This blog will be about my growth as an Artist. My Loc journey. *Art-Music-Photography-Poetry* and the random scribbled thoughts...
Please excuse the constant sarcasms & typos
I have 5 sketches on canvas panels that I'm afraid to paint. I have no idea where this fear came from but for some reason I can't paint them yet. Anyhow, I wanted to share what I have so far...
So when I started this blog, I think I mentioned several times of how I wanted to leave Boston because of the lack of art. Every since I moved closer to the city, my thoughts about Boston changed. I tried so much to move out of Boston, but life happened and things just didn't work out. At first I sought it as a negative thing, because it wasn't working out. Now I realized that the Creator wants me to stay in Boston. At least for now. Strangers would come up to me, I'm guessing God in disguise, and would say something along the lines of "you're here in Boston for a reason". I'm a good listener and I pay attention to what people, strangers, friends, family, especially strangers, say to me especially in times when I'm feeling "confused". So I stopped my "I hate Boston!" rants and just accepted my current environment and decided to just make the best of it.
So lately I've been attending poetry slams and started feeling at home. I go to Lizard Lounge for my dose of poetry and to fuel up my creative tank, and last night I fell in love with the night's featured poet/recording artist. Her name is Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo. Let me tell you. She's Phenomenal. Here I was thinking that all the artsy, artisitc people were somewhere in NYC, Chicago, Cali, the South, etc everywhere else but Boston. I was sure wrong. There are a lot of artistic talented people in this small city.
Anyhoo back to Iyeoka, she's amazing. I can't think of any GRE vocab words to describe her but she's ethereal. She roars underneath her words and grabs your attention.
Yes.
She roars and growls people.
She roars.
I don't think I ever heard anything like that before but I'm glad I witnessed this EN VIVO.
I recommend you all to check her out. She has 3 albums and her recent one is called "Say Yes". Please say yes and support her music. I promise you my virtual friends. You won't be disappointed.
She has a je ne sais quoi presence and is full of life. Very inspiring. I'm so glad I heard her music/poetry. She's authentic and reminded me to stay artistically authentic.
Ok so how is she relevant to my life? Well the message she delievered changed my thought process and made an impact. "That happened in one night?" It sure did.
You ever asked yourself "Why am I here"? Well I have and her words answered my question.
There's a lot of unique people in this city. People that need to reveal themselves because that's the only way Boston will lose it's reputation for being "cold". I mean come on. If there's not enough different forms of art in a certain environment, what will you find other than grumpy cold people.
Anyhow, she made me feel like I need to be part of the art movement in Boston and to help beautify this small city. It was apparent especially when she said “reveal your anthem, unveil yourself”.
It's as simple as that...
Iyeoka's call- "Now that's what up."
Response- "Because it is up to us"
Alright it's 3 days before my locs monthiversary but I've been itching to show results of my flaxseed gel.
I boiled flaxseeds in a about 2 cups of water and the substance started turning very slimy. You can find a pack of flaxseeds at any supermarket by the way.
Anyway, I then drained the slimy substance into a container, added a bit of olive oil and honey, let it cool down in the fridge and voila! Homemade gel. I forgot to take pics of the process but I'm sure there's plenty of those on youtube. That day I also tinted my hair with Jet Grape Jazzin (to cover my gray hairs) but it didn't really tint my hair and made my scalp green rather. Lucky for me that same day I was doing all my concoction was Halloween, so the next day people (co-workers and friends) just assumed I went out as the hulk or poison ivy...So yes the green spots that you'll see in some of the pics are due to my dye job
I can do updo's now
And my hair is thick enough to fill in my hat now.
Oh wow I forgot to mention that the flaxseed gel is superb. It has a strong hold. I left rods in my hair over night after re-twisting my hair and the curls lasted for a whole week. Mind you, I only wore the rods once, and the curls didn't drop at all.
I try not to re-twist my locs so often because I want them to stay thick and healthy and not thin out in the future. However, some of my friends and family are on my behind asking why I don't like keeping my hair "neat".
-"When are you going to do your hair Tarra?"
It's like me asking someone when they gonna get a touch up or when they're gonna change their tracks.
Oh and the best part is when people refer to my hair as solely locs and not hair.
What do I mean by that?
Let me expound.
I came into work with my hair curled, and one of my co-workers came up to me and said "I like your.... uhmmm...I don't know the correct way to call them but your dreads? Yea I like them curly like that. It doesn't even look like dreads right now it looks like hair".
It was too early for me to get on her arse so I merely looked at her and said "Oh you're talking about my hair? Why yes. This is my HAIR but styled differently" and cha cha-ed away.
And the more someone says something ignorant pertaining to my locs, the more I just want to shake dem locs and whip them back n forth and say "they must be looking lovely today to be getting all this attention"
I met some people who admitted that they took down their locs because they didn't "fit in". It's unfortunate that some feel like they can't express their individuality in order to conform.
I say eff conformity and do you. Your immune system will thank you when you learn to just say eff u and walk away...
Ituen Basi’s Independence Collection
My type of outfits/fashion. Especially the turquoise top, pink skirt, yellow sandals look. J'adore! Makes me want to learn how to sew...
Sometimes people come into your life and you know
right away that they were meant to be there, to serve
some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help
you figure out who you are or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be - a roommate, a
neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover, or even a
complete stranger - but when you lock eyes with them,
you know at that very moment they will affect your
life in some profound way.
Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible,
painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you
find that without overcoming those obstacles you would
have never realized your potential, strength,
willpower, or heart.
Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness,
and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of
your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they
may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight
flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and
comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life, and the
success and downfalls you experience, help to create
who you are and who you become. Even the bad
experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are
sometimes the most important ones.
If someone loves you, give love back to them in
whatever way you can, not only because they love you,
but because in a way, they are teaching you to love
and how to open your heart and eyes to things.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your
heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn
about trust and the importance of being cautious to
whom you open your heart.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take
from those moments everything that you possibly can
for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk
to people that you have never talked to before, and
listen to what they have to say.
Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your
sights high. Hold your head up because you have every
right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and
believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in
yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in
you.
You can make anything you wish of your life. Create
your own life and then go out and live it with
absolutely no regrets.
And if you love someone tell them, for you never know
what tomorrow may have in store.
Learn a lesson in life each day that you live! Today
is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday. Was
it worth it?
"Keep in mind that I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit"~Erykah Badu
"Maybe...you'll fall in love with me all over again." "Hell," I said, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?" "Yes. I want to ruin you." "Good," I said. "That's what I want too." Ernest Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms)
"Personally, I don't choose any particular religion or symbol or group of words or teachings to define me. That's between me and the most high. You know, my higher self. The Creator. "~Erykah Badu
"Check your ingredients, before you overdose, on The Cool"~Lupe Fiasco
"He said he’d give her the world, She said she had her own"~Anonymous
"I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal I cannot be comprehended except by my permission I mean...I...can fly like a bird in the sky..." -Nikki Giovanni
"Beware the false motives of others Be careful of those who pretend to be brothers [and sisters] And you never suppose it's those who are closest to you They say all the right things, to gain their position Then use your kindness as their ammunition to shoot you down in the name of ambition"~Lauryn Hill
"Be nobody's darling; Be an outcast. Take the contradictions Of your life And wrap around You like a shawl," -Alice Walker