I am an artist, writer, illustrator and beloved human. I currently reside near Atlanta, Georgia, where the fusions of culture, music, creativity, diversity, entertainment and faith all inspire the life and vibrancy of my work. As a kid, I grew up drawing cartoons in notebooks, until I became older and graduated to devouring YA novels and TV shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Young Justice. I decided I wanted to be an YA author when I grew up, but by the time I graduated high school, I was convinced I would be a human rights activist instead. Too much was wrong in the world – things needed to be fixed.
However, that was not to be – at least not how my younger self imagined. After years working in social services, youth development, and higher education, I feel drawn back to the arts. In tumultuous times, art has the power to speak to people’s hearts, minds and souls, and to light the way forward – even when all seems lost. I think of artists like John Biggers or Faith Ringgold, who’s art spoke to Black Americans’ dreams, hopes and fears throughout the bitter 1940s into the revolutionary 60s and 70s. I also think of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, who did the same for the first generations out of slavery – reminding themselves and the world that Black people are people – through poems, prose, novels and plays.
The world is in desperate need of artists who have the vision to carry us through the tumultuous times ahead. More than just politics, we need a transformation of our society – a renewal of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the “love ethic” at the very heart of our communities and culture. Only then will we be able to create the Beloved Community that so many of us desire (and that many do not). It is not a practical or easy task. But art has the power to awaken, to inspire, and to move people in the depths of their souls. If there was ever a time to be an artist, it is now. And this is what I hope for my art to be: a signpost to remind people to keep going, that not all is lost, and that at the end of the day, love is stronger than fear – indeed, even death. And that the restoration of the world really is on the way, even if it seems like it’s taking it’s sweet time getting here.
My work is driven by four key beliefs and values:
- Making things as a way of loving others—to create diverse characters that make others feel seen; complex and humanizing characters that make people feel understood; and stories that remind us that empathy is strength, not weakness – “be strong enough to be gentle”.
- Creating art as a way to reach people—to build social connection and community, especially in isolated and fragmented times
- Creating art as a way to process the world around me and tell the truth about issues closest to my heart, often involving racism, sexism, faith & social justice.
- That there is hope & beauty even in our broken world; that hopelessness, cynicism, pain & despair will never have the last word.
Take some time to look around! And thanks for reading 🙂
Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. -Frederick Buechner