Creating art has always been my main means of self expression and exploration. By creating, not only am I able to process and understand my own emotions and thoughts through a physical medium, but it is also my way of screaming aloud my truth and values without having to speak a word. I do not always feel confident using my voice to express myself, however bold marks of ink and acrylic paint never fail to make me feel understood.
When creating my work, I can certainly find joy and success in creating digitally, however the real depth comes with what I can touch with my hands. To create work that is meaningful and reflective of me, my relationship with and understanding of God, my culture and roots as a black woman, etc. requires my real time and attention. It is fun to incorporate color in my works, however for me the real excitement is in the seemingly limitless contrast between the deepest dark shades and the lightest ones. Jumping between thick, bold lines and whimsical, thin squiggly ones is exciting yet meaningful to me. The mixture of unpredictable lines and layers of shading compile to create something that has once lived in my brain and I’ve now developed into a physical piece.
In the midst of creating, I never fully know what I intend the final product to look like. I try to take the creation process day by day, moment by moment, because it is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the thought of the work that needs to be done. I could very easily be inspired by something, a little whisper from God, that will help me on what to do along the way of my creation to really bring it together. Although I still have a lot of growth to do as an artist and human being, I am beginning to trust my process as an artist and as the woman I am becoming. I am ever changing and ever growing in every aspect, but I will always stay true to myself and my foundation, which I feel is a very prominent theme in my art.