Brain Dump

I have not blogged for some time. I have no excuse. I just wasn't feeling it. But, I have been up to some fun and exciting stuff.

Here goes the dump:

I celebrated my birthday June 5th. I had yummy seafood and drinks at a cute place called Six Feet Under in Atlanta.

I was invited to be a guest artist for a week at DePaul University School of Theater in Chicago. I worked with MFA Acting students. I had so much fun and presented workshops on Puppetry, Hustling/Entrepreneurship and Artists Statements. We created shadow puppets together, inspired each other and I didn't want to leave.

Our 5 year old started summer camp and we both have been loving it.
I volunteered to lead a workshop to the kids at my son's summer camp. We made cat hand puppets and learned about the art of puppeteering.

I started to attend a cool church that I like.

I got booked to do voice over work for a British Electronic dance song. I was able to channel Maya Angelou and it was a fun experience.

I am a puppet ambassador at my gig at the Center for Puppetry Arts and had the chance to do outreach at the National Black Arts Festival and the Coretta Scott King National Book Fair.  Over the course of 2 days last week I was able to interact with close to 1,000 kids while giving instruction on creating a cute bird and tree puppet. Good times.

I have become more addicted to any and all reality shows.

What have you been up to this summer?

Mason Jar Madness

I LOVE Mason Jars! I want to drink from them, use the as vases for fresh flowers, store dry beans and rice in them and turn them into candle holders. I used tissue paper to give it a latern effect once its lit. I also used a image from a vintage hair ad that I found in a 1965 Jet magazine. It turned out cute. I am gonna keep experimenting since I have a large box full of jars. I can't stop buying and finding them.

Poetry Monday.

i be an artist

i be an artist cuz my great granny was

kept 18 kids alive in rural Mississippi
holding a pistol in her apron to creatively solve any problems
cuz my mama was painting metal church chairs  with red spray paint
using yellow electrical tape to trim our counter tops
cuz she always wanted a yellow and red kitchen
but my daddy paycheck wasn’t long like that to afford remodeling
so she made due
cuz my granny had a whole lotta kids to feed
so she grew huge gardens
and let me help her can peaches
and made medicine
cuz them white doctors be trying to kill us
and who can afford an ER bill
that’s my art school

 i be an artist cuz my hands and mind just keep moving

ahead of me like a motor with no destination
and I feel funny inside when I haven’t written a poem in a few months
cuz lady terror came to me one night in our basement
built a soapbox
as a salve to help me heal from my daddy’s death
created herself to give me some solace
a place to rant and cry and scream
cuz I be mad
and still mad
that my daddy died on a cold hospital table like that

 i be an artist cuz I think differently

and the bills keep coming
so I made something outta paper
someone said they would buy it
since they love beauty
so I sold it
gave the money to the light bill
all is good with the world

 i be an artist cuz I grew up on wooden church pews

watching performance art in the pulpit
old ladies swimming in mid air
foaming at the mouth
chanting Jesus for hours
until
heads flung back and holy ghost took over
poetry spit every sunday
preachers are my art teachers

My great granny Rhodie born in 1894.

National Poetry Month 30 days in 30 days: Poem #1

What becomes?

A bloody maxi pad tied to door knob to ward off evil spirits

Addicts shooting up babies
A two headed dog
Mutant forces
Threesomes in front of churches with no protection
Agent Orange sprinkled on salad as dressing
A freak sighting
Immaculate Conception thru prison walls
Fresh wild boar being served in Harold’s Chicken
Trees bent into the peace symbol by wind
The killing of black babies for skin

 I am worried

Silicone booties and sliced bodies the standard of beauty
Artists locked in cubicles for hours
Hunted black boys laying in morgues cell phone still ringing
Strange occurrences
Words forbidden
Natural anything spit on
Flamboyant freedom rejected
Debit cards over cash
Robots over breathing

I am scared

Celebrate life!

So I have been out of the blog world for a minute. I lost my favorite auntie, Norma Jean on January 31st. This date is also the anniversary of the 6th year of being without the love of my life, my daddy. I also moved into a new house and still have boxes to unpack. Thru it all I give thanks for all the blessings and grace the Creator has shown me and my family. I will be back with more musings and writings on creative empowerment. Life is short. Live strong!

Here is poem I wrote for my auntie and read at her services in Chicago.


For our Norma Jean

this isn’t a poem

its words put together when words can never say enough

its a whirlwind

a big smile

a tight hug from a favorite aunt

that looks just like my mama

its love

this isn’t a poem

its a family story

it begins in a busy house that used to stand not too far from here

with a wild backyard

a warm kitchen upstairs

tall, steep concrete steps

that provided us many scraped knees

all our hearts can remember is

her laughing and smiling

if we counted all the times we heard her laughing

beautiful gap teeth smiling

head leaned back

soul a glow

we are rich

this isn’t a poem

since words can never be enough

to celebrate

to speak on the essence of her spirit

while the body is fragile

it bends

it fails

it gives out

spirit is stronger

no force is greater than pure love

her journey to short for us

lovely many times

bumpy some times

cuz life can serve up bumps and valleys and peaks along the way

her chapters unfolded like a large novel

i wanna keep turning the pages

we wish for more volumes

more hugs

more of her laughs

more comedy

more of her sweet nature

just more

more

more norma jean love

the essence of her spirit

will live on

your brothers, sisters, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, friends

deep down wish our collective love for you would pull you back here

our tears would drown out all pain

but

with deep breathes

we release you to the creator

rest now

rest in perfect light dear one

the essence of your spirit will live on

Tricia Hersey

from left to right: My Auntie Norma Jean and My mama Jean Marie

Do what you love. I love Glitter!

I think the Gemini in me makes me flickle and flighty or the full and new moons have been making me to go off into dreamland. I have just been all over the place mentally thus why I haven't been blogging much. I will do betta. I promise.
Anyhoo, I have been pushing along with TerrorChic Designs. I am at the stage where I just love creating so I have just been focusing on creating new stuff when I am inspired. For all the folks who are creative entrepeneurs it can be a fine line from doing what you love and creating things strictly to sell to others. I really, really want the notecards and decoupage art to sell to everyone for a few reasons:

- I think that everyone deserves and should receive a handwritten note on a piece of art that is made slowly and deliberatley with human hands.

-It is nothing sweeter than seeing glitter on anything. I wish I could glitter my entire body. Glitter is joy.

-Handmade is better than factory produced cards that you buy at your local store.

-I LOVEEEEE making them. They bring me happiness and I still believe in the saying, "Do what you love and the money will come."

Since my last post, I made my big sister a decoupage candle jar for her 40th birthday. I didn't get a photo of it before I shipped it to Chicago but will have her take one and share later. I also sold a card, and made two more inspired by Etta James and Erykah Badu. Check them out:

I have also been sending Happy New Year cards to friends and family. I love surprising them!
In a few weeks I will be attending a Rubber Stamp and Paper Arts Festival - woo hooo! I snagged a free weekend pass as part of a crafters Meetup group I am a member of. They have a class on wet embossing and I am super hyped to take it and learn some new techniques. In the meantime, I will be sending out more surprise handwritten cards.

When was the last time you received a handwritten letter or card?

New Stuff

Remember the haul from the craft store that I told you about? Well, I have been busy making some new designs with all my goodies. I am still experimenting and sourcing materials for the mini journals. They will be super cute for your purses to skecth at a moments notice or to write down your grocery list. I totally adore this new card I did called "The ReBirth:" Doesn't it make you want to grab it and write a letter to a friend to wish them a Happy New Year full of possibilities?

Who doesn't love a Soul Singer draped in red snakeskin? I know I can't deny it. Check out "Keep it Classy."

Both of these cards will be on sale in my Etsy shop and are 4 X 6 and come with a lovely gold metallic envelope.

These photographs serve a double purpose today:

1. To share my new designs and hopefully inspire you to write more handwritten letters.

2. They are Day 1 of a photography project called Project 365 that I am participating in over at Stars for Streetlights I love this blog because she takes amazing photographs and has fun DIY projects. I am hoping to become a better photographer so this project was the perfect one for me. I will be taking a new photograph everyday and sharing it here with you. The best way to get better is to practice and experiment. Come back often to see my progress and to support TerrorChic Designs

Keep creating!