What a privilege it has been to be in proximity to such extraordinary human beings and artists, whether icons, students, faculty, or comrades in the shoe.. this entire ecosystem felt like a springboard and affirmed my thought process about what stories need to be told!
I'm forever changed by the trust that made it possible.
This was the hardest year of my adult life. Multiple things can be true. The imagination that comes with survival, especially within the Black experience.. our intelligence deserves to be championed. I've always been a supporter of the underdog, who knew I ever needed to extend that grace to myself?
The more I reach, the stronger I feel. It’s important not to allow the limitations of others dictate your worth. Belief is the engine, so make art no matter the outcome.
This experience has done so much heavy lifting, and I hope it hands other artists from where I'm from the same blank canvas. Proof that the sky is the limit, and that your story is always worth telling.
Gratitude to UM-Flint and University Musical Society for supporting Seeds & Fruit and giving this chapter room to exist.
Read more about my capstone, Seeds & Fruit, here.
Photo by: Rayford Gray
Video produced by Stephanie VanWagoner, Office of Marketing and Communications.
