Art on display at "Homecoming" 5/2/09

other artists work: Nataki Bhatti, Amber Robles Gordon, Tambra Stevenson

afro puffs

When I did this painting, I did it because I wanted it in my own bedroom...well...I had no clue it would start up a little black girl revolution...that all these people would want her too!

So the great news is more prints are going to be available this week! AND>>>

I am starting to work on the other characters that will be included in this series as well as other items that display these young beautiful characters...

one sista told me at an art show...

"I have to have this for my niece...you know...so she can know that how she looks is beautiful and she can accept herself and her blackness"

YAY!!!!!!!!! black IS beautiful!!!! afro puffs and all!!!!

Picking Love

Picking Love
14x18
Acrylic on Canvas
Jade Andwele 2009

We should always choose to pick love!!!!! Be conscious of what you choose to bring into your life!

Secret 3: Following your Fascinations

Reminder: I am reading Gail McMeekins "12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women" and have joined a book group where we post reflections to each chapter/secret...although I am way behind the group (which has finished the book lol) I am still doing it!!!

I know I am behind on these posts but ive been sick and busy among many things...

now that thats out of the way...lol time to discuss the 3rd chapter...

The first thing that jumped out at me was the Greek meaning of risk:

"to sail around a cliff"

I started to think about the idea of a cliff...what things in my life can be represented by a cliff and how do I sail around them? I do not have the answer yet...I think this will take a lot more time of reflection but when i figure it out ill post!

"To be truly creative, you must be willing to try and fail then get over it!"

this quote stuck out because often times we (or at least I) dwell on how we have failed instead of just shaking off the dust and keep on moving!!! I think it is ok to erase and rip up paper then start over, in the most literal to the most conceptual terms...

from this thought the chapter went on to discuss how it takes courage to admit that we have been on the wrong train and I definitely agree with this. I felt for a long time that getting my Masters degree in sociology was not only a waste of money but a waste of time. And it has always been hard for me to admit this to people. Sure I have another piece of paper to prove my knowledge and research skills but I now feel that I could have better spent two and a half years of my life doing more creative and loving things that I enjoy. The natural me hates this but the spiritual me realizes that it wasn't a waste of time because it put me in a place i had to journey to get to where i am now.

A few questions that popped up in my mind that you can ask yourself and I am asking myself:

? what positive risks are you going to take in your life?
? how will you honor your own belief system?
? What does your belief system look like?
? Who is your creative self and what does she/he look like?

Throughout each chapter in the book there are challenges presented for the reader to engage in. I chose to write about the intuitive messages challenge, which asked:

what messages are you receiving from your intuitive voice? IS your creative self inviting you to try new ventures? Are you ready to follow your fascinations?

My creative self is inviting me to try several new ventures. My intuitive voice is telling me to embark on a creative journey that I never thought I would be on. I am enrolling in classes to get pre-requisites for art therapy and going to apply for a masters in art therapy for Fall 2010 instead of going to get my PhD in something else. I am going to take my first art class next week! I am doing more in art that I never believed I would ever do. I just started painting months ago!!! Sell paintings? Never thought it would be me. I have my work hanging in peoples homes!!! My creative self wants me to let go and allow the energy to simply flow out into the world however it may. My creative self wants me to hone my craft and take time to understand who I am as an artist and a creative healer. I am ready to follow these fascinations and am planning my positive risks while working on being positive about these changes in my life and garnering support from others to continue and feel safe outside of my comfort zone.

-jade.

sista beautiful

a gift piece for one of my beautiful sista...i promised her months ago i would paint something since she didnt have any decorations on the wall in her new spot. so i thought this would be nice especially since she is super involved in her sorority which im sure you can guess which one by the colors lol

The Saartjie Project Homecoming !!!!!

The Saartjie Project Presents...

HOMECOMING

5.2.09 Capitol Hill Arts Workshop545 7th Street, S.E. Washington DC (Eastern Market Metro)

In May 2002, Saartjie (Sara) Baartman's remains were flown back to her homeland, South Africa and laid to rest almost 200 years after she left for Europe in search of a life void of violence. Tragically from 1810 – 1815 Saartjie was paraded around Europe under the show name “Hottentot Venus”. Featured as an oddity and hypersexual African woman, she was adorned in feathers, beads and placed in a cage on display because of her large buttocks. When she died her body was dissected and her remains were on display in a museum in Paris until 1974.

HOMECOMING is a tradition adopted by The Saartjie Project to commemorate the 7th anniversary of Saartjie Baartman’s final return home and raises the question,

“What does it mean to commemorate this day?”

HOMECOMING will feature women and girls boldly using their original art to heal and change communities.

Original performances by:

Princess of Controversy (http://www.princessofcontroversy.net/)

Dee Stone (http://www.deestonemusic.com/)

LEA (http://www.thisislea.com/)

Chaquis Maliq (http://www.myspace.com/chaquis)

Mahoganee (http://www.divamilitia.com/)

Jade Foster (http://www.myspace.com/blackchurchmaraca)

Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project (http://www.youngwomendrum.org/)

Elen Awalom

members of The Saartjie Project ...and more!

Original Visual Art by:

Kameelah Rasheed (http://www.kameelahwrites.com/)

Amber Robles-Gordon (http://aroblesgordonart.blogspot.com/)

Nataki McNeal Bhatti (http://www.myspace.com/natakimcnealbhatti)

Jade Andwele (me!)

This is not a night to miss!

Purchase tix at http://www.thesaartjieproject.org/

Your donation helps support The Saartjie Project as we scale our production, community-based programs & sojourn to Minneapolis for the 2009 Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed International Conference. We are a volunteer-run organization for the people sustained by the people.

Joyism May 1st!!!!!

My dear sista is having a wonderful show at the Capital Hill Arts Workshop on Friday May 1st BE THERE!!!!!!

www.osadance.blogspot.com

Ch. 2: Honoring your Inspirations

Im late. hehehe. been super busy. but going to get back at these blog posts

After reading this chapter I learned that I need to push myself more to create time for inspiration and to begin using creative rituals. More meditation. More time to just sit and let creativity come instead of just doing something because I feel like I have to do it.

One of the challenges in the chapter asked "what activates and drains our creativity"

My activators are: music (esp. sista badu!), magazines, concersations, dreams, creative energy and love from others, sunny days

drainers: rainy days, lazy days, low energy overall, feeling overwhelmed/anxious/depressed

In honoring my inspirations, I have to focus more on understand exactly who Jade is and build strategies to understand how my creativity works and how to allow it to work better. I constantly carry around a notebook or sketchbook and colored pencils to record whatever comes to mind whenever.

The chapter also discussed creating a creative sanctuary, which is my room overall lol I have beautiful colors of orange, purple, fuschia, different types of lighting, a large desk, areas to paint, green plants and colorful flowers (LIVE lol not fake), several bookshelves and creative cabinent. I will post pics of my room/creative sanctuary later.

how will you honor your creative inspirations?

at the nursing home

Last week I assisted an art therapy session at a nursing home in hampton. it was a rainy day and i didnt know what to expect. but i went. excited. open. soul feeling like the scent of the fresh rain.

i walked in the building and was led into the dining room area.
there were several 'seasoned' sistas and brothas in wheelchairs with nurses and volunteers helping them with their work. I was paired with an 80 year old brotha named Jesse.
Strong black brotha. He was focused on his work. He took an entire hour working on a bird he wanted to paint. I helped him with the watercolors. He laughed at me. I looked around at the others. Nurses were drawing the pictures and painting them for their patients, but me?

I let Jesse go on and do his thing.

What is creativity if I force myself on to someone else's process? Although some of the people were limited in their ability to draw and paint so what!!!! Let them have autonomy and the gift of doing whatever they want!!! From time to time Jesse asked me to move the paper around for him and clean his brushes. I was his assistant because he only had one arm.

When he finally finished his piece, he had the best out of everyone. It was an amazing watercolor on paper of a bird on a tree stump. He blended blues and greens, reds and browns to create something amazing. Everyone else made easter baskets lol

So when he finished I said, "you want to paint something for easter?"
he laughed, "I cant. I dont know what easter look like!"

He used the power of his own mind to paint and take time to create what he envisioned, not what someone else had. If i learned anything from this session, I know that as a therapist and creative encourager, I dont want to force. I want to beckon. I want to faciliate. Gently knead. Softly call for the creative energy that exists in every patient, client, sista, and brotha. And allow them to surface in their own time.

and this is a lesson for all parts of life...we should all ask ourselves, do we tend to force our ideas and our ways upon others? or create an environment where all can exist and grow?

Acknowledging your creative self

This first chapter begins with these words...

"yes you are a creative woman!!!!"

which led me to pick up some pastels and my sketchbook and create this quick drawing. She is a creative woman. Her entire body is a vibration of creative love and energy and she is constantly emitting and reflecting. Something I plan to later paint. Then I thought about creating a children's book. well a book full of illustrations not just for kids but for grown women too. Don't you like to look at pictures? I do. This is something I hadn't thought of before, but that is what acknowledging your creative self is about, reaching out and honoring all of the crazy amazing creative ideas that you have in your mind that you never really thought about moving on...why not? if you dreamed it then it is attainable!!!

What I found interesting is that the authors story is similar to mine. She became sick and in the process of healing and changing her life, she reached out for art and creative expression in order to create a fulfilling life. I never thought I would want to be an art therapist or open a healing center of creativity or write a memoir looking at my journey from depression to now. who knew?! I believe that my sickness was a divine intervention. while it sucked, it also slowed me down and allowed me to make necessary changes in my life. sweep out the old dust and make room for newness for light for love for energy and infinite possibilities.

A quote from the chapter:

"We continue to be stifled by a host of factors that cause us to censor our inner voices and follow someone else's dream"

Have we not all been here? I have lived 23 years listening to what other people think I should do with my life. The other day my mom said, oh look these jobs for the president why not apply. And I told her NO!!!! I refuse to do anything else in life that has nothing to do with my calling and my passion. I am fortunate enough to be so young and understand what it is i am passionate about and know what I am supposed to do with my life. My calling from God.

By acknowledging my creative self I know that I have to do better. I must incorporate more mediation into my daily life. I must take time to practice my creativity and allow it to flourish. I must be loud and bold with my creativity and not allow others to violate who I am and what I choose to do with my creative self. I must share my creativity with others who in turn share with me so that we are true reflections of one another. Namaste. I am blessed to have a creative circle in my life of women who are all encouraging me to grow.

I will finish this post with an excerpt from my memoir... I think it can describe one of the first times I can remember being creative...

I remember art class in elementary. Every Friday afternoon. The art teacher had a tight asymmetrical bob and always wore fly earrings. She played the radio during the entire creative process. I think that's where I developed my music addiction. I cant do much of anything without music playing. I remember pastels staining the ridges in my fingertips. Construction paper and magazine collages. Watercolors and tempra paints. Feeling relieved. No grammar. No math. Just fingers deep in clay. Friends laughing and jamming to the latest tunes. And now while writing this sitting at the bar in a Maryland Starbucks, I deeply want to recreate this sanctuary for others. For myself. To be creative and free.

-jade andwele. Copyright 2009.