Season 2 · Episode 17

Jeweled Justice - Finding Your Voice Through Spoken Word Poetry

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0:01Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to Alienize Photos Industry Talk, and I'm going to jump
0:09right into it.
0:10I got a special guest next to me, a good friend in the art industry, poetry industry
0:17to be exact, but we do a lot of creative things.
0:20I'm sitting here with Ms. Jewel Justice.
0:23Hello, it's good to see you again.
0:26All right.
0:27It's been a while.
0:28Has been a while.
0:29We don't, you know, get out and kick it and have a lot of shows together because I'm not
0:34actively performing, but how have you been?
0:37I've been well.
0:39Poetry has been treating me nicely.
0:41I haven't modeled in a few seasons, but I still support that community, and I've
0:49just been branching out more with performances and features, and I'm currently for National
0:56Poetry Month taking on the 30 for 30 Challenge.
0:59So I'm writing a new poem every day for the month of April.
1:05I did that for about a couple months with a good friend who's a good model in the
1:11city.
1:11I'm up here with Dinesha Jones.
1:13We had a period where, yeah, it was like two to three months of just writing
1:19every day.
1:20We have a prompt or just a word and we just make a poem about it.
1:24So that was that was my little 30 for 30, even though I went a little longer.
1:30But, you know, I'm glad to hear that.
1:32I'll not look out for it.
1:33Yeah, I'm currently backlogged on posting them, so I'm playing catch up with
1:38posting. I've been putting them over on threads and then I also create imagery
1:45to put them on my Instagram accounts.
1:50Just for the audience that may not know who Jewel Justice is.
1:55Who is Jewel Justice?
1:57Jewel Justice is a poet and creative supporter.
2:01By that, I mean, I utilize words to convey a message to audiences, to.
2:09Invoke emotions and critical thinking and for a creative supporter, I support
2:17the arts in any capacity that they exist.
2:21I'm glad you said creative supporter, because that's actually how I got
2:25started in the photography industry and video production, you know, the.
2:31Performing at shows, hosting, feature, whatever the case may be, but I get off
2:36stage, pull out the iPhone.
2:39Yes, iPhone and record, take pictures.
2:42I'm like, let me just invest in the actual camera and do it that way.
2:48And I did study the game, learned all that I could.
2:52I never looked back.
2:53Yes, it's interesting when artists are multifaceted, it takes a lot of strength
3:02and courage to not allow yourself to be boxed into one craft.
3:11It's actually refreshing to hear.
3:12You know, I don't hear that often, you know, for someone who also does,
3:17you know, a lot of things create creatively.
3:22So that's that's the question.
3:25So what are some of the things you love to support?
3:29Like if I could go to X, Y, Z and whatever state, country or even a Cleveland,
3:37what type of show would it be?
3:38First of all, and then what would that itinerary is lengthy?
3:47I'm not sure if you're aware, but Cleveland's theater district is only
3:52second to Broadway in New York.
3:54So I spent a great deal of time with my daughter and my family elder
4:00before she passed on going to plays at Playhouse as well in Caramoo.
4:08We I recently had the privilege and the honor to take my daughter
4:12to see the Cleveland Orchestra play the film score of the Black Panther
4:18while the Black Panther played.
4:21And she until two years ago
4:24played the violin herself.
4:27And so she was able to see what you can do with classical music
4:33and how it can ebb and flow and advance and change and shift
4:38and how it is relevant to more than just traditional orchestra.
4:45And so she enjoyed herself.
4:48So singing, we have gone to see and support the Cleveland Chorale.
4:54I was a part of the Cleveland Chorale when they performed
4:57their first performance with the NBA All Stars.
5:03When the Real Black Friday took over Tower City.
5:08Last year before last year?
5:10Yeah, maybe it has maybe been two or three years. Yeah, OK.
5:14So music, I support a lot of the various Cleveland artists.
5:20I don't want to start naming names.
5:22So we so we don't have to play charges in my heart and not my head.
5:26But there is a plethora of available talent in Cleveland
5:31from traditional arts to untraditional arts to informal
5:37and contemporary and to dance.
5:41And the list goes on. So I support it all.
5:45And if I'm not able to support in person or financially,
5:48I support by informing others what is available to be
5:54indulged in in the city.
5:59You touched on a lot of a lot of good things,
6:01but just to circle back around, you might have forgot to.
6:05What what type of event would you go to if you had to choose?
6:10OK, let's say it's a lot of events going on in the city.
6:13Why? What type of event would you like?
6:17I love this type of thing.
6:20I love modeling. I love poetry.
6:22I love. What type and then?
6:25Like, I don't say organization, I don't think anybody out there.
6:28Let's just start with what type of event.
6:31OK, I guess I'm going to have to cheat festivals.
6:34OK, I love it. I see what you did there.
6:37Because at a festival, you can catch a little bit of everything.
6:43There's two festivals that I've
6:47supported recently.
6:48One is newer and one has been around for a few years.
6:52And what they have on display is they have stages available
6:55for various arts and artists to be able to showcase their work,
7:00as well as having vendor areas for artists to be able to sell
7:04their work, as well as having active workshops going on
7:08so you can see the work, the artists live and in action.
7:12So by being able to be in a space of a festival, you have the
7:17collective community of collaboration and creatives
7:21coming together in one place.
7:23I love that, like you said, creative collaboration like that is.
7:30You know, those two words just rings my bell and you put them together
7:34just like, you know, me as an entrepreneur and also as a creative.
7:38I'm a creative entrepreneur.
7:39So I love that connected joint pieces
7:45like creative entrepreneur collaboration, like put those two together.
7:50Then, you know, that sums up me and what I stand for.
7:52I'm all about that and support.
7:54I love supporting others and especially people that's doing
7:58positive things, have a positive message and always say,
8:02I elevate positive stories.
8:05So I know I asked you at the creative meetup a few weeks back.
8:12It was along the lines of your creative process
8:15and living in Cleveland, or some may even say New York,
8:19but we're here in Cleveland, Ohio.
8:22The weather, it becomes gloomy and sunny and rainy and snowy
8:26all in one day sometimes.
8:29So how would you describe your creative process
8:33if it was a weather forecast?
8:38The phenomenon
8:40that I would use to describe my creative process
8:45is not common to the Cleveland or even Ohio area.
8:50OK, there it's volcano volcano erupting.
8:55Yes. It is a delicate
9:00juxtaposition between life and destruction.
9:05Creation and destruction, life and death,
9:08the power of words and language can either pour into someone
9:14and create life and create prosperity or can create destitution.
9:20And so I've become more mindful of being able to use language
9:26and my craft with poetry to speak life
9:31and to speak into existence, things that I want to be
9:35in a positive manner.
9:37But I am fully cognizant and aware of the times
9:41where I've used language in a destructive manner.
9:45And even when I have been on the receiving end
9:49of destructive language and I am in a process of learning
9:54how to recreate the narrative, not to take away
10:01from what has existed, but to learn how to better edify
10:07the truths that I not want to believe because I'm creating
10:12a utopia, but want to believe because.
10:17If not, there's the only option is death
10:20if I don't believe that life is possible.
10:25Some powerful words, and I know I know you personally
10:28and know we have a similar style as far as pushing
10:32positivity and, you know, big on words and language.
10:37So how do you balance that?
10:38Like, there's a lot of darkness, negativity around you,
10:44you know, because it's natural to write about it and talk about it.
10:47But how do you turn that into a positive light?
10:51A lot of the times it's I'm learning recently
10:56that a lot of the ways that I've been expressing myself
10:59and have been allowed voice isn't just me.
11:03It comes from my faith in God.
11:07It comes from me allowing him to guide my words and my footsteps.
11:12And for a while, I ran away from that.
11:17Not because I feared.
11:21So it was because I feared the responsibility
11:25and the mantle and the calling that I knew that I was supposed to serve in
11:29and being from a place where I was constantly told
11:35that I wasn't worth feeling that need.
11:40How did you prepare for that?
11:41How did you know you were worthy?
11:43I still question it, but I have been left with no choice
11:49but to follow and move.
11:51So I have a poem where I talk about how God treats you
11:56like the two year old you take to the bowling alley
11:58and they have the bumpers up to cover the gutter.
12:02So you have no choice but to stay in your lane.
12:06So some events have happened in my life where I have no choice
12:11but to be focused because what I was using as a coping mechanism
12:16or a distraction have been removed.
12:19And it was not a fun process.
12:25Take me back in just to mention for the audience,
12:28how long have you been in the poetry industry?
12:31I have been writing poetry since I've known how to use words.
12:36OK, so let's just take us all back.
12:43So I love discussing different industries.
12:46So how was the poetry scene or poetry industry
12:51for you when you first started versus how it is now?
13:01I'm a poet in the traditional sense.
13:04I am a poet in that I use my poetry to record my lived experiences
13:10or the lived experiences of those around me.
13:15I am coming to accepting my poetry is not for entertainment.
13:24My poetry is to convey a message.
13:26It is to enlighten the mind.
13:29It is to stir the heart.
13:31It is to cause one to look at self and reflect on
13:39whether or not the person they currently are
13:41is who they want to continue to be.
13:45It is to challenge the perceptions that people build around themselves.
13:51When I came into poetry, the poetry that I came into growing up in,
13:58in the poets that were around me,
14:01they used their poetry to activate, for advocacy,
14:05to speak out against injustice.
14:09And that's not entertainment.
14:12That's not fun.
14:14That's not going to always garner laughs and claps and adoration.
14:20It's going to cause people to admonish you occasionally
14:25because it's uncomfortable when you step,
14:29when you make a statement and someone feel as if their toes have been stepped on.
14:34And instead of going
14:36and getting the first aid kit to mend themselves,
14:39they'd rather place blame.
14:43And so I didn't grow up in what a lot of people
14:48and I'm coming to know the term is slam poetry
14:52or competitions with poetry.
14:56I don't memorize my poetry.
14:59I read it.
15:01And one thing that speaking to a fellow poet
15:05that does similarly read their poetry has stated to me
15:09and we even are working on a project together.
15:13They said my emotions are my punctuation.
15:20And that stuck with me because when I do read my poems,
15:24I can vividly go back to the emotions
15:27that I was expressing during the poem and that comes out when I read it
15:33without having to practice
15:36theatrics to go along with the poem.
15:40And so the way that I speak, the cadences that I use,
15:45the words that I convey, the motions when I do use movement.
15:51It's sincere.
15:55And I'm not saying that those that participate in slam poetry are insincere.
16:00It's just not my style of poetry and it's not how I grew up in poetry.
16:05Now, I've attempted to do a few slams here and there.
16:10And recently, I actually received positive feedback that I'm doing better
16:15considering when I first slammed a few years ago. Yeah.
16:20But it's still.
16:23It's a difference for me.
16:26And even when I did participate in this most recent slam,
16:31because of the rules that were established around this particular slam,
16:35I ended up doing something that most people don't know I'm capable of,
16:40which is freestyling.
16:44And I freestyle without a prompted word.
16:50And I ended up making it.
16:53I didn't make it to the last round, but I made it further
16:56than I made it previously with attempting to participate in a slam.
17:02And I was proud of myself and allowing myself that time to.
17:09Express from a pure place of creativity.
17:13Very pure to have you freestyle a little bit later or maybe read.
17:21I don't want to put you in the spot, but you know,
17:24I give you that option, freestyle or a read poem that you've written.
17:29And I was actually one of my questions about slam poetry, because
17:34I can slam, but I prefer more performance poetry.
17:39Like, that's not my style.
17:40Like you said, some people do it for different reasons and slam poetry.
17:45It's like that.
17:46It's a whole nother level.
17:48And it's not me.
17:50I love making people feel good.
17:53It's like that chilling, kind of like you put on a record from Common
17:58or, you know, a lot of positive artists.
18:03That's that's just me.
18:05So I want to ask you the question
18:08for the audience
18:09that may not know the difference between performance and slam poetry.
18:13We're under the key differences in your opinion.
18:22So even for me, there's performance poetry,
18:27there's slam poetry, and then there is poetry for the sake of poetry.
18:36And also written versus spoken word.
18:40Yes. And for me, what those differences are
18:43slam poetry, traditional slam poetry,
18:47because we even know that within slam poetry, there are deviations.
18:53I'm coming to learn that traditional slam poetry.
18:57Three minute limit memorized is typically no prop usage.
19:08And you have to convey the message within the time frame
19:12without stuttering and capture the audience
19:16and be cognizant of the connectivity of your
19:20how your piece connects from one stanza to the next.
19:25It's not always about format, although sometimes there is
19:29can be format included.
19:32It's more about the punch lines, the metaphors,
19:37the similes, the imagery, the pictures that you can paint
19:40with the words that you use to sway the audience and or the judges.
19:45And that performance poetry.
19:50Borrowed from slam.
19:53And that it is traditionally memorized.
19:58It adds a theatrical element, so prop usage is available.
20:04Full body is available for movement to similar
20:09to a stage play, which some poems such as Shakespeare are actually
20:14play play length.
20:17And so it engages the creation of character usage
20:22and storytelling into the poetry,
20:25whereas the poetry that I write doesn't always use a character.
20:31I may not always use metaphors or similes or puns.
20:36I know what they are.
20:38I know how to utilize analogy and simile
20:41and rhyme scheme and sonnets versus haiku.
20:45I know my foundations.
20:48I am a free verse writer, so I write what comes to me.
20:53And the main literary tool that I use the most is word connotation.
20:58So that means I play with the way words are perceived,
21:02not just the etymology of a word, which is the definition of the word
21:07and where it is coming from,
21:10but also with how the person in the audience
21:14will perceive the word that I've used based on their personal lived experiences.
21:20So that lends the word to be interpreted amongst
21:24even people in the same room differently because of their personal impact.
21:30And so that's what I utilize the most with my poetry.
21:37And so it causes you to sit back and think a little bit more
21:41than just feeling good in the moment.
21:47So who would you say your favorite artist is?
21:50Like, I know you're big with words.
21:53So to me, it may sound like your favorite artist.
21:56Maybe you're good with words and how to use words.
21:59But who is your favorite artist or artistess?
22:03Besides me, you know.
22:05You about to get me in some trouble.
22:09So we go start this off with charge it to my head and not my heart.
22:14I love all of my poets, some that stand out to me.
22:20Because we both have artists, friends, so you know how that is.
22:23Exactly. We we're about to.
22:26So it could be mainstream or underground mixed roles.
22:31For her theatrics,
22:34you her theater background and her creative back,
22:37her very diverse creative background comes out
22:41not only in her writing, but her stage presence and performance.
22:47Complexity, I would say, M.C.L.X.
22:50He is a poet that the way that he mixes concepts
22:58and word usage together in a way that you would not think
23:03something should be correlated together.
23:05Who is the poet M.C.L.X.
23:09OK. It's he has a poem, two poems
23:14that he's become known for traffic and sleep deprivation.
23:18And the way that he uses and tells stories
23:23and uses analogy and metaphor and symbolism.
23:28And it takes you on an entirely different journey.
23:32And then by the time you get to the end of the poem,
23:35you realize that he stayed on topic.
23:38But he took you to a lot of different deviated
23:42side road shows in the process.
23:50I would say Ray McHale, because she
23:54does great with personification.
23:58Like she the she has this poem
24:00where by the time you get to the end of the poem,
24:04you realize that what you thought the original subject was
24:08was not the subject at all.
24:10And you don't realize what it is that she's personifying
24:14until she reaches the end of the poem.
24:17So she takes you on this outer world
24:20journey before she brings you back.
24:25And so that that's just a few
24:28perform like far as poets that are.
24:34Before me, or that I look up to,
24:40I would say liberty.
24:43She was one of the first poets that I had
24:46saw that can freestyle on the mic.
24:50Like she'll start with something that may be pre-read
24:53and then she'll just get in the zone.
24:56And if you once you get to know her, you can tell when she's gotten
24:59to that zone and she'll just start freestyling.
25:02And it seems like it was one cohesive
25:06memorized piece, and it wasn't.
25:08Yeah, I definitely had a chance to witness it quite a few times
25:13and actually have a poetry album.
25:17This is amazing.
25:18And you know, now her her son is in the modeling.
25:22Doing a lot of modeling shows.
25:25And so I work with them in a different light.
25:27So yes.
25:30And one other poet I'll mention
25:32before I get in trouble for naming names,
25:35I would be remiss if I did not mention my poetic mother,
25:39Miss Honeybell Bass.
25:43The not only the way her stage presence, her style,
25:49because when I say she is meticulous about her theme matching,
25:56if she has a if she's wearing.
26:00If the if the colors of the event are going to be purple
26:04and gold, she's she walking in head to toe drift.
26:09Everything's coordinated.
26:11So not only does she make sure she's matching whatever theme
26:14she's established, she's bringing with her things to match.
26:19So I remember she had did
26:22an event and the poem that she was sharing with or
26:26poem or sermon she was sharing was about seashells
26:31and how crab hermit crabs line up to change shells.
26:37And the message was how
26:41we have to learn how to get in line for our blessings.
26:44We can't always be in competition with one another
26:48because we never know if what we're growing out of
26:51may be the perfect fit for the person coming behind us.
26:56And she actually had shells to pass out
27:00to remind you to pass on your shell once you've outgrown it.
27:07And so, yes, her the her whole dynamic
27:10and she's the poet that taught me about using poetry for advocacy
27:16and for education.
27:18And yeah, that just she's she's so over the top with it.
27:23But I love the way that that dynamic fits her and her personality so well.
27:30That's that's a beautiful thing.
27:32And like you said, I'm passing on.
27:34So that's in a sense, that's that's marketing
27:38and a way to be remembered also that impact.
27:42So how do you market yourself personally as an artist,
27:49multifaceted artist?
27:51So one thing I have definitely become known for is my shades.
27:57I have them in a plethora of colors, of sizes, of shapes.
28:04And it came from a place of my introvertedness,
28:08of me not wanting to be center stage, of not wanting to see the audience.
28:13So my first set of shades was as dark as Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder
28:20put together, because you ain't you can't see me.
28:23I can't see you.
28:24We're going to say these words and we're going to disappear.
28:28Now I've become a lot more confident and comfortable on the stage.
28:32However, shades is just going to be a part of the package from now on,
28:36because I spent too much money.
28:38Right, right, right. I'm all in now.
28:43Also, on the fashion side,
28:46I've become known for how I present myself when I go onto the stage,
28:51even if it's just an open mic.
28:53I had one poet tell me they don't remember
28:57if they've ever seen me in the same outfit twice.
29:00Not that I own that many clothes, I don't think.
29:07But after a few
29:11months back out in community and the creative community,
29:16I ran into I was following a fellow creative around that I grew up around,
29:22because the person is older than me, but I grew up around them.
29:26And so I was finally grown enough to support them in their creative endeavors.
29:30And so I did so.
29:31So the more that I saw their name, the more that I followed them around
29:35and the more that I followed them around, the more people I met.
29:38And in following this person, I ran into an owner
29:43of a clothing boutique for curvy women.
29:47And I went to the boutique and liked what I saw.
29:51And they had a model call out.
29:54And during that time, I would have been frequenting a lot of fashion shows.
29:58And my daughter had also given me an ultimatum
30:01that if I was going to go to another show, I needed to be walking.
30:07So things aligned that she put out a model call.
30:10I went asked her whether or not I needed to have modeled before.
30:15And she said, no, it was amateur friendly.
30:17And I got selected for the model call.
30:20And I walked in my first show for her and then she had another show.
30:24And I think I walked in about four or five shows for her,
30:28including being able to walk during the NBA All-Stars.
30:35And so that just boosted my confidence because prior to that.
30:41Being a foolish figured woman.
30:44There were not a lot of stylistic options to wear.
30:49And I had spent so much of my young adult
30:54and late teens being berated for my size
30:59and being told that I was less than because of my size,
31:04that I was very self conscious about how I presented myself.
31:08So I would wear oversized garments
31:13that were not necessarily flattering to my figure simply to hide myself.
31:18And it wasn't until I had seen that there is fashion
31:27and not fast fashion, but fashion that is size appropriate and flattering
31:34that I started to embrace.
31:38Who I am.
31:41And so because of that, it transitioned to also my confidence
31:45on the stage, because I was now able to access
31:49stylists, garments that may have been one of kind pieces
31:53and wear them in a way that only I could.
31:58So as far as marketing, you could say your biggest marketing
32:03tactic is networking.
32:05So so how how has you taken it, you know, as an introvert?
32:11Yes. How how is it networking and getting yourself out there?
32:16You know, or what are some tactics that you use?
32:19OK, I got to focus on three people once I get my three.
32:23OK, I can leave. Or is it China?
32:26OK, let me just see what comes about.
32:30You have a certain person in mind.
32:33What are some of your networking tips for other,
32:36you know, introverted artists or entrepreneurs?
32:40First, to be comfortable with with yourself.
32:42And if you're not comfortable with yourself,
32:45get comfortable with your accomplishments.
32:47If you I know a lot of people will tell you
32:51not to put your worth in your accomplishments,
32:54but sometimes that's the only place you have to start.
32:58What also boosted my confidence to step out
33:01the way that I I have now become known to doing is I
33:07serve my country and community as an AmeriCorps
33:11VISTA volunteer, this demeaning volunteers and service to America.
33:15During that time, what the organization I was stationed with,
33:21I had made close professional relationships
33:26and those professional relationships became personal friendships.
33:31And in talking to the individuals surrounding me at that time.
33:36I had to disclose because again, we had started professionally,
33:41so they had access to my LinkedIn account,
33:44and they had took the time to actually purview my LinkedIn account.
33:49And they came back to me and they was like,
33:52how are you sitting quiet and unknown
33:55when you've accomplished more in a five, ten year span?
34:02She was like, you are in your 20s
34:04and you have more accreditation than somebody in their 40s.
34:09And she started just pouring on this praise that I had not received.
34:14And she was like, why do you go and do all of this stuff?
34:19I was like, one, when I get bored, I can't sit still.
34:22So I'll find something to get into.
34:24And then when I couldn't find employment, well, I'm not going.
34:28I'd already knew not to have a gap on my resume.
34:31So I'm going to fill it with somebody's workshop or class.
34:34And I just kept doing it.
34:37And so that encouraged me to start speaking with more authority.
34:45So when I would go into rooms, a question would be asked
34:49and I would be able to answer the question or I would ask a question
34:53because I've become also known for at podcasts and different things,
34:57asking a question that shakes the whole room.
35:01It came from not knowing value of self,
35:07so putting value in accomplishments.
35:10And so knowing that I got this certification from an organization
35:14that has credentialing helped me support myself
35:20and navigate through various conversations because I knew
35:23I had some accolade that I could say, well, I am certified in this
35:29by so and so standard to speak on such and such topic.
35:34So it started there.
35:35And then it would also be I would quite literally be a wallflower
35:42at the networking events.
35:43I would stand on the wall.
35:45And then I would look at who else was standing on the wall.
35:49And then I'd go and lean on the wall against them.
35:53And we'd look at each other and look at the wall,
35:55the rest of the room and look at each other.
35:57And then we'd say, so you're uncomfortable, too.
36:01Yes, I'm very uncomfortable.
36:03You want to be uncomfortable together. Sure.
36:06And we'd sit and have a one on one conversation
36:08about how we ended up in this room that we were both too uncomfortable
36:12to converse with anybody else other than the fact
36:15that we spotted another wallflower.
36:18And so that has become what my networking strategy has been
36:23individual one on one conversations
36:27where I'm able to be open and honest with people
36:31about what my experiences are
36:34and using empathy to understand their experiences
36:37and building rapport and connections that have led
36:41to more opportunities, opportunities.
36:47So I want to touch on some of your accomplishments
36:50or what is one of your proudest or grandest accomplishments?
36:56Finally, acknowledging my worth.
37:01That's it.
37:02I love that.
37:04And a lot of this
37:06our reason I started this podcast is to get more introspective
37:10with the self behind the business versus the business
37:14and, you know, sales marketing and all that X, Y, Z,
37:18the bells and whistles to run a business or a creative endeavor.
37:22But they're more internal.
37:24So I'm glad you said that because it's not a true award
37:28or accomplishment that you hang on the wall.
37:30That's that's inside.
37:34Yeah, I mean, projected out, you know,
37:37and I'm finally learning how to do that.
37:40It's taken quite a bit of time for me to get here.
37:43Quite a bit of work,
37:48various disappointments.
37:50Stepping on my own self to spite my face occasionally.
37:55And some hard decisions.
37:59But at the end of the day, I can't put the weight
38:02on the amount of workshops I've accomplished on the certifications
38:08and the amount of alphabet soup that I can put at the end of my name.
38:14Because if I am not able to.
38:21Acknowledge myself
38:22and my value without having to be judged
38:28by someone else's perception of what should be valued.
38:32Then where is the true word?
38:35Because when, say, at any given time, especially in today's climate,
38:41one of those certifications lose their accreditation rights,
38:45then what is the value of what I learned?
38:50Is it simply because ABC Company said that they taught me something?
38:56Or is it because I was able to pull
38:59knowledge from ABC Company, mix it with my lived experiences
39:04and convey a collective message to the next person?
39:16Passing it on to the next person.
39:20What sensory systems do you use, if any at all?
39:25Touch, feel, sight, smell.
39:29Or if not some that you would like to include.
39:39Some people love burning candles and writing or putting on music,
39:44writing, freestyling sometimes.
39:47Some people have a dark room.
39:49And what are some sensory systems that you use?
39:57Lived experiences.
40:01Sometimes it will be a song that I'm listening to that.
40:08Makes me have a thought, like when I wrote the poem Diva.
40:17A few years ago, I was I mean, I think it was the BET Awards or something.
40:22Beyonce's song, A Diva is a.
40:26I don't even know the lyrics, because all I know now is my acronym.
40:30Yes.
40:32And I was like, is that all the divas capable of being?
40:36Can't a diva be more?
40:40Then what is currently being mainstreamed?
40:44And so then the acronym came about a daughter invested in Victoria's Achievement.
40:50It gives an entirely different definition to diva.
40:54It's more than just a prima donna that has her head
40:59so far up the clouds that she can't see what's in front of her.
41:03It gives it a meaning of someone that
41:08recognizes their humility, recognizes that they are.
41:15Subject to someone else's authority,
41:18recognizes that they are responsible for the mantle that they carry.
41:24And so now my daughter runs around talking about diva, this diva, that,
41:29and she's referring to my poem.
41:32And so now it's again, words have power and two edged sword.
41:38So now I have to deal with an 11 year old running around telling me,
41:43well, you told me I'm a diva, so I'm not going and we not going.
41:50And I don't settle for I was like, OK, let's reevaluate
41:58the standards and definitions of what we're going to use.
42:01So now when we have conversations and it's time
42:05and it's a moment where she needs to be redirected,
42:10I'll remind her, OK, you said you're a diva.
42:13What is the definition of a diva?
42:15What is the responsibility of a diva?
42:18Did the actions and the words that you speak,
42:22did they characterize what a diva is supposed to be?
42:25And the definition that you have for diva, or is it
42:30the other definition?
42:31And so she has to sit down and reevaluate and take time
42:36to reflect on behaviors and actions and see if it lines up
42:40with the standards that she set for me to follow for her.
42:45And so it allows that evaluative tool.
42:51And so that that's covering music site.
42:57Sometimes I will see something in my community
43:02and it will stir me to have to write, to express
43:07what emotions arise from what I've seen, touch.
43:14There's been some poems that are born of relationships
43:19that I've had and the dreams and aspirations
43:24that I've had for those relationships,
43:28even though they are no longer.
43:31So it comes from a myriad of muses and sources.
43:39Speaking on, you know, relationships,
43:42whose relationships are important
43:45for thriving and long term success and achievements.
43:50You have to have good relationships.
43:52That's in business or in the creative realm.
43:55But when was the last time you heard a poem
44:01that made you physically unable to speak one?
44:17Because I don't. Yes.
44:22I know I've had some in the past.
44:24I can't recall the specific title or the artist,
44:27but I know I had even yours is, you know, you definitely,
44:32like you said, thought provoking and kind of had me stunned.
44:35Like, wow, you really just said that?
44:37Yeah, I would have I would I would have to say I don't.
44:41I couldn't even attempt to name names.
44:44Oh, but I do remember the feeling.
44:48I do remember being shook by the emotion
44:53that was invoked by being staggered
44:57by someone else's raw, vulnerable expression
45:04and knowing that they were either channeling
45:08on behalf of someone else's experience,
45:11because that is a possibility, especially as a creative
45:15and an empathetic creative.
45:17You are very you open yourself
45:22to the energies of others.
45:27And so you you can tell when a piece that is
45:33that was written and that is being performed or even read.
45:37If it's coming from that person's personal
45:41lived experience or an experience of one close to them
45:45and they were retelling that story.
45:55To see the artists, artists in the city, you know,
46:00you know, speaking for myself, I would travel with it, you know, south
46:04south and east, not so much the West Coast.
46:07So I haven't, you know, had a chance to witness a lot of West Coast artists.
46:12But, you know, south and east and of course, the Midwest.
46:16Some powerful, powerful
46:19pieces, even music
46:23that comes about.
46:24I even, you know, shocked myself once when I when I was writing frequency.
46:29I'm like, wow, I had to do that all in one sitting
46:33because it was just so, so, so powerful and spiritual.
46:39Like I can say that was my first in depth spiritual poem.
46:43That's kind of how I left and ended my, you know, performing career.
46:51Like I said, I'm blessed to be around so many artists
46:55that take their craft seriously and have a story to tell
47:01and tell, like you said, other people's story.
47:04I would say, you know,
47:06ever me and Maya and Mowgrey's like those two.
47:11Especially Mowgrey, you could go real, real deep
47:14in my personal, which, you know, a sense of vulnerability is
47:18to me was unmatched at the time we was doing it.
47:23So kudos to him.
47:24I think he kind of hung it up too, kind of fell back.
47:28But, you know, if you haven't heard the nappy
47:32who's it, the nappy chronicles or nappy head chronicles, my bad.
47:38Mowgrey. Yeah, check it out.
47:41Mowgrey's on all streaming platforms and I also want to ask
47:46what helps you get into your creative mode in space?
47:53It just comes and sometimes it's so highly irritating.
47:58I occasionally suffer from insomnia
48:02and it will be moments where I know I finally fell asleep
48:08and then all of a sudden, all of these thoughts start
48:11running through my mind and then I'm up and I'm on my phone
48:15because I finally converted to technology so I don't write
48:19my poems physically anymore because that became a problem.
48:22I have both, I'll say.
48:25It became a problem for me because if I'm physically writing
48:29while feeling the emotion that's overcoming me.
48:34I am not writing in the English language.
48:38I am writing in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
48:42It is. And then if I.
48:46Put my pen down, walk away from the poem and come back.
48:51It's only by the grace of God that he gives me the poem back
48:55because half the time I cannot go back and reread it.
48:58And it don't matter how I try and pace myself.
49:01It don't matter if I start off writing in print.
49:04I'm going to switch to cursive.
49:06And when I write in cursive, it doesn't matter
49:08if I have the page tilted one way.
49:11My handwriting always slants to the opposite direction
49:14that the page was sitting on.
49:16And so it just and I think I've shown you some of my old writing.
49:23It's I could have been a doctor writing prescriptions at
49:28point my handwriting.
49:30I still have a poem that I have it unencrypted because
49:35I was trying something new back in the early 2000s.
49:39It was a cool thing to like write your poem in random shapes.
49:43So I tried writing a poem in a spiral
49:46and then I ran out of space on the paper.
49:49So I inverted the spiral on itself.
49:52So now I do not know which part of the spiral is the start
49:55or the end of the poem.
49:59Another time I did not have an ink pen or a regular paper.
50:03I just had this yellow or orange flyer from church
50:09and I wrote on the back of it with a yellow highlighter.
50:14That poem took about two,
50:17maybe five years to figure out what it said.
50:20And, you know, by that time, the highlighter has faded.
50:24The orange has faded into the highlighter like it was.
50:29I don't even know how other than I know God gave me that poem back
50:33to finally share with the world because you touched on something,
50:38even with business notes and like things for our business.
50:41You know, I'm always writing things down.
50:43It could be a napkin.
50:44It'd be a piece of paper, like you said, a flyer.
50:47Yeah, a skin, an arm sometimes, back of the hand.
50:51You know, whatever I could write physically on with a pen, I'm going to do it.
50:56And, you know, I'm going to transfer it to my phone
50:58or, you know, laptop later or wherever I keep my notes.
51:02So I definitely can relate.
51:05But now I love technology.
51:07So sometimes I may write something.
51:09I could take a picture of it and have the ability
51:12to copy and paste the picture onto a note.
51:15So I love technology.
51:18So here's where I use technology to to my advantage.
51:22Going back to me being a freestyle, free verse writer.
51:27Recently, I've been freestyling more often
51:30and it's I shouldn't say more often because I've always freestyle.
51:35It's just half the time those poems was lost
51:37because once I get in the zone and I start talking to myself out loud
51:41and it be a poem that I'm not writing it down.
51:45And we already established I don't remember my poems.
51:49So that would just said to the wind and gone.
51:53I now stop myself.
51:57Turn on my voice recording app in my phone.
52:01Say whatever it is my heart desire is.
52:05Turn it off.
52:06And at first, before voice recording technology caught up,
52:09I would have to pause place replay just to type it out into notes.
52:13Now I can transcribe it.
52:15From voice to text and then just go in and do my little edits.
52:19And it has saved me a lot.
52:23Yeah, that's that that part because, you know, I travel a lot and.
52:29You know, I listen to a lot of podcasts.
52:31So it's like our our audiobook.
52:34So it's like a university wide drive.
52:37But, you know, I would be in traffic and, you know, I can't always type.
52:42So I will audio record a lot of, like I say,
52:46either business notes or poems, songs or, you know,
52:50just freedom of expression, how I felt that day.
52:53And it got me through a lot of tough seasons.
52:57Like you talk about being your own best friend,
53:00your own personal hear yourself or hear your thoughts,
53:03you know, that self love, even that words of encouragement.
53:06Like, I really did this.
53:07And going back to accomplishments and things that you did.
53:11And sometimes people remind me like, man, you really did.
53:15Like, you really be out here.
53:17I was like, really?
53:18Like, it's interesting hearing other people's viewpoint of you.
53:24Yes. And that that's like I said earlier,
53:26that's what made me start to reevaluate how I
53:33the equation that I used to equate what meant worth, because it took.
53:40It took a while.
53:42And I'm going to you lucky I know you
53:49because you you you pulling back some stuff
53:52that I think I was going to be sharing publicly this soon.
53:55Power power relationships.
54:00I'm a firstborn child.
54:04My mother and not just a firstborn child.
54:07I am a firstborn daughter.
54:09My mother, my biological mother, firstborn daughter
54:13and the firstborn child.
54:16My grandmother, the firstborn daughter and the firstborn child.
54:21And I believe my great grandmother was as well.
54:26So that's more and my daughter is a firstborn child, firstborn daughter.
54:31Being the eldest child comes with a mantle of responsibility
54:36that is not always discussed.
54:39And being that firstborn and being a daughter
54:43in a society where the firstborn
54:48traditionally should have been male, you carry
54:53a different type of responsibility.
54:56I have two younger siblings.
55:00I have been in foster care and was adopted.
55:08It was my responsibility as the eldest
55:12to keep tabs on my two younger siblings,
55:14even though we were in separate foster homes.
55:17We all got adopted into separate homes.
55:20I because I was the oldest,
55:23they are four and six years younger than me,
55:26meaning they didn't remember much about biological family.
55:30If when I when I was removed from the family
55:32because we were moved at the same time, I was 10.
55:37So it was up to me to one, remind them
55:41who they came from, that there was a family that still loved them
55:45despite circumstances, how to have access to this family.
55:50And that I'm still there for them.
55:53And that has become
55:58a mantle that became so heavy to carry.
56:05It has affected my ability to partake in romantic relationships
56:11because it wasn't understood why when my phone would ring,
56:17didn't matter what time it was, if it was one of their numbers,
56:21everything stopping is coming to a halt
56:23and I'm going to see what they need.
56:27And it was thought of to be an abnormal relationship
56:31without the understanding that in their eyes,
56:36because of how young they were when they were removed
56:38from the rest of the family,
56:40I'm the only blood family they got.
56:43So I'm the only one they can call.
56:45I'm the only one they can lean on.
56:48And that's heavy considering
56:53what emotional traumas that I had to endure
56:58during the time that I was in foster and adoptive care and
57:02still be strong for those around me
57:05and not know where it will be safe to unburden myself
57:13because proper discernment didn't come till later.
57:17So I would go to people thinking that I could share my cares
57:21with them and have a shoulder to talk to
57:26when, in fact, it was a set of ears connected to a mouth
57:29that would go and tell someone else.
57:31And so that caused more damage.
57:33And so that created lack of trust.
57:38So in relationship building, it's it's different having to
57:47learn how to trust and lean and ask for help
57:51from someone when you're so used to being the answer.
57:59So that was heavy.
58:04I wasn't expecting it.
58:05And I'm going to connect you with my good friend Kayla,
58:11who was an adoptee.
58:12She goes by the unshattered adoptee.
58:14I don't know if you met her or not.
58:16But yeah, it has a nonprofit, you know, around that.
58:20And I think, yeah, y'all connection really, you know,
58:22together with flourish in many different ways.
58:26But being someone who's strong and there for others,
58:31but sometimes on the back end, you know, I can speak for myself
58:34being strong and, you know, assertive in a community.
58:38We don't get that in return.
58:41So how are let me say,
58:48how has it been or even do you have people that
58:54are there for you, you know, who's there for the strong
58:57and, you know, the strongest for everybody else?
59:03I can finally say that I finally found my tribe of people.
59:08But even in finding them, it took a while to trust.
59:14And for me, trust doesn't just come from you saying you're there.
59:18For me, it took actions and it took repetitive action.
59:22Oh, I have a girl.
59:25Well, two girlfriends that both of my close friends are both older than me.
59:30Well, just to find girlfriends for because some people were like,
59:33Oh, my homegirls, they got my back.
59:37I was born in the 90s is the original definition.
59:41Look up the TV sitcom.
59:43I just like the clarification.
59:47Oh, both of them.
59:52We again, these were professional relationships that became personal
59:56because I met them in the professional place.
1:00:00They saw me.
1:00:02And again, because I'm younger than them, they would be they would see me
1:00:06doing certain things and moving in a certain way.
1:00:08And they were like, why do you do that?
1:00:11And I would brush them off.
1:00:13And then at one point, they seen that I was struggling with things.
1:00:17And so this is where having friends
1:00:21that are older than you is a blessing and a curse,
1:00:24because one day they your homegirl and the next day they talking to you
1:00:27like, hey, your mammy.
1:00:32So I guess I triggered the mama and my one homegirl
1:00:37because she was like, yeah,
1:00:41I did X, Y and Z, and you're going to accept X, Y and Z.
1:00:45And we're doing X, Y and Z.
1:00:46And you're just going to show up.
1:00:49And she showed up for me in that way more than once.
1:00:54And it took a while for me to realize that I could actually trust her.
1:00:59So when something came up with my family,
1:01:02I had no one else that I could trust to be that vulnerable with.
1:01:07I called her and she was like, I'm shocked that you actually asked for help.
1:01:12So the first thing that she said, other than asking about the situation.
1:01:18Well, she told me she was proud that I asked for help.
1:01:23How much that just sunk in my heart, like I really felt that in my heart
1:01:26because I'm someone that doesn't ask for help.
1:01:29I'm I'm introverted.
1:01:30I'm to myself a lot.
1:01:31I love, you know, taking initiative on things
1:01:34I love doing or have to do, but by myself.
1:01:38And like, you know, like I said, being a strong person and helping other people.
1:01:44There's not too many people that, you know, help me or, you know,
1:01:47not that I also I don't ask for the help, but I appreciate those that,
1:01:52you know, take the time out like, you know, let me assist you.
1:01:56Let me give you some resources, even if you want to do it by yourself.
1:01:59Let me, you know, set you up so you can do it by yourself even better.
1:02:03Right. I appreciate that, you know, because I'm I'm a creative
1:02:07and I'm structured a certain way.
1:02:08I'm trying to be more structured and, you know, allow more people in
1:02:12and allow, you know, like you said, that tribe and the community to assist.
1:02:17And, you know, sometimes it's hard, you know.
1:02:20It could be a trust thing, but for me, it's not necessarily trust.
1:02:24It's a it's a habit.
1:02:26You know, I'm used to being by myself and doing stuff by myself.
1:02:29Having to, you know, love myself,
1:02:33you know, my own best friend, you know, do business by myself.
1:02:38Like, you know, in this current stage, 2025, I am my only employee, you know.
1:02:44So I do work on a lot of teams and I know how it is,
1:02:48you know, starting off.
1:02:50Do you have any encouraging words for, you know, a new entrepreneur, a new artist?
1:02:55And see, that's where me and you knock heads,
1:02:58because you kept calling me an entrepreneur a few years ago,
1:03:01and I would say, no, I'm not.
1:03:06I was still saying.
1:03:08I'm a creative.
1:03:10I am. So wait, wait, wait.
1:03:13Let's rewind, because I ain't going to let you question.
1:03:17So. Do you make money for poetry?
1:03:21Yes. I just started making money for poetry within the last year.
1:03:26Because, OK, well, well.
1:03:28Yes. Within the last year, prior to that, it was it was my therapy.
1:03:36It was my outlet. It was how I expressed myself.
1:03:40It was how I was able to.
1:03:43And it still is.
1:03:45It's how I'm able to communicate and convey messages to people
1:03:48when I'm not able to talk to them directly.
1:03:50Or I feel that there is a hindrance between how I'm able to communicate.
1:03:56And poetry has always been my voice in those moments
1:04:01where I feel that I can't use my actual voice.
1:04:06That's how it was with music.
1:04:08I mean, I got to say poetry, too, and they're both, you know,
1:04:10one and the same.
1:04:14And I appreciate you with your deep emotions.
1:04:19And there's a couple more questions,
1:04:21and I was kind of pressed with time today.
1:04:23But how has media influenced your market?
1:04:28And industry, as far as like poetry, modeling, just the artist scene
1:04:33in general, you know, I'm into media and photography and video production.
1:04:40How has that influenced maybe the past 10 years up to now?
1:04:45And, you know, both have advanced and evolved.
1:04:48So I guess that I tie into your previous question with this one.
1:04:54What I would advise someone coming up
1:04:58in wanting to be a paid artist
1:05:04is to find what skills you have from whatever your professional day job is
1:05:10and how you can tie them into what you do creatively.
1:05:16So going back to those accolades that I said that I have
1:05:20on the professional side of things, I went when I was in high school,
1:05:25I did Oracle Database Modeling and then also some robotic engineering.
1:05:34So I got a bit of IT designing background when I was at the rec center
1:05:39and I would volunteer because Mr.
1:05:42Howard understood that I was going to be at the rec every day
1:05:45because I didn't want to be at home.
1:05:46He put me to work.
1:05:48Miss Denise was the tech admin at the time,
1:05:52and this was when Windows 93 was still a thing.
1:05:56Yes, I'm dating myself. Good Lord.
1:05:58You don't say it too loud.
1:05:59The young folks were like, oh, you were born in the 1900s?
1:06:04So this was back when Canva was not even a dream.
1:06:08We had Microsoft Publisher.
1:06:11And so I learned under her how to manipulate and create flyers
1:06:15and create banners and all of that good stuff in Publisher.
1:06:19I even ended up becoming responsible for making the anniversary flyers
1:06:25for my church because of the way I could build and stack the word art
1:06:29and the designs and the images and drop the pictures in and all of that.
1:06:35So I then Canva came about and my best friend, my twin,
1:06:42he does graphic designing, and so we both would play off of each other.
1:06:46And so I started using my graphic design abilities to showcase my poetry
1:06:53and even other things on my Instagram.
1:06:57So majority of the things on my Instagram,
1:07:00even when I was just showcasing someone else's art that and I attended the event,
1:07:06I did that design.
1:07:08I dropped it in Canva and I did the video edits myself.
1:07:11I did the audio edit adding.
1:07:13I did all of that myself.
1:07:16The crop work, the formatting in the words,
1:07:20I would start with the available templates,
1:07:22but I will always edit them to what my aesthetic was for the day.
1:07:28So even now with me doing the 30 for 30 challenge,
1:07:31the reason it's taken me a bit longer to post them over on Instagram
1:07:34versus threads is because I'm actually doing the work to edit
1:07:40and create the designing in Canva to make it fit.
1:07:45And post or some of them will be real.
1:07:47Some of them will be slide bags.
1:07:50So, yeah.
1:07:52So you use your skills across the board
1:07:57and see how they are able to coalesce and correlate to one another.
1:08:06Just you expressing all of that sounds like an entrepreneur to me,
1:08:09you know, as far as marketing and get yourself out there,
1:08:11which a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners have to do.
1:08:17So to kind of wrap it up in a summit,
1:08:22sum it up and wrap it up in a bow reviewing this interview.
1:08:26What are some key takeaways?
1:08:29Maybe three to five things that you mentioned
1:08:32or maybe haven't mentioned.
1:08:37What do you want people to take away from this interview
1:08:39before even listening to it or if they listen to it?
1:08:49Take the time to find your own equation to self-worth.
1:08:53One more time.
1:08:56Take the time to find your own equation for self-worth.
1:09:05Enjoy that life is a journey.
1:09:11Stop to smell the roses.
1:09:13Don't always be focused on where you're headed.
1:09:21It's okay to ask for help, but use discernment.
1:09:38Acronym that I've been using recently is
1:09:41live your life VIP, victory in progress.
1:09:48Can't close even better than it.
1:09:50Well, let me take that back.
1:09:52Maybe we can because I still want you to do a poem.
1:09:56I thought I was going to get away with that.
1:09:59I can't.
1:10:00I mean, I've expressed on this podcast in my Sunday episodes,
1:10:04like one of these days y'all hear a poem or a song from me,
1:10:09but, you know, I have artist friends
1:10:12and what better way to do it?
1:10:15You know, I can even start it off with my snippet of frequency.
1:10:20One of my staple poems.
1:10:24Frequency.
1:10:26Frequency is what you frequently see.
1:10:29Vibrations all in the universe and also inside of me.
1:10:37I was about to say, because if you're going to do frequency,
1:10:39that means I got to find the version
1:10:41that I wrote after hearing that one.
1:10:43That one's in the archives.
1:10:45All right, y'all about to get a real treat.
1:10:48So is you really about to do frequency?
1:10:50I mean, only do a snippet.
1:10:51Maybe they get a, you know, one day.
1:10:55I think you need a little more.
1:10:57It's just in the wild.
1:10:59Look, now I got to find mine.
1:11:01It's in the archives.
1:11:03It's all good.
1:11:05So frequency.
1:11:08Your frequency is what you frequently see.
1:11:11Vibrations all in the universe and also inside of me.
1:11:15Alien to the world society.
1:11:17Shooting stars consciously.
1:11:20Righteously.
1:11:21Until every dust particle unites in me.
1:11:24Sparkling.
1:11:25As water wine and jewelry and jewelry see.
1:11:29I shine bright beyond my time of infinity.
1:11:32Living sea.
1:11:33Speckles around my eyes as vicinity.
1:11:37Vividly.
1:11:38Femininity.
1:11:39Raise my higher divinity.
1:11:41Sacred trinity.
1:11:42Reflects my divine masculinity.
1:11:46Felt in the trenches.
1:11:47Relentless.
1:11:48Lost my human mind to gain my spiritual senses.
1:11:53Defenseless.
1:11:54Elevation.
1:11:55Through focus and meditation.
1:12:00Frequency is a little snippet.
1:12:04One of these days, you know, I may even have a creative outlet on this podcast,
1:12:09but I focus more on the business and creative entrepreneur side.
1:12:14You know how more so newer entrepreneurs thrive as far as marketing and branding purposes.
1:12:25So I am torn whether or not I should do the piece that
1:12:29I wrote that was inspired by that piece or do something new.
1:12:40It kind of correlates since, you know, I've dropped it in, you know.
1:12:48How about I do both?
1:12:51Okay.
1:12:54Or how about a snippet of each other?
1:12:56That's fair.
1:13:03You got me digging through the archives looking for poetry.
1:13:08I'm going to do my closing words for the podcast.
1:13:12This has been, and stay tuned, because she's about to drop some nice thought-provoking
1:13:17poetry for y'all.
1:13:19So I appreciate everyone tuning in to Alienize Photos Industry Talk
1:13:25as I cover different industries and give different business insights and tips
1:13:32for new entrepreneurs and speak about my personal journey as a creative entrepreneur.
1:13:39And I think Ms. Jewel Justice is about to drop some nice words for you all.
1:13:49Do you deserve me?
1:13:51Will you work to reserve me?
1:13:53Will you help preserve my energy?
1:13:56Because lately I feel so understated.
1:14:00This feeling is overrated.
1:14:02I've been giving access to my energy to people that don't deserve it.
1:14:07They don't appreciate it.
1:14:09They come back for refills like they are entitled to it.
1:14:12While I'm cutting off the tap.
1:14:15Revoking your access.
1:14:17Installing a gatekeeper you'll need permission to pass.
1:14:21Will you be found worthy of the privilege to gain access to that backstage pass?
1:14:26Or will you be headed off at the start?
1:14:29Because your intentions are not unadulterated.
1:14:33Will your heart be found contaminated?
1:14:37And that's just a snippet of that one.
1:14:43I just want to shout out my media partners.
1:14:45As we're here at LaunchArts recording this episode.
1:14:50Yes, definitely check out LaunchArts media video production partners.
1:14:56Vice president over the vice production.
1:14:59I said vice production twice didn't I?
1:15:01Video production.
1:15:02It was two VVP.
1:15:04Video production and vice president.
1:15:05He had VP VP.
1:15:07And then also the Pull Up Experience.
1:15:11Fastest growing podcast here in Cleveland, Ohio.
1:15:14Business podcast is at that.
1:15:17And we had the opportunity to travel this past year.
1:15:21You know brunch out a little bit.
1:15:23So tap into the Pull Up Experience podcast.
1:15:27We're big on YouTube.
1:15:28That's our biggest platform right now.
1:15:30And we just started releasing a lot of the audio episodes.
1:15:34So stay tuned.
1:15:36And also I can't forget about my brand.
1:15:38Right?
1:15:39Alienize Photos Media.
1:15:41Where I focus on a lot of event photography nationally.
1:15:45Soon to be globally.
1:15:49So if you're looking for an event photographer or just even consulting.
1:15:54Contact me at alienizephotos.com.
1:15:58Scroll down to the bottom.
1:16:01I'm reconstructing my site.
1:16:02Because I've been learning.
1:16:04So to put your contact info up top.
1:16:06But scroll down to the bottom.
1:16:08Or hit the booking link.
1:16:10And send me some information about it.
1:16:13And we can set up a call and see if it works for the both of us.
1:16:17And then if you want coaching.
1:16:18I do a lot of ideation sessions.
1:16:21I love bouncing off ideas with others.
1:16:23Especially other creatives.
1:16:25Not just entrepreneurs.
1:16:26Not just artists.
1:16:28Creative entrepreneurs.
1:16:30So if you love coaching.
1:16:31You need strategy.
1:16:32You want to build your brand more.
1:16:34You can have a session.
1:16:35So contact me if any of those fit your needs or wants or desires.
1:16:42So we'd like to close out this episode.
1:16:44Miss Jewel Justice.
1:16:46And where can everybody find you at?
1:16:49So my poetry can be found on Instagram.
1:16:52At J-E-W-E-L-E-D-G-E-M-S underscore.
1:17:00And the link in my bio will take you to any other interviews I have.
1:17:04As well as my threads account.
1:17:05My YouTube page.
1:17:07My primary Instagram is Jewel Justice.
1:17:11That's where you will find all things me.
1:17:14And that's J-E-W-E-L-E-D-J-U-S-T-I-C-E.
1:17:20That's them.
1:17:21And then, you know, I will have it all connected to the show notes.
1:17:24So if you're getting catching or if you're driving or anything of that sort.
1:17:29It will be in the show notes.
1:17:32So I'm going to close this out with I've been writing these poems.
1:17:37It is a poetry prompt that ran a while.
1:17:39I believe either in February or the latter part of March.
1:17:45King Luce challenged me to the challenge that he had been challenged in.
1:17:49And I think King Kamea.
1:17:53I know I'm butchering that name.
1:17:57Originally issued the challenge.
1:17:59So I've been writing these poems to express the recessed thoughts of my mind
1:18:06is more like a device to unwind, unbind, unravel, rewrite the prerequisites of my life.
1:18:13See, I write these poems, songs of praise to God that created me
1:18:18because he saw me when I didn't see myself.
1:18:21I write these poems as encouragement for others still traveling through the dark.
1:18:26I'll be the light shining at the end of the tunnel showing you
1:18:31there's better on the other side.
1:18:33I write to show you that you can photosynthesize pain into your own chlorophyll.
1:18:38I write to show you you can overwrite, remix, retwist, re-encrypt to decrypt
1:18:43those things you felt you were stuck in.
1:18:45I write these poems so you don't feel as if you have to be buried in a crypt of your pain.
1:18:51I write these poems to transmute energy.
1:18:54I write these poems as more than a way to showcase my ability to take letters,
1:19:02transform them into words, words into metaphors, metaphors into puns,
1:19:06puns into similes, similes into fast meal thoughts.
1:19:09I write as if it's the only way I'm capable of breathing.
1:19:14I write these poems to intone the stories of those that have gone on before me.
1:19:20I write to inform the future so they don't forget their past.
1:19:24To carry on the existence of today so it's transcribed through time.
1:19:28I write this poem because I'm just the vessel it flows through.
1:19:32I write so these bits and bytes can be computed into your mind.
1:19:37I write and release into the atmosphere that the power of the tongue
1:19:41and the power of the pen are something to behold, to treasure, to cherish.
1:19:49But most of all is not there to be misperched by your fear.
1:19:54I've been writing these poems.
1:19:58Wow, we cannot close better than that.
1:20:01And it's been a while since we had to catch a live show because
1:20:06yeah, your poetry has always struck a nerve.
1:20:11And like you said, it's very thought-provoking and I appreciate that.
1:20:15Again, this has been Alien Eyes Photos Industry Talk with photographer Jackson
1:20:22interviewing the well-known, word-crafted poet.
1:20:28I don't want to limit you to Cleveland.
1:20:30You're national.
1:20:31You're national now.
1:20:33Thank you.
1:20:34Your justice.
1:20:36Thank you again.
1:20:37Thank you so much, Alien.
1:20:39Yes, yes.
1:20:40I appreciate y'all until next time.
1:20:42Like, share, subscribe, run back the previous episode.
1:20:46Check out the solo episodes.
1:20:48And yeah, remember, check out alieneyesphotos.com and also on social media.
1:20:54You can follow me at alieneyes with a Z, photos with an S on all social media,
1:21:00and also fan base.
1:21:01If you haven't downloaded fan base, check the fan base app out.
1:21:07It's the app for creators.
1:21:08I appreciate y'all.
1:21:11Godspeed, self-love, motivation.
1:21:15You gotta love yourself.
1:21:16If you don't love you, then no one else will.
1:21:21And that's all I have for today.
1:21:22I am out.
1:21:24Peace.