April 23, 2016

Quick Thoughts On Earth Day - Should Be A Mentality Every Day


Having an environmental sensibility has been something in me since I was a child, not even something taught thoroughly or by having some extensive eco-touring experiences or wildlife encounters. Though these things are more in my intentions today, when Earth Day comes around, I wonder about how alternative and sustainable people actually want to be, versus symbolic victories, gestures, or corporate schemes for profit. 

No doubt… as intended by posting this after Earth Day, every day, should be a ‘Earth Day’ – or more simply, a mentality and actions that shows respect or reverence for the planet itself (among the celestial bodies like the Sun) that we exist on and that's keeping us alive.  I'll address the actual environmental challenges we face at later date, but the principles for Ecological Economics are clear for implementing whenever people, locally and en masse, are ready for it.

To wrap up, there doesn’t have to be a pessimistic view of that holiday, as it can be an easy way to spread environmental awareness. Also, one of the best parts of for me, regarding alternative energy specifically, is that really smashes on the fatalist mentality, as economic pressure and scarcity would make a person of that ilk think we’re destined to die out quickly as a human culture, locking into “the world is ending” rants. So it’s fine to have a day that can counter that ignorance, even if some corporate models may just like at it as one day to Go Green for good publicity, because the education does get out authentically for people to practice green economics, take sustainable actions, look into technology that can make like convenient when it’s localized, and much more points that would make this post very long-winded than it already is.

The only thing is, that it doesn’t need to be treated like Xmas, or the year-end’s holiday season; people and the natural world need be in accordance and in symbiosis with one another, that’s the progression intended, not just symbolically on one day with festivals. Just that mentality even before action is a good deal.


April 22, 2016

Work Ethic And Creative Ambition: Still Reaching ‘The’ Next Level Or Already There And Maintaining It?

Interestingly enough, I thought about this being in one of those situations where you come back in contact with an old buddy you haven’t seen in a while, and there’s the feeling of progression to speak on. Progressions in life overall or specific, and that hasn’t been seen on previous meetings. It feels instinctive for me to say, to put it informally, “Man, I’m on a whole ‘nother level”, especially in regards to your craft, hobby, or just general self-development.

Whatever it is being progressed or transformed, the point where you reach your next level and that is considered ‘the’ level, I feel you have to check yourself from continuing to say it or think it at that point, as natural as it may seem. This is in any situation of discussion, not just scenarios of running back into people you haven’t seen in a while. It takes a moment to calm your brain down to recognize that you are maintaining what you’re attained from progression, and refining it.

Thus, because various transitions makes it internally feel as if they will be continuous – especially in the context of a social entrepreneurial mentality – it brings up a central question, maybe most key in this: is there a ‘final’ stage of progression or it is to be felt throughout a lifetime? This isn’t meaning age and biological progression, more so mental, skill and career related ones. When hitting certain plateaus, it feels like you’re right where you wanted to be, but can you ever really know until you lived out the rest of your prominent years? Maybe a conundrum at best right now if any one doesn’t feel like they fully fall on one side or the other.

Dealing with the present day understanding, there most definitely has to be some type of limiting and managing of where you’re at in your proficiency. This brings it back around to the central point: whether you’re actually maintaining a thorough position or whether you’re constantly going to higher plains in life, let people know when they are returners and newbies to you, that there has been progression in some form or fashion. While remembering this should be someone who can respect that – not that you could control another person’s thoughts, but this shouldn’t be somebody that’d be envious of your successful strivings – this makes for conversation as well as the fact of being beyond old paradigms in general. 

Krik?Krak! by Edwidge Dunicat (Book Review)

The short story collection entitled Kirk?Krak! packs a punch coming from the Haiti-born writer, expressing Haitian-Caribbean human experiences from perspectives of hard-living, Oral traditions, perseverance, immigration, and family cohesiveness in the midst of lacking resources. I remember finding out about Danticat by way of “Children of the Sea” in Short Stories For Students encyclopedic series, and wanted to pick it up. As of the time I’d become more involved in writers and books of Africana and Caribbean cultural mentality, and this sent me along deeper into my studies.

Because it’d be far too long and unnecessary with this type of book, I’ll go over a few to give potential readers anticipation for the rest of the collection. 



Stories:
Children of the Sea
Nineteen Thirty-Seven
A Wall of Fire Rising
Night Women
Between the Pool and the Gardenias
The Missing Peace
Seeing Things Simply
New York Day Women
Caroline’s Wedding
Epilogue: Women Like Us

“Children of the Sea” describes two Haitian youths, boyfriend and girlfriend, who are separated, and are writing descriptively to one another, having each other in mind for solace while dealing with the oppressive circumstances that separated them. This mainly relates to the male narrator being a part of a grouped resistance against Haitian government dictation, and is forced into exile.

The story’s structure is clever, splitting between each of them as the narrators of the story, never identified by name, one in bold print and the other regular, separated between boat and land. It’s unexpected how much emotional turmoil is actually involved, but makes the most powerful read in the collection, showing a power of deep affection to keep two persons sane in positions of deprivation or being under duress.

“A Wall of Fire Rising”: to not spoil it not much can be said on it, but within the story a child excitedly recites lines of a play, and the writer blended the play’s lines with the story’s drama very well by the end. This expands on the living conditions of this family, and with skill looking within the dialog, you can see that the character Guy was ashamed of not being able to be a proper provider, speaking to poverty and emasculation of the male.

“Seeing Things Simply” can be seen as weird, quirky, and even a little morbid, about a developing youth, being in association and service of a Paris-oriented painter, by being her subject. So far, if you’re going in order, this is the least “horrid” story so far, and actually far more upbeat. There’s a lost aspect in Princesse, and the artist Catherine, help give something to fulfill herself, aspiring to draw herself eventually.

“Epilogue: Women Like Us”: there’s a good use of second-person past-tensed, (using “You” throughout) and it’s as if the main character in question is being told her own story as if she forgotten, or needed to be reminded. Told by who you could wonder, and eventually leave up to just non-descript narrations, or through what was said, it’s her spirit guides in form of forerunners. The saying of “We are always with you” or “An army of woman are always with you” are why you could frame it as spirit guides, women/mothers of ancestry, recounting on her as a little girl wanting to be a writer, a poet, in an atmosphere that didn’t promote it. It looked upon that desire ridiculously, and even more, the story suggesting that it was dangerous to be a writer, male or female.

Other stories of note are “Night Woman” for its afro-fantastical element, and “Caroline’s Wedding” a great way to end the book. The main issue of the latter is the troubles and work that had to be put in for the father to travel to America, get married, and eventually divorce to bring the rest of the family over. This is where Caroline is born but not Gracina. The story primarily focuses on the daughters gaining independence, especially Caroline (the narrator) by getting her naturalization papers and becoming an American citizen.

Readers can get the sense of a story arc/timeline running through the book, which I feel Edwidge intended, but never close enough to push it, whereby it’d seem novelized. Due to Some imagery given, someone could consider these stories ‘Haitian horror tales’ with some of the grim actions described, but this is not even intended in that genre, showing how horrid poverty can be. Though fictional, realistic relations were based on Danticat’s own experiences, and some geo-cultural context besides what we could usually imagine as a tourist spot; very poetic but having hard-hitting and depressing themes, and shows the need for post-colonial action and economic empowerment in Haiti, and the islands in general.

OVERALL RATINGS:
Creativity in Writing/dialog: Excellent
Main Story Investments: Children of the Sea, A Wall of Fire Rising, Seeing Things Simply
Overall Structure/style: Substantial
Overall Pacing: Mostly Consistent,
Re-read Value: 9/10

April 19, 2016

Recent Afro-Futuristic Art to Appreciate

Being fully associated with the afro-futurist movement and mentality, in my case within the realm of creative writing (that can correlate to or be within the Africana school of thought in general), it’s always a pleasure to find this kind of visual work in the digital art-space. Bridging the gaps between culturalist and fantasist continue to breed a new kind black artist for these days and times, something that’s more explosive than most would consider given the previous lack of art of this nature. Just so happens these picks were all sisters (Black women). 

Only problem comes is when the original creators’ names can’t be found. Though, we’re all just fortunate to get to see the work itself, and thus it sort of takes on an urban legendary status.



S.Ross Browne





Hebru Brantley

Music of the Day - African Reggae Vol. 1


An absolute listen; a million views understandably so. Great track-list (shown in the description box), though I’m not sure if this was official VA (Various Artists) CD, but if not, proper respect to the uploader for this assemblage.



April 16, 2016

Don't Wait For Approval, Just Create, Because You Might be Waiting A While:


Speaking from experience, sometimes, no matter what area of progressive creation you’re in, you physically lag a bit, not from laziness, but from waiting for approval from somebody else. Now in one hand, it does make sense that anybody feeling a growing fulfillment and thus goal-oriented to be accomplished in some talent would want to be validated, and this of course is a basic form of expression to intake someone else’s opinion. But if this is something that causes you to be stagnant in your mental growth, waiting on people to ‘get it’ can be a problem. How long will you be waiting?

From the perspective of parental validation, the positive ideals associated with the progenitors will and should have an effect on a person. But when those ideals don’t run concurrent with  creative desires, especially justifiably, there can be conflict, in this case conflict within the creative person, as if he or she are to be confused or worst guilt-ridden that the parents are not getting their vision, in whatever form it’s attempting to formulate in. This is just unfortunate when people haven’t figured out others have different minds, desires and paths they must take to achieve satisfaction.

Broader social validation is trickier because it can be less or more strenuous based on the demands that people around are places on you. Without a doubt, a person feeling constraints has to ask, “Do these people actually have any vested interest in myself and aspirations?” of course with like-minds it’s a no-brainer, and while others can co-exist with it, these situations shouldn’t have a creative, an artist, etc let their guard down to indirect opposition (the ‘direct’ kind is clear in terms of approval or disapproval). A lot of people don’t want to qualify that, as if the people surrounding you are guaranteed to support any entrepreneur or an alternative creative endeavor, which isn’t the case, especially if they do not think outside the box (and ask why there’s a box in the first place).

All in all, since it’s already going to take work, time and concentration to do so, instead of waiting, just create: write, draw, play, craft, educate in increments or in full expression, and let all the other puzzle pieces fall into place, like-minds will vibe with you, and those who are bound to vibe will do the same.