A small introduction
Some preliminary thoughts on the purpose of this publication and why I create things.
Who are you even?!?
Hi! I’m Joy (she/they), a multidisciplinary artist from St. Petersburg, Florida. Primarily, I’m:
a musician — piano, guitar, a little bass, and saxophone once upon a time
a photographer — Nature photography was one of my first loves. I mostly shoot portraits these days - which I also love! Now, I’m embracing this current movement into the editorial world.
and a graphic designer — I usually make things like logos, flyers, and t-shirts. I’ve dabbled with composite photos. I’ve also had some interior design moments that led to projects like creating a floor plan and room mockups for my old apartment.
More recently, writing has become central to my creative practice. In summary, I love a good story.
“The poets, by which I mean all artists, are finally the only people who know the truth about us — soldiers don’t, statesmen don’t, priests don’t, union leaders don’t. Only the poets.”
-James Baldwin
Why do I write?
Ehime Ora (one of my faves) once wrote,
“You gotta resurrect the deep pain within you and give it a place to live that’s not within your body. Let it live in art. Let it live in writing. Let it live in music. Let it be devoured by building brighter connections. Your body is not a coffin for pain to be buried in. Put it somewhere else.”
The world is in fucking (please note that I will absolutely be cussing here lol) shambles. Living, aging, connecting, grieving, healing, growing, dying, existing, being human are all challenging tasks in their own right. Doing so under capitalism and colonialism is enough to destroy the body and the mind. Basic survival is unnecessarily difficult for so many people for so many ridiculous reasons — epidemics and pandemics, genocide and ethnic cleansing, the American healthcare system, the military and prison industrial complexes, general corporate greed, etc., etc.
“[We] got a lot to be mad about!” (no Solange).
Bearing all that in mind, as a “neuro-spicy” legend who struggles with anxiety and depression, I function better when I get my thoughts, ideas, and feelings out of my mind and into the open. As a result, I’ve been spending lots of time writing, typing, and speaking into the void whenever I notice myself entering another downward spiral.
As many brilliant folks before me have noted, “the antidote to capitalism is community.”
Toni Morrison gave this specific charge to artists in 2004:
“In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent. This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear.”
In the spirit of resurrecting the deep-seated grief, pain, and rage accumulated over the last few years, I try to make more conscious efforts to alchemize those feelings into something that might bring forth catharsis, joy, connection, and maybe some healing. As many brilliant folks have said way before me, “the antidote to capitalism is community,” and stories are a powerful tool for connection.
Why a Substack?
This publication tool provides a straightforward space for me to turn pieces of my creations and ideas into something more cohesive. I’m sure I’ll write about sad and serious shit like capitalism and oppression and existential dread. However, I’m also a very unserious person, like deeply unserious! With that in mind, this will also be a place for me to have a little fun and just try some shit. I’m alchemizing the things!
So feel free to join me on this little journey. My goal is to post at least monthly, but perhaps more frequently once I hit a rhythm. Today, you’ll get two posts because I feel like I should have some kind of introduction here lol. Most importantly, I just wanted to get started and I’m sure I’ll figure out the rest later.
If any of this resonates with you, feel free to subscribe. I hope to see you around!
Dope into, and I’m in alignment with you. Poet to poet, I’m excited about your work. Thanks for the sub, I’m tuned in. Keep artin’ from a fellow neurotypical-spiced fellow. 🙏🏽🪷
Ps. Where can I catch your music? (Apologies in advance if this is clearly stated elsewhere and I missed it).