaks, will their team rescue the one who dared venture out? That’s an uncertain tossup. 

The concluding recommendation of the researchers who discovered this phenomena was to not venture so far out into untested waters without having a support team (i.e. those that provide more than vocal praise and verbal encouragement and who will take up your mantle when called upon). Work with people who have skin in the game with you. Because let’s be real. Hollywood entertainers are removed from the issues of the majority of everyday people. Class and socioeconomics create a rift between these worlds that makes it easy to turn a blind eye or pay lip service without putting any real skin in the game. 

Final Thoughts

Amanda is trailblazing and saying things that speak truth to power and ruffle feathers of the elite. She has a platform and she’s using it to uplift causes that matter, such as our collective voting power, spotlighting candidates, and calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza. Let’s give space and grace to this Black woman who has dedicated a career to being a truth bearing light in the community and the entertainment industry. 

In Amanda We Trust.

References:

1 – https://www.theroot.com/if-everyone-says-the-same-thing-about-amanda-seales-co-1851348276

2 – https://www.theroot.com/snubbed-by-the-naacp-image-awards-is-amanda-seales-bee-1851346291

3 – https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/amanda-seales-competence-likability-career/

4 – https://youtu.be/muz-RdvvcBk 

5 – https://youtu.be/uIIrONxc2yQ

culture

Janelle Monáe at the GRAMMYs

I’m tempering my disappointment because Janelle Monáe did not win the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album and Album of the Year.

I happened to tune into the live pre-show, scoping the multiple vantages of the camera – entry, red carpet fashion cam, backstage, and main floor awards – hoping to get a glimpse of them on the red carpet, and more importantly, hear their name called for their nominated category.

From what I witnessed from IG stories and felt through the passion of the tour, the FAM put a lot of love into the Age of Pleasure. The Age of Pleasure is a sensual moment of ecstasy, a rolling climax that lingers in the most delightful of ways. This energy still lives on! We’re not done living and loving, exploring and being free. There’s still so much to be experienced, and so many layers to peel back and savor. There’s so much more to this than the Grammys (though it would’ve been nice!)

Through this, I’m learning how we have to define our own measures of success. We cannot wait for other people’s validation to celebrate us and our journey. Especially when our ways are avant guard and off kilter from the lockstep of the mainstream. When we are liberating, educating, and celebrating who we are. There is a certain confidence we have to cultivate in knowing we are ahead of common knowledge and modern consumption. Being a trailblazer, sometimes you get burnt. We have to love ourselves enough to see ourselves first, regardless of if we are seen and received by the masses.

What we are creating is longstanding, eternal, deeply and authentically rooted. Crazy, classic lives.

Janelle has been contributing to a lot of different projects, continually magicking in the background, only to astonish us at the forefront in unexpected ways. From the recent Adobe visual art pieces for Only Have Eyes 42 and Haute, DJing parties, directing a film about an intersex teen, headlining with Coldplay in Europe, and so many other things behind the scenes we don’t know about yet, Janelle is entering a season of prolific and dynamic creativity. This is a moment of celebration and awe! What an artist!

So, we’ll be sad for a moment to not take home a Grammy dedicated to the highly melanated arch-android orchestrated, but we’ll continue with our heads high knowing the impact of Janelle’s vision, decision, and prolificness. The concert tour changed my life, made a notable shift in how they were able to breathe life and sensuality and passion and presence into my existence, and the lives of so many people. How Janelle embodies the Spirit of Soul, in the most Bazaar ways. And with so many recognitions that underscore Janelle is just now entering a prime light of experience and acknowledgement from the art world and fandroids alike.

May they continue to share their brilliance with the world, and we are ever blessed to witness to transformation of Janelle Monáe.

accountability, creativity

January/February 2024 Recap

As of January 2024, I’m celebrating 5 years on my music creation journey. This is an important milestone, one that I am thrilled to have reached. To honor this season, I’ve taken some time to reflect and call to remembrance the steps I’ve taken on this journey thus far. I’ve also considered what the next few steps ahead could look like. And most importantly, calling my “why” to the forefront.

2023 saw a turn in the focus of my artistry, from the stream of continual song creation from 2019-2022, to a shift to live performance, visual accompaniments, and social media connections. I went to a professional recording studio for the first time. I also created some of my favorite tunes to date (looking at you, Everything’s Bars, Guud Boi, Gon’n Get It, Warped Tour Nostalgia…).

In 2024, I’m allowing myself to savor the climb I’ve accomplished so far. I’ve been invited to be a featured poet at FemmeFest 2024 and seeking to expand the community I engage with through my artistic expressions. I’m revitalizing my original mediums of poetry and narrative, with a fresh fusion of my newfound production and engineering skills. Somewhere in the mix, I’m teaching myself piano!

I am grateful…

  • To the people who demonstrated that music is possible for me, who made artistry seem like a reachable experience. I am making dreams all the time.
  • For the ways the crowd sang my song with me at my first open mic
  • For awakening to the ways I can support and mentor fledgling artists
  • For producing and mixing my first songs
  • For the ways meaning of art layers upon itself like lotus petals
  • For being nominated for song competitions that I was hesitant to submit to myself
  • For the ways I’ve been exploring heartbreak and tense contradictions and lost love
  • To all the artists who have reached out for collaborations, and all those who’ve accepted my requests
  • For the ways I’ve grown to know and appreciate and be kind to my voice. And for strengthening and clearing my throat chakra for an unmasked connection to the raw truth of my expression and experience
  • For every moment of this dream of an experience, I am grateful

Gleeful to announce The Orchard is planted and fruiting! Who knows what flavors and deliciousness will sprout from the ideas here. I am happy to tend to these beginnings with care. And trying not to overwhelm myself with doing it all at once! Though it can be tempting.

Upcoming projects include: Chakra EP, Affirmation EP, NaNoWriMo Collection, Substack of my fiction writings and musings (check it out!)… to name a few!

Many thanks to those who witness, contribute to, appreciate, and walk with me on this journey. Looking forward to many more years of growth, love, alchemy, art.

creativity

Zo’s Meadow 🪷

Zo rested in the field as the sun climbed the skyline. This time of year, on the latter edges of winter, the ground still frosted over in the morning. Far removed from the country roads and the pressures of xeir usual responsibilities, this meadow offered a longed for reprieve.

There was something mystical about this sliver of dawn, when nature paused for its daily devotional. With dew drops delicately frozen in place mere inches from their eyes, and the rest of the sprouting landscape before them, Zo could finally be still.

By high noon, the crystals would give way to sunrays warming the Earth, beckoning its inhabitants come alive. Until then, time nearly seemed to freeze in place, too.

Breathing allowed Zo space to connect back to basics of xeir being, to feel xeir body and connect with the Earth. Zo remembered dreams and traced their imagination onto other planes. Here, existence felt like more than an obvious chore. Existence felt like a possibility.  

Beyond this moment, two worlds were ever pulling in opposing directions. One that kept routines and stability, the other ebbing towards chaos and unpredictability. And where did Zo land on the expanse between steady solid and dissipating gas? Zo supposed xey were something like a liquid, connected and coherent enough, and yet still loose and fluid in xeir movement… Not quite one or the other.

Zo sighed, allowing the grass to absorb their exhaustion, their worries, and feed xem energy, like a plant in photosynthesis, cycling oxygen and carbon, water and sunlight, in a balanced exchange. For these few stolen-back minutes of the day, xey felt at ease, replenished, even. Xeir eyes drifted closed, transitioning into dreamspace…

Zo felt a light brush against xeir arm that startled them. This touch was lighter than the grass, even lighter than the morning breeze. Zo opened their eyes to find pink petals floating through the sky. Almost like blossoms, but there were no trees here, no origins in sight.

Zo scanned the skies, their eyes gravitating to a ripple in the air that almost seemed like a gaseous mirage. Zo crawled closer, inching forward until the ripple seemed to break open. Lava seemed to ooze from the gaping fissure in the sky.

Zo recoiled, breath hitching, thoughts racing with alarm. But something about this anomaly in the sky was alluring. Dripping lava ignited, taking on a more intense fervor in flame. Zo did not turn away.

Despite their primal and rational objections, something deep inside Zo ignited, urged xem towards the fiery ring opening before them. As Zo drew nearer, the flames did not bite, actually almost tickled. Xeir skin glimmered like white hot metal.

What is this? Where does it lead?

Zo opened xeir hand and allowed their fingertips to pass through, then their palm, and forearm… Radiance. A bright light enveloped them and then, nothing… and then, everything.

Welcome.

Where artists thrive