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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
It has been about two weeks since LAS relaunched in earnest. What a ride so far! I’m so happy to be able to share this journey with you. Thank you for taking the time to listen and engage. Much love! ~Ozulé
Recent Endeavors: Adventures in the Land of Ozulé
Spring Break!
Had a chance to get some much needed rest and a more leisurely change of pace this week. Musing: What would it take to restructure our days as a society?
I enjoyed being lakeside and lounging at the park. The birds, the breeze, and the peace of a gentle environment…
Studio Recording Updates
I recorded a summer single at Untold Stories Recordings. What a great learning and doing experience. I enjoyed the recording workflow more than in my recording space – I was able to focus fully on my performance, and I think the results will be clear in the final version.
Now, I have to plan out the release! I’d like to become a Spotify artist and stream my music on all platforms. There’s more to learn about marketing and distribution, but I feel ready to leap in this summer!
Building community, personal connections, and creating space for lifestyle change
I have been in a space of allowing and letting go of old habits and structures. Reimagining what life could be like without the unneeded rules, constraining thoughts, and hurtful habits. In turn, I hope this allows more space for the connections to emerge and direct me towards a changed life for the better.
>Open Mic Performances
I’ve been making artist friends and putting myself out there. I feel so welcome by the Hairpin Arts Fam especially, and been received well in the space I’ve been in. Thank u, xoxo.
(I’ve even considered doing some public freestyling / cyphers! Talk about letting go…!)
>Noom: Recommitting to a healthy lifestyle
I signed up for Noom, a weight loss and healthy lifestyle change program. By this time next year, I am estimated to reach my goal. Overall, my ‘Why’ is that I want to honor the life I have by living at a high quality. This is why I invest in my emotional and spiritual growth. Now it’s time to align the physical body as well.
>Studio Space Redesign
I’ve realized there is so much more I can do with my space if I repurpose and reimagine what the space can be. Think: less fixed furniture, more creative space and flexible furnishings.
Opening to Universe Callings
>Rescuing a Bumblebee Fren’
… and later seeing a bumblebee along my trail. I’m going to expound on this in another blog post. Stay tuned!
>Dreams & Patterns
Being aware of the dreams I have and how I sleep/wake, and what my subconscious may be communicating through dreams. Being more attuned to the spiritual meanings, while not being overtaken or overly-influenced by them.
Let’s Wrap!
Moving into the second half of April… what comes next, who is to say!
Where do we go now, where do we go now, where do we go now?
Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child O’ Mine
Over the past year, I’ve been investing in my healing, creativity, capacity for love and life, and just pausing to be present to the joys, hurts, pleasures of my experiences. I am actively involved in therapy and coaching, charting my healing journey through creative artistic expression.
I am designing Liberation Art Space as a play canvas for all the insights, realizations, and revelations that I am gifted along the way.
As an artist, I create all sorts of musics, paintings, and crafts like zines and scrapbooks. I keep myself open to various mediums, doing what feels right.
I am sharing my journey with the world because I think modeling what healing looks like, in its alinerarity, and messiness, and not always knowing, will be helpful to see unfold. Also, I realize that one day I will not inhabit this Earth anymore in this body. I want a preserved collection that attests to the fact that yes, I did live, yes, I was here. For my descendants to have a piece of me preserved, even when my body is no more. And, I would love for other people – artists, ones carrying wounds, people in search of healing – to be able to share and receive healing salves and comforting practices while we are here in this life together…
Over the course of our time together, however long that may be, I’ll share more about what my journey has yielded, where I’ve been, and what’s next…
Liberation Art Space 
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