In your own words, how would you describe your creative work?

I am here to change the narrative. To change the narrative that positions black female artists. To do so through my writing, my photography, my clothes and my events. These are all expressions of me as an artist.

When did you first discover your passion for art/writing/photography?

In Sister Outsider (1984), Audrey Lorde, states that

Of all the art forms, poetry is the most economical. It is the one which is the most secret, which requires the least physical labor, the least material, and the one which can be done between shifts, in the hospital pantry, on the subway, and on scraps of surplus paper.

I do not have the luxury of identifying any particular time of discovery for my work. As Lorde states, I did this in, around and alongside all those things I did and still do this, in and around my life. My poetry and I are growing up together. From the days of walking to school and giving words to the experiences I had. From my second place in the Black Penmanship Award at 11 years old, which was run by Len Garrison across London schools.  The same Len Garrison who set up The Black Cultural Archives. To my English teacher who arrived from Devon, exclaiming that she had not taught ‘black children’ before. The said teacher who kept me in for detention because the poem I presented, could not have been written by me. She insisted that I bring her the book I had ‘copied’ the poem from, except there was no book and, I interpreted her disgust as a celebration of how great my work was and so went on to publish two poetry anthologies. 

The first time I saw a photograph being developed in the dark room, I fell in love with photography, spending many hours after that injesting photography chemicals, teaching photography/media studies and documenting the experiences of global majority people in London and on my travels. I overstood then, and now, how powerful an image is and how it impacts the brain, the mind, the emotions and the memory.  The ‘image’ that was chosen to depict ‘Jesus’ is a case in point. 

What's the creative process?

The creative process is waking up to the power of the art. Knowing that this can be done on purpose, intentionally to change the narrative.  In 2024 (Jan-Feb 2024), I exhibited at The Beany Museum in Canterbury as part of a 23 strong Kent group of artists. I exhibited at St Georges Art Centre for International Women’s Day and at Ebbsfleet International Station in June showcasing the images of the newer arrivals to Ebbsfleet, Swanscome, Northfleet and Greenhithe in the past 30 years. The latter project was a commission which now has the stories of black and brown people embedded in the archives. This is an important milestone for researchers will now find the images, words and recordings of Genny Jones and Annette Erskine who have both lived in Northfleet for over twenty years, of Mr and Mrs Smith who has lived in Greenhithe and of Yetunde Adeola. Each of these exhibitions provided an opportunity for showcasing my skills as a writer, photographer and speaker. An opportunity to use my skills to tell their stories.

What does a typical day look like to you?

Time in the park, walking, stretching, breathing and grounding. Walking through dew wet grass and hugging the trees. Celebrating the life I have and gifting myself what is available for us all. My writing will take the form of journaling and working on one of my writing projects. This year, I am submitting more photographs to competitions.  I am mentoring a young woman whose main interests are poetry, photography and short stories, where I was selected by her mother who saw me perform my poetry at a women’s healing event in 2023.

What have you learned most about yourself in recent times?

I completed a 21 day water fast a week ago.  I ate no food for 21 days. I learned that the body and mind are so inextricably connected that I really can do and be anything I want to be. I learned that people who say ‘I couldn’t do that’, are also right. They have agreed with themselves that they’ll live within their limitations. There are still mountains to climb and as I navigate the stage of my life called menopause and learn how to regain the physical strength that was temporarily lost due to the hormonal and physiological changes, I have not dismissed the goals and plans, even if they will take longer than I had originally planned.

Do you have any wisdom you can share with others who are thinking of launching a creative business?

Wisdom? Wisdom is what I have lots of. The term creative business refers to so many industries now. The AI revolution is  changing the deck continuously. When I entered the world of photography, people were debating whether photography was really art. I mean, university degrees had modules where these debates took place! Then the digital era came in and photography was no longer recognizable and the products were accepted as art, some as abstract but non, the less, it was art. The sepia tones black and white images of my mum and dads era, were classified as historical documentation.

Now Condé West (a publishing company) has acquired chapgpt, the debates attended one year ago when publishers were asking authors to sign that none of their work had been created by AI, is null and void. 

Take your work seriously and control how and where you share it and value it. All industries can be hard and cut throat. Racism, sexism, ageism and many other types of discrimination exist. Should that stop you?  If you want it do and if you don’t, carry on going forward through the hard and emerge on the other side.

What next is the question I and many are asking in 2024, whilst others already know!!

What is on your mind right now?

Whether I will accept an invitation to return to DJing later this year.  It could be the balance I need :-)

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Exploring All of Me by Mbeke Waseme

And Then It Was 2020 by Mbeke Waseme