editor’s letter
In lieu of an actual editor’s letter this issue, I offer you one of my favorite quotes from Letters to a Young Poet by Maria Rainer Rilke.
“Flee general subjects and take refugee in those offered by your sadness and desires, passing thoughts and faith in some kind of beauty -- depict all this with intense, quiet, humble sencerity and make use of whatever you find about you to express yourself, the images from your dreams and the things in your memory.”
the history of black art. article by Olivia Graves
A beautiful thing about black culture lies in it’s ability to produce beautiful and enriched artwork that travels deep and through the continuing years. Some of the greatest masterpieces and artists have bloomed within black culture and continue to spread inspiration through artwork today. Names such as Maya Angelou, Lauryn Hill, and Kahinde Wiley have contributed their talents to this magnificent world of art and continue to show us the beauty of being black through their words, music, and paintings. The history of black art will forever be deeply planted and used as the backbone in many art forms we take interest in today.
artwork by Jada Bennett
The word “art” tends to be more fluid than any other word, simply because the creation of anything can be considered art as long as someone deems it so. Art also has the ability to show up in many different forms and can be used as a carrier for things not easily said by mouth. Ballet, songwriting, hair braiding, and poetry are just a few that allow black artists to transfer their identities into the real world.
the movement that starte d it all In 1965, the Black Arts Movement began. It lasted until 1975 and consisted of many politically sound black poets, dancers, musicians, and artists. Established by the poet Imamu Amiri Baraka, the movement took off after the assassination of Malcolm X, when people were called toward creating poetry, novels, and visual art, in hopes of achieving liberation and awakening black consciousness. The movement took off after the opening of the Black Arts Repertory Theatre in Harlem, and it later spread through Chicago and Detroit, and San Francisco. Once in Chicago, the poetry being produced by these black artists eventually got published by the press who supported the new wave of writing. Collaborations between black creatives and mainstream black artists allowed for the celebration of jazz music. Compared to other black music, such as soul or gospel, jazz music appeared to be more politically appealing, which caused the extreme praise for the genre.
Although the movement introduced the world to new creations, the pieces created tended to disunite black and white culture. Art often encouraged violence and sexism, or often appeared anti-Semitic, also known as hate toward Jews. Pieces also portrayed a world of hyper-masculinity due to the previous humiliation of black men. This in turn left many black female voices overshadowed. After a political shift in the mid 1970’s, the movement began to die. Yet, despite its extremely male-driven culture, powerful names such as Audre Lorde and Sonia Sanchez stemmed from this movement. However, names such as Maya Angelou and James Baldwin began reaching peak success after their work was picked up by the white mainstream, which is something still seen today. The Black Arts Movement also laid the grounds for modern day spoken word and hip hop. (blackpast. org)
As well as the beauty of hair braiding, not being seen as professional until box braids are seen on top of a Kardashian head or a white college girl on vacation; and Vogue using a white woman to introduce a “new hairstyle,� called the Afro. Artists, such as Post Malone, claiming reverse racism is real and using it to expand his music platform by bad mouthing the importance of black history within the hip hop community, and the list goes on.
black art today Today, black artists still bring the beauty of being black to life. Unfortunately, not much as changed when it comes to white mainstream media picking up black trends and monetizing off of them without giving proper credit. The black art space tends to get very little recognition until it reaches the hands of a non POC. Art forms, such as rap music, become a playground for white artists to experiment with and claim they created it.
The world of art is most important when it comes to black culture. Art is an expression, allowed to come in any form. When black people are creating, it is important to remember why we do so: because we have to. Art allows for black culture to be expressed in ways that the rest of the world can find beautiful. It allows history, buried generations deep, to come back to life and tell a story, whether it be through words or dance. Our patience is woven into braids that reach to the mid-back and our strength that pushes our words on to paper. Black art is beautiful because black art is everything. May there never come a day when we stop creating.
ashley ochiagha
words by Lana Davis photos by Connie Mrotek
Ashley, Interior Designer, Minneapolis, MN
I first met Ashley while I was working a coffeeshop job and she came in with great hair and an amazing outfit and I knew I had to be friends with her. A hair hookup and instagram exchange later we became fast friends. Since the creatives issue was set into motion I knew Ashley was someone I’d wanted to feature. Even though she’s busy as heck and aesthetic as f**k (see the aesthetics on her insta: @a_o__ ) I caught up with her via email to answer a few questions about herself, her business, and creatives in college.
Me: What’s your current job? Ashley: I work as an interior designer on arts, community, education and corporate projects. As well as being an amazing interior designer, Ashley runs a wellness brand called, Fancy Meeting You Here If someone was first meeting you what would you tell them about ‘Fancy Meeting You Here’? As of today I would want people to know that it’s a forever evolving thing for me because it’s a representation of me and I am ever evolving too. I have a lot of ideas for where things are headed and look forward to focusing on blogging (and maybe podcasting) for right now to work on my storytelling and clarity.
Where did you go to school and what did you major in? I graduated from the [University of Minnesota] with a bachelor of science in interior design and an emphasis area in retail merchandising.
The current industry is changing to where going to college to pursue a creative field and even start a business isn’t inherently necessary. Where do you fall in the ‘to college or not to college’ debate? I think it’s all about the specific career/life goals you have and your strategy behind trying to make it happen. For me, I don’t think I would be in the same place I currently am if I hadn’t gone to college, but that isn’t solely because of my coursework. I hustled on my projects at my student job, internships and design studios. I also networked my butt off and made a dedicated effort to build genuine connections with people. At the end of the day, I think if you can get your mindset in the right place to focus and be dedicated to learning and growing into what it is you want to pursue, then maybe you should try diving into a project full force without schooling. On the same front, a college education is one of those “practical” things that can really come in handy just in case and it’s nice to do while you’re younger and still figuring out your independence and what you’re passionate about. (Omg I sound so old!) But seriously, it’s good to allow yourself options in life. My short answer is, you should trust your intuition always and do what feels right, but know you’re worth the investment in pursuing your dreams. I can’t emphasize enough to all the readers out there how much that last statement hit home for me. Being 17 and wanting to work in creatives field with nothing but a high school degree and some hope under my belt being told by an older, black, female creative that it’s all right to buy into myself was... well it was definitely everything I need to hear right now.
Last question! What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give to young POC attempting to build a brand in 2018 and beyond? Be yourself, not what you think other people want you to be. The sooner you accept this and start getting to know the person you truly are the better because you are the only you there will ever be. This applies to friends, family, naysayers and the rest of them. You have to live for you.
artists to know
NEW TO ART? WANT SOME ARTISTS TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO? HERE’S A LIST FROM OUR LEAD STAFF ARTIST: AMIR KHADAR
Wa n g e c h i M u t u Born: Nairobi, Kenya Education: BFA from Cooper Union; Masters from Yale in Sculpture Focus: Afrofuturism Notable Pieces: A Fake Jewel in the Crown (2007)
Kerry James Marshall Born: Birmingham, Alabama Education: BFA from Otis College of Art and Desgin Focus: Civil Rights Movements + portrays actual + fictionalized moments in African American history. Notable Pieces: The Garden Project & Rythm Mastr
K a r a Wa l k e r Born: Stockton, California Education: BFA from Atlanta College of Art, MFA from Rhode Island School of Design Focus: conceptual art + silhouettes Notable Pieces: Darkytown Rebellion, no place (like home), A Subtlety
lisa holden @delawaredelinquent
where do you go to school? I go to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
what inspires you to write no matter what? Writing, for me, is cathartic and allows me to release and explore some of the things I don’t talk about otherwise. So, the idea that at the end of writing a piece I can learn something new about myself, and ultimately feel better about things that might weigh on me, inspires me. Also, I’m inspired whenever I read someone else’s writing that I think is particularly good (or sometimes even particularly bad) because it makes me want to create something myself.
how do you set goals for yourself as a writer? Setting goals is definitely something I need to get better at. For me, as long as I’ve produced a piece I’m proud of, regardless of how long it might’ve took or how many I might’ve made, I’m happy with myself.
Step 1: Lay down and stare at the computer, master writers may even open up a word document, but DO NOT write anything. Some may prefer pen and paper, but the important thing is not to use either. Just stare. Step 2: Think about a boy. Ew, not that one. Or the one that drew you last month. Or the one that put his hands around your neck. Actually, yes, write about him. Step 3: Chronicle the moments from soft and light to heavy and dark. Once the memories overfill your head, they bubble out your ears and through your mouth then on to your paper. Assuage your anger with pencil marks and pen strokes until it turns to apathy. Step 4: Crumple up the paper and throw it in the trash. Decide he isn’t worth immortalizing in prose and that any poetic breakthrough you were on the cusp of is now null and void. Step 5: Refer to Step 1. Step 6: Try to write about the time you flew a plane or taught yourself piano. That’s significant, right? Or how at 18 you cried on a Costa Rican beach at 3am with your two closest friends. Wonder why the memory of the hot winds can’t push your pen across the page or warm the distance between your heart and the notebook. Write a couple of words then erase them all. Step 7: Assure yourself that you are capable of writing anything and are not defined artistically by your misguided romantic musings. Surely you have more to offer than that. You can create worlds in your writing; you don’t have to reflect on the destruction of a few fleeting ones. Step 8: Wait a couple of hours and stare at the blank sheet in front of you. Step 9: Uncrumple the poem you threw away in Step 4. Step 10: Email your editor.
I find creativity in the most simplistic forms of self-expression. I don’t often look for loud or over pronounced forms of beauty, but subtle and quiet details. I frequently find beauty in people and places that are overlooked and hidden. I look for these spaces and quiet destinations on my walks, drives and random excursions throughout parks and hikes through nature. People are often relieved by my discreet demeanor. I’ve been told its refreshing in a world full of chaos. To find a quiet and peaceful soul is invigorating to the spirit of others. Some days I find myself wondering on pavements of stone and trails of nature. On these walks I hear birds, dogs barking as they pass and people chatting about their day. I take my son to the pond and we throw rocks and find contentment in these moments of bonded clarity. We talk about bugs and sing songs that speak of “rowing our boats gently down the stream”. I find beauty in the intricate details of a dress or a sandal and the smallest beading of a scarf. I collect rocks and keepsakes of my travels from coast to coast. The ocean is my oasis and I am at peace there. I listen to the shores as they crash against the tide. I travel often to the Pacific and Atlantic sea and watch the horizon. Life hasn’t always been this peaceful, but I take these moments and carry them in my pocket as mementos for when I need them. As I enter loud, overstimulating places of chaos and confusion, I reach for a thought and remind myself to take a breath and think of my subtle quiet place. by: Shandeya Dawson
you’re worth the investment in pursuing your dreams