Where Do You Want To Wake Up Tomorrow?

Crush + Lovely, a web-based creative studio, produced an incredibly motivating and sincere film series called "50people1question." Again, my desire to write short films led me on a trip through the archives of Vimeo, where I happily came across a part of the series. Enjoy!

Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn from Crush + Lovely on Vimeo.
Of course, the beautiful responses of these 50 strangers inspired me to write a piece. It's incomplete, but I wanted to share the first stanza:

The Morning After This

I want to wake in a war zone,
Call the natives and soldiers
Share a poem about love, peace,
Freedom. Inspire
The falling of arms and the lifting
Of liberation for all.

Please feel free to share your answers...

iHype the City of Ink.

If you're in Atlanta, a fan of body art and a lover of fine art, you must visit the City of Ink. I'm not just saying this because all of the artists affiliated with the shop are very cool creatives, but they also happen to be very dope. The City of Ink has hosted some phenomenal shows over the past two years. The next show, "Enough Iz Enough: Artists United Against Police Brutality," is the theme of the shop's second year anniversary show, which begins on February 27. I'll be posting bits of the press release that I wrote for the event soon.

Aside from the art shows and the atmosphere, people from all over the country are flocking to the City of Ink to be inked by some of the best tattoo artists around. Right now, they're running a $40 special (see flyer) on small, professional tattoos. If you're looking for a place to get your next tat or if you're feeling impulsive, head over to Atlanta's historical Catlesberry Hill District without hesitation.

Thank me later.

13 Phrases #1: Monica Marie Jones

Today is the first installment of "13 Phrases," a candid complete-the-sentence interview with up and coming artists. Aside from showcasing my own work, I want to highlight self-published and emerging authors who creatively inspire me and others. Today, I spoke with Monica Marie Jones, a Motown writer, dancer and youth advocate. Enjoy

1. By day, I am a Writer!

2. I write best when I am out of town or in an environment with no distractions, such as a bookstore or coffee shop.

3. When I find it difficult to complete a piece, I walk away from it for a while and come back to it with a fresh mind.

4. Three things that help me recover from Writer's Block are time, a change of scenery or environment, writing something else in a different form or genre (song, poem, blog, etc.)

5. I starting writing because I needed an outlet to process my emotions.

6. I continued to write because I found that it not only helped me but it helped others as well.

7. I will always write because it is my one true passion.

8. If I weren't a writer, I would probably be a motivational speaker, talk show host, or radio show host.

9. The authors who influence and inspire my work are Jacquelin Thomas and TD Jakes.

10. The most important goal I have as a writer is to write and publish a minimum of seven books.

11. People who read my work are most likely to get emotionally involved with the characters and the content.

12. My most significant piece to date is my latest novel, FLOSS. I feel that it has the quality and the content of the novels that I read and love.

13. There is nothing more important than TAG (Time Alone with GOD).

Excerpt from The Ups and Downs of Being Round:

"Now that I was no longer rotund, people were generally nicer to me and I got things that I hadn't gotten before. Wasn't I the same person? Instead of white or economic privilege, I had slim privileges. Take dance class for instance. I worked at the same level of intensity that I had before. I could move a little better because I didn't have the excess booty baggage, but I was still pretty average. The dance studio director called my house one day and tells my mom that they want me to be a part of the company...the highest rank in the entire school! "Are you sure?" she responded. Mom loved me but she knew that I wasn't all that when it came to dance, not yet anyway. I knew that it was mainly due to my new body. I had always had the pretty face, but now I had the body to match. I was now good enough to be in the company. I started getting asked to do more in the church, and at school. If I knew that I would get this special treatment for being thin, I would have been doing sit-ups, push ups, and chins ups on my umbilical chord before I popped out of the womb.

Dancing kept me in decent shape. Since I was already thin and getting regular exercise from dancing, I got lax on what I ate. I figured that like most other skinny people I could eat whatever I wanted and not worry about gaining weight. Dancing helped to increase my confidence. They thought I was good enough to be in the company, which made me think I was the stuff. When you think that you can do something, you usually do it well because you believe in yourself."

Contact Monica M. Jones:

Email: monica@monicamariejones.com

Website: http://www.monicamariejones.com
Buy: http://www.monicamariejones.com/products.htm

When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

(An article for white folks) By Andrew Manis

For much of the last 40 years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem with the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often, we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it?" Now I want to ask, "When are we white Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?"

Recent reports that "Election Spurs 'Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Ala., in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk." Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame, we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.

We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan or either of the Bushes.

Read the rest of the story on Diversity Inc.

7 Guilty Pleasures.

Writers, as a creative curse, generally expose themselves in their work. Whether it's intentional or not, writers invite the reader to view a piece of themselves whenever they pen a stanza of a poem or a paragraph of a novel. Keeping a blog has been my way of letting people "in" and leaving the guesswork at bay. However, there are deep dark secrets* that I've been keeping, until now...

1. I follow Secret Tweet on Twitter. Many confessions make extraordinary writing prompts.

2. I'm addicted to Change. I think excessive urges for change can be an unhealthy addiction if not handled properly. I find that I waste a lot of time changing unnecessary things when I should be focusing my energy on creative and professional projects.

3. I enjoy watching paternity test result shows on Maury.

4. I Google my name nearly every day: Ain HD and Ain Drew.

5. I love catching people trip. I'm sure there are many people who share this pleasure with me. There's nothing like walking behind someone and witnessing them unexpectedly tumble forward.

6. Shopping. Although I am surprisingly thrifty.

7. I love Potatoes: baked, fried, chips. It doesn't matter. Eating potatoes generally leads to regret and promises to take an extra trip to the gym (never happens).

*These "secrets" are neither deep nor dark. However, if you'd like more insight as to who I am as a person, you should read my work, visit Amazon or Lulu.com to purchase the book, or simply Google my name to check out the few pieces floating in cyberspace.

From Langston to Obama.

I, too, sing America.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

Written by Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967)

A Presidential Day in History.

I had the opportunity to be surrounded by several beautiful people today at Atlanta's Civic Center as we all watched President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden swear to serve this county. Since then, I've been trying to put the words together to express how I feel about this monumental day. Of course, many people have been discussing what this day means to America and the people. I'm not sure what angle to take in describing the implications of the day and each day after this for the next eight years (I'm claiming it), but in a word, it's Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"F*ck the Police."

On New Years Day, around 2a.m., an overzealous Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T.) cop pulled the trigger on the back of 22-year-old Oscar Grant. The unarmed civilian died from the shot and society demanded justice. Shortly after the incident, people rose in rebellion and around the country we cried, 'F*ck the police." The (now) ex-cop, Johannes Mehserle, is currently being held without bail.

Excessive aggression by police isn't a new thing, especially towards people of color. Ever since society set up a system where ordinary men and women are given control over the people, there have been officers who abuse that control. However, I've been forced to dismiss the moniker "F*ck the police" and replace it with "F*ck the lack of justice. F*ck The Blue Code of Silence. F*ck the force's low standards. F*ck the police state." A sweeping statement like "F*ck the police" is no longer tolerable and not only ignores the real issues, but breeds more dissent and hostility between officers and the communities they are charged to serve and protect.

Personally, I don't hold police to any standards higher than those I hold for myself and other citizens. The badge they floss makes them no less human, and humans give in to personal prejudices, emotions, and make horrible, hasty decisions. Unfortunately, the only difference between a career criminal and some cops is a clean record. Give a gun to an ordinary man, and he's capable of making the same ignorant, neglectful moves that led to the murders of Eleanor Bumpers, Sean Bell, Kathryn Johnston, Amadou Diallo, and others whose lives were cut short by an incompetent man in Blue.

Make no mistake, by no means am I excusing the actions by corrupt cops who take advantage of their roles in order to get away with dirty deeds. I am, however, saying that rather than disparaging the work of the force as a whole based on the actions of the more gangsta minority, we should focus our energies on demanding stricter penalties for scumbag cops. Pardoning crooked police who kill, torture and abuse the citizens they should protect, thus causing the people to cry out "F*ck the police," only perpetuates a cycle of distrust and creates more of a divide between us and them.

Obama Mania.

As I was browsing for visual inspiration on Fresh Bump, I came across a collection of Presidential action figures with an Obama likeness created by Jailbreak Toys.

I realize the historical significance of having elected our first African American president, but the capitalistic gains by toy, plate, shirt, coin and such-and-such makers are getting a little crazy (so am I wrong for wanting the darn things?).

I'm also digging the "RUN DC" tees designed by Black Klown Clothier.

I've successfully managed to avoid spending a ton of money on this "stuff." But, in the spirit of capitalism *groan*: buy on.

It's Almost Time to Say Goodnight to Bush!

Eight years of terror, humiliation of the American people, economic pitfalls, senseless war and flat-out stupidity are coming to an end. Nest Tuesday, Barack Obama will officially transition from President-Elect to the President of the United States. To celebrate, I think someone should buy me Goodnight Bush, a cute parody fashioned after children's book must-have, Goodnight Moon.

I am absolutely elated that Bush's reign of failure is closing. I'd all but given up on the US of A until the great states came to their senses and elected President Obama. I sincerely believe that the next eight years will bring prosperity, opportunity, peace and promising international relations. Let's take a look at Bush's stance on these issues over the past two terms:

"It's amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity, and incumbency." -George W. Bush, June 14, 2001, speaking to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Perrson, unaware that a live television camera was still rolling.

"See, we love - we love freedom. That's what they didn't understand. They hate things; we love things. They act out of hatred; we don't seek revenge, we seek justice out of love." -George W. Bush, Oklahoma City, Aug. 29, 2002

"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." -George W. Bush, aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003

"I'm not the expert on how the Iraqi people think, because I live in America, where it's nice and safe and secure." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2004

"I like the idea of people running for office. There's a positive effect when you run for office. Maybe some will run for office and say, vote for me, I look forward to blowing up America. I don't know, I don't know if that will be their platform or not. But it's -- I don't think so. I think people who generally run for office say, vote for me, I'm looking forward to fixing your potholes, or making sure you got bread on the table." --George W. Bush, on elections in the Middle East, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005

"You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war President. No President wants to be a war President, but I am one." --George W. Bush, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006

"I heard somebody say, 'Where's (Nelson) Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead. Because Saddam killed all the Mandelas." --George W. Bush, on the former South African president, who is still very much alive, Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2007

"I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

ScribeFire.

There's a great add-on for Firefox users who publish their own blogs called ScribeFire. This convenient blog editor allows you to publish from within your browser while on any page of the web world.

This application is great for me because my ADD tendencies general have me flipping from tab to tab in the middle of blogging. Now, I have ScribeFire open as I read through the latest Tweets in Twitter. It also comes in handy when I'm busy cutting and pasting info for you guys to check out from other pages. ScribeFire even utilizes a quick ad service for people who wish to earn revenue from their blog.

If you decide to check it out, let me know how you like it!

The Vision Board: Design Your Destiny.

I'm going 100MPH and all I'm doing is sitting at my desk. Imagine the things I could do if I were mobile right now. Yes, I'm high. I downed a glass of Boost this morning and I'm feeling unstoppable. I'm sure my adrenaline rush has less to do with my excessive vitamin/nutrient consumption and more to do with the energy that I've created to engulf my space today & the Vision Board planted in front of me.

What's a Vision Board?

If you already know what a Vision Board (VB) is and you lack one, I have to beg you to create one, NOW. If you don't know: quite simply, it's a visual representation of the things you wish to attain-- be it material possessions or other "items" that would serve to improve and/or enhance your quality of life.

Making a vision board is easy and inspiring.

Materials:

1. Pens, markers, sharpies, crayons or other writing materials
2. Board: cardboard, box top, cork board, etc.
3. Old magazines, computer & printer, photos, newspaper, sales papers, etc.
4. Tacks, paste or tape

Directions:

1. Cut out, find and print, write or draw the things that you want in your life.
2. Tack, paste or tape these items on your VB.
3. Place your VB in a prominent place so you can see it everyday.

My VB sits over my desk. It's a work in progress and I'm sure that I'll soon need a larger board. I used tacks b/c as I grow, my goals evolve and the things that I want to attain become variables, rather than indicators, of my future success. A few things on my board now include: the flag of Ghana, meaningful quotes, a poem about being happily employed, a jag (although any quality luxury--preferably eco-friendly-- car will do), a beautiful home with a fly kitchen and a family photo.

If you already have one, please feel free to share what's on yours!

Put A Smile On That Face :-)

Or don't... like the white folks on a cute little photo blog titled "White People trying to Look Serious." I'm busy studying for the GACE and GRE today, so I went here for a quick little tickle. Just another random blog floating around in cyber space for our entertainment. Enjoy.

Have Faith: Imani!

Greetings and Happy New Year! Today marks the final day of Kwanzaa with the most important core principle: Imani.

This year, I'm having faith that my professional career will satisfy me, my creative career will begin paying off, my relationships will flourish and I will continue to grow as a writer, friend, daughter, sister and child of God.

Amen Amen!

By the way, my book has finally been listed on Amazon! Check it out. Buy it. Write a review.