Happy Kwanzaa! Today is the 6th day of this splendid holiday and the core principle is Kuumba: Creativity. I should be celebrating by propping myself against a tree and writing my soul out. However, beauty calls, and I'm getting gussied up for tonight's NYE festivities. I'm allowed that! I still wanted to share a few tips and tricks with you all in regards to inspiring your own creativity.
1. Change your space: Rearrange. Paint. Throw in a different dash of color. Hang a poster or painting. Move yourself to a separate room altogether. Varying my setting has always proved to vary my thought process. Changing the space around you can inspire the new!
2. Read/watch a success story: I watched a movie titled Man on Wire the other day about a French fellow who was determined to walk on a wire between the Twin Towers shortly after they were built. Philippe Petit made his wire walking passion an art. It was truly motivational to watch this man's journey to the top of NYC. Other success stories have also inspired me to take my creativity to new levels, such as that of Tyler Perry, Oprah and Michael Baisden.
3.Turn off the TV: This is an obvious one and the one I generally have the most trouble with. It's so comforting to hear the dialogue between people as background noise. However, sometimes complete silence leaves you alone with your thoughts and you may be surprised to find what those are.
4. Introduce yourself to new music: If you're a solid jazz fan, throw in some Hip Hop. If you're a Hip Hop head to the soles of your classic Adidas, toss a Blues album in the player. New sounds may open up a new dimension of your creative spirit. Let those melodies and lyrics flow through you like a quick, uninterrupted current.
5. Do what I do: drink a glass of wine and dance about when no one is watching.
Focus on Your Purpose: Nia!
Today is day five of Kwanzaa and the core principle is Nia: Purpose.
I've been charged by my mother to devise a "plan" for 2009. Being a struggling writer is not going to suffice. Nor has it been satisfying my purpose. I have two days to come up with a solid plan of action and my head is dancing in circles considering all the directions I could take.
Grad or technical school is an option, so I've been sitting here trying to see which in-demand career will be less painful to take on. I realize the short-term goal will pay my bills, but may not necessarily fulfill my purpose. However, I've also had to grasp the concept of sacrifice.
As a creative writer, I've learned that my purpose will eventually manifest, because it is my destiny to write and influence people with my words. I am blessed enough to have the talent and I know what to do with it. In that, no job, gig or hustle can steer me away from my purpose.
So bring on the schooling and subsequent career. At the end of the day, I'm a writer and I define my happiness as having faith that my gift will soon transform my life.
I've been charged by my mother to devise a "plan" for 2009. Being a struggling writer is not going to suffice. Nor has it been satisfying my purpose. I have two days to come up with a solid plan of action and my head is dancing in circles considering all the directions I could take.
Grad or technical school is an option, so I've been sitting here trying to see which in-demand career will be less painful to take on. I realize the short-term goal will pay my bills, but may not necessarily fulfill my purpose. However, I've also had to grasp the concept of sacrifice.
As a creative writer, I've learned that my purpose will eventually manifest, because it is my destiny to write and influence people with my words. I am blessed enough to have the talent and I know what to do with it. In that, no job, gig or hustle can steer me away from my purpose.
So bring on the schooling and subsequent career. At the end of the day, I'm a writer and I define my happiness as having faith that my gift will soon transform my life.
Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics.
From Wikipedia: Ujamaa was the concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere's social and economic development policies in Tanzania just after it gained independence from Britain in 1961. In 1967, President Nyerere published his development blueprint titled the Arusha Declaration, in which Nyerere pointed out the need for an African model of development and which formed the basis of African socialism. Ujamaa comes from the Swahili word for "extended family" or "familyhood" and is distinguished by several key characteristics, namely that a person becomes a person through the people or community. For Nyerere, an African "extended family" means that every individual is in the service of the community. Thus, Ujamaa is characterized by a community where co-operation and collective advancement are the rationale of every individual's existence. According to Ujamaa, personal acquisitiveness is prohibited, thus allowing the distribution of wealth through society horizontally rather than vertically.
Ujamaa is the 4th principle celebrated during the Kwanzaa holiday. In putting Ujamaa into action, the African American community must realize the importance of supporting businesses that are black-owned and/or in their own community. Our communities at-large are depleting and it's imparative that we recognize the value of recycling our own money.
If you're here in the Atlanta area, there are several ways to serve. Some of my favorites include:
Soul Vegetarian
Cenci
Moods Music
Envy
There are also a ton of black-owned shops in Little Five Points, including Tease, my fav t-shirt boutique. For more info, you can visit this great blog, which informs the African-American consumer and encourages cooperative economics.
Ujamaa is the 4th principle celebrated during the Kwanzaa holiday. In putting Ujamaa into action, the African American community must realize the importance of supporting businesses that are black-owned and/or in their own community. Our communities at-large are depleting and it's imparative that we recognize the value of recycling our own money.
If you're here in the Atlanta area, there are several ways to serve. Some of my favorites include:
Soul Vegetarian
Cenci
Moods Music
Envy
There are also a ton of black-owned shops in Little Five Points, including Tease, my fav t-shirt boutique. For more info, you can visit this great blog, which informs the African-American consumer and encourages cooperative economics.
Habari Gani!? Ujima.
This year I've decided to use my post-Christmas days to celebrate and reflect on the principles of Kwanzaa, a week-long African American holiday that honors African heritage.Last night, I saw a great video at a Kwanzaa feast, titled The Black Candle, an independent documentary film directed by M.K. Asante, Jr. and narrated by Maya Angelou. I'd already decided that I would be incorporating Kwanzaa into my yearly routine. However, after learning about the history, impact and importance of the 7-day celebration, I'm more excited to make the core principles of Kwanzaa a part of lifestyle.
The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, are as follows:
1. Umoja: Unity
2. Kujichagulia: Self-Determination
3. Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility
4. Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics
5. Nia: Purpose
6. Kuumba: Creativity
7. Imani: Faith
Today, I am praising how the principle of Ujima has actively flourished in my life and career. From the assistance of the talented mr. soul, the bartering of talents between myself and my cohorts, to the wisdom of my mother, there have been a great number of people who have made my 2008 a blessed year. Here's to 2009 and a bounty of Ujima!
Farewell 2008!
8 represents new beginnings & 2008 was definitely an interesting and challenging year. I really discovered what it means to be a truly struggling creative. I started a potentially amazing novel, which I've yet to recover off of my dying hard drive. I joined a mentoring program and I'm taking small steps in positively influencing a young girl in a big way. I took part in the most historical election to date. I've connected with old friends and made awesome new ones and I realized that I look pretty good in Zebra print.
This blog was started at the top of the year and since then I've shared a lot and made some progress in promoting my writing career. My name has yet to be in lights, but I'm confident that I'm on my way to becoming a force in the literary world. I'm determined to outshine every single Oprah Book Club author one day. For now, I'm more than happy with having been highlighted in Poet Tree Mag, Fresko City, and being an Ill-Advised Nonconformist. *Smile*
I'm staying in Atlanta for the holidays. I'm going to use the next week or so to cleanse my soul of any negative energy it held on to this year so I can close it out properly. See you all in '09!
This blog was started at the top of the year and since then I've shared a lot and made some progress in promoting my writing career. My name has yet to be in lights, but I'm confident that I'm on my way to becoming a force in the literary world. I'm determined to outshine every single Oprah Book Club author one day. For now, I'm more than happy with having been highlighted in Poet Tree Mag, Fresko City, and being an Ill-Advised Nonconformist. *Smile*I'm staying in Atlanta for the holidays. I'm going to use the next week or so to cleanse my soul of any negative energy it held on to this year so I can close it out properly. See you all in '09!
I Heart My Computer...
and I'm beginning to think that may be a problem.
For the past three days, I've been completely computer-less. Living sans internet surfing, blogging, and social networking for three whole days has been a emotionally painful test of strength. Saying that throughout the beginning part of the week sounded completely normal to me. Now that I'm back in front of my (now Vista-less) screen, I'm admitting that I was teetering on insanity because of a virtual non-issue.
I've gone without my computer for days before, but this time, slap dab in the middle of the week I found myself at a lost for what to do. I felt powerless, unproductive and alone.
I think I need a therapist.
I think this says a lot about our culture as a whole. My whole life has become a collection of files that can be wiped out at any moment.
Now that I'm looking at my situation with a sounder mind, I've come to a realization that as a writer, I need to get back to the essence of what makes writing a gift that can't only be validated by the results. While the beginning of my 2nd novel has yet to be retrieved (I'm still hoping for a recovery of many files), I have to admit that the process of writing was beautiful, and that can't be taken away by shitty technical viruses.
For the past three days, I've been completely computer-less. Living sans internet surfing, blogging, and social networking for three whole days has been a emotionally painful test of strength. Saying that throughout the beginning part of the week sounded completely normal to me. Now that I'm back in front of my (now Vista-less) screen, I'm admitting that I was teetering on insanity because of a virtual non-issue.
I've gone without my computer for days before, but this time, slap dab in the middle of the week I found myself at a lost for what to do. I felt powerless, unproductive and alone.
I think I need a therapist.
I think this says a lot about our culture as a whole. My whole life has become a collection of files that can be wiped out at any moment.
Now that I'm looking at my situation with a sounder mind, I've come to a realization that as a writer, I need to get back to the essence of what makes writing a gift that can't only be validated by the results. While the beginning of my 2nd novel has yet to be retrieved (I'm still hoping for a recovery of many files), I have to admit that the process of writing was beautiful, and that can't be taken away by shitty technical viruses.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (10 December 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris). The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document"[1] in the world. The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. It consists of 30 articles which have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions and laws. - From Wikipedia
The Human Rights Action Center animated this thought-provoking video to raise awareness of the basic rights that all citizens of the world should enjoy. They're also petitioning to get the declaration included on all passports. I'm not sure how effective that would be when government(s) consistently abuse its "power." However, in celebrating our new change and ushering in a new world under the leadership of President Obama, I thought I'd share.
Love. Give. Live.
The Human Rights Action Center animated this thought-provoking video to raise awareness of the basic rights that all citizens of the world should enjoy. They're also petitioning to get the declaration included on all passports. I'm not sure how effective that would be when government(s) consistently abuse its "power." However, in celebrating our new change and ushering in a new world under the leadership of President Obama, I thought I'd share.
Love. Give. Live.
Freelance Project. RE: The Twitter Survival Guide.
The freelance projects have been rolling in slowly. Fortunately, I'm staying afloat in spite of the failing economy. I've been posting ads on Craigslist and getting hit by a few flakes. Unfortunately, some people don't understand the value of good copy.
Then, there are those who do. Like the brains behind The Twitter Survival Guide, Kristen Nicole and Bob Walsh, who threw me a free copy and the task of writing up a press release announcing this interesting read.
Ironically, I'd just joined Twitter a few days before getting the project, so the guide has really helped me in understanding the value of this new trend of microblogging. I've become an instant addict, Tweeting several times a day. Social media is becoming my new bestest.
You can check out the guide by visiting the co-authors' website: MultiSocialMedia. If you're a fellow Tweeter, follow me for quick status updates!
PS: If you need a release done for a special project, feel free to contact me. I'm always open and eager to take on work!
Thanksgiving Redo.
I had a potluck yesterday to fellowship with friends. The menu was fantastic. We had bruschetta, dressing, mac-n-"cheese," yams, sweet onion & corn stew, potato salad and Tofurky w/rice. All vegan! I'm still stuffed. I didn't get a lick of writing done yesterday, but being surrounded by all of that positive energy and healthy eats was the perfect way to launch what I know will be a productive week. My girl TT Coles was in the house, camera in hand. Here are a few shots:
Dilla, my baby, was very upset about the lack of gourmet dog food, and TT Coles emerged from behind the lens to get a shot with me.
I'll be eating leftovers all week :-)
Dilla, my baby, was very upset about the lack of gourmet dog food, and TT Coles emerged from behind the lens to get a shot with me.
Happy Sunny Sunday!
Greetings to my fellow writers, readers and the curious! My blog has landed on Top 100 Sista Sites. So far, many people have rated my site and I'm staying strong on page one so my blog gets a little more (much-needed) exposure. Please support me by clicking the banner and seeing what other Sista Sites are listed! Feel free to rate my blog as well. Thanks :-)
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