This year has certainly been a whirlwind!  I’m grateful for the many times I’ve traveled, business adventures and newfound clarity on so many times. For now, I just want to wish everyone a thank you for following!

Join me today, November 24, 2017 as we set our sights on the upcoming year.  What’s your main artistic and career goal? How do you do what you do? Are you finding yourself muddy on your own vision? Developing a Mission Statement might help!

Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/190b24112806/i3eocdmflk and be ready to bring in 2018 with immense clarity around your goal.

This Memorial Day weekend, I am arms deep in a few play events, which is such an awesome problem to have! Here they are briefly:

THE ATLANTA POD PLAYS

Found Stages and Little Five Arts Alive‘s Atlanta Pod Plays is first up this weekend!.  Found Stages, a relatively new theatre company in Atlanta, commissioned a few playwrights and developed site specific plays at locations in Little Five Points.  My play called, “Sit Anywhere,” is designed to be heard in front of Bass Family Lofts.  Check them out at https://soundcloud.com/found-stages-…/…/the-atlanta-podplays. Also, stop by the Found Stages site, after all, we were named a Best Bet for the weekend!

THAT WHAT BURIED

In 2014, while a Horizon Theatre Apprentice, I started working on two full lengths. I often work on two plays at the same time – the ideas just come time simultaneously.  Point is, in 2017, I made a promise to myself to finish these plays so that I can move on to my next subjects, so I’ve been working to get my unfinished full lengths completed. First it was On the Third Day, about a family dealing with the lose of an immediate family member. The second is That What Buried (pictured above) about three African American sisters in Paris in 1955.

This reading is presented by Working Title Playwrights at the Alliance Theatre in the Movement Studio on the 3rd floor on May 30, 2017 at 7:30pm. It features one of my favorite directors in Mia Kristin Smith, Horizon buddy Hannah Church as Stage Manager, and actresses Dionna Davis, Brittany L. Smith, and Victoria Wilson. The room is small, so get there early!

THE ONLINE ARTIST RESIDENCY

I’m excited to announce my curation of an online interview web summit about the business of the arts. The Online Artist Residency kicks off June 6th…you should join now and be the first to know all the juicy things about the summit.  A much longer post to come!

In this season of being thankful, I’m writing a few posts to reflect the goodness that was 2016.  Quite a few things to acknowledge, so here we go! First up, residencies.

This past year, I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending three Writer’s Residencies. Residencies are ways for Writers and Artists of all disciplines to get time to focus solely on their craft and complete a project of their choosing.  Many of the residencies are in absolutely beautiful locations around the country – sometimes in rural areas, sometimes in the middle of major cities. All have the seclusion necessary for all cultivating the creative process.

Blackacre Conservancy

The first was a Writer in Residence at Blackacre Conservancy in Louisville, KY, through a partnership with Spalding University’s MFA-W Program.  Blackacre’s residency started just this summer and welcomes primarily writers in all genres.  My two weeks were spent in an apartment in the farm house as well as presenting workshops at the Chestnut Street YMCA with the  Black Achieversand University of Louisville Lincoln Scholars program. The Black Achievers and I spoke on life skills and what my life as a writer. The Lincoln Scholars learned the math and science involved in Theatre (see the presentation here).

My writing primarily focused on getting the first full draft of On the Third Day, a play that looks at the Lansing Family, who, torn apart by a death, must put themselves together again to make a major decision.  Muhammad Ali passed during my residency, so I was able to see some of the memorial and catch up with childhood friend (now EPSN Reporter) Coley Harvey! I also met author Kim Michele Richardson (via Twitter!) who brought me the most welcome gift and caramel apple pie, and saw plays at Theatre 502 and The Bardstown.

Taleamor Park

The second residency was a Writer in Residence at Taleamor Park in LaPorte, In.  A new residence hosted by Clifford and Lisa Lee Peterson, it is nestled on a farm. Part of my time was to used to assist with planting some of the garden and cleaning out the barn.  While there, we had weekly potluck, an Open House and got to see some of the city of LaPorte, Michigan City and even Chicago!

While in residence, I worked on a first full draft of That What Buried, a play about African American sisters in Paris in the 1950s.

Hambidge

Most recently, I was a Writer in Residence at the Hambidge Center for Arts and Sciences as a Fulton County Fellow.  Nestled in the woods of Rabun Gap, GA with no phone service and limited internet access, this residency sits on the land of costumer, activist and weaver Mary Hambidge.  I lived in the Foxfire cabin and in residence with several artists/writers from all over the country with whom I dined Tuesday-Friday.

While in residence, my goal was to revise On the Third Day and That What Buried to prepare them for submission opportunities.  Revision is probably the hardest things for most writers to do, but Hambidge is the perfect place for it.  The artists helped me talk through some of the points and reminded me of things I needed to consider. More than anything, the cabin made me refine my method a little by having me visually ask questions and respond.  I also wrote two one minute pieces for the Atlanta One Minute Play Festival (as special event coming soon!) and some smaller devotions and sermons.

Unfortunately, my residency was cut a little short due to the North Ga wildfires. Wishing Jamie, Christine, the evacuated artists and everyone at Hambidge good luck.  Praying for rain to come before any damage starts!

Graduation happened – I’ve officially Mastered all things Theological (as they say).  Put that with all things African American and African Diaspora and Creative Writing and you’ll see that this is all great fodder for plays, poetry, and writings to come.

What’s next? Right now, I’m preparing to do my Visiting Writing stint at Blackacre, handling some church productions, and developing a workshop. Also, June is a 30 day month, so you can join me walking through 30 Days of Peace and Praise.

Send me a message or just check me out on the pages here!

Over the past two years, I’ve been working on my Masters of Theological Studies to solidify the ministry knowledge.  It’s been a moment of self-discovery, particularly on how I relate and pour myself into the arts. If nothing else, it has actually made me a better artist, more observant to my surroundings and more aware of my own voice.  I graduate very soon, May 9th, and am looking forward to jumping into so highly creative opportunities (which you will see listed in the What I’m Up To section).

I’m also going to be making another book available soon, this one of plays for worship, so be on the look out for new details. Also, during the month of June, I’ll be doing a guided 30 Days of Peace and Praise using Facebook Direct. Many exciting things happening that you don’t want to miss out on!

As always, I’m involved in many theatre things, including the annual One Minute Play Festival.  Take a look at that What I’m Up To page!

It had been my dream for years to be a professional writer. What I have found, in all my workings, is that I’m not actually sure what that means. I love to capture my emotions on paper, transfer tastes to ideas on the computer screens and present colors as a prism in the mind.  Occasionally, people read these ideas and tell me what they think about it.  Sometimes its on a magazine, other times one a blog.  Whatever the case, if it means I’m professional, I embrace it.  I humbly submit these irrational thoughts, these travel tracks, these opportunities for growth.

Welcome to my world.