Compositions of Black Joy: August update!
Got a lot to share, so please keep reading.
Hello friends!
For those who have been following along, you may recall that in July, I previewed the layout of the interior of my forthcoming photo book, Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of The Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022).
Today, I have several updates to share with you, so please keep reading and feel free to jump in with your comments/reactions.
UPDATE #1 - PROGRESS REPORT REGARDING LAYOUT OF THE BOOK
First, I’m excited to share that the layout of the ACTIVISM chapter IS COMPLETE!
This chapter is approximately 14 pages long and features 12 photos and close to 600 words (chapter text and captions).
Y’all, this is huge, because remember, this is a photo book and not just text, and the images need to tell a cohesive and compelling and heartfelt and inspiring story about the growth and evolution of this festival that I hold near and dear to my heart.
Now that we have the design conventions established for the remaining chapters that will feature photographs spanning 2015-2022, we will be on track to complete the entire main section of the book by mid-October.
Titles of chapters to be included in the main section:
What is the significance of Germantown (Philadelphia PA)
What is the significance of Juneteenth and the Johnson House?
Centering Black Families
The Evolution of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival
Joyful Celebration of Black Culture, History and Commerce
The Movement for Black Lives and Local Activism (complete)
A view of the exhibit at the Germantown Historical Society
UPDATE #2 - MARKETING AND PROMOTION PLANS ARE IN MOTION
After I returned from my trip, I purchased the domain name for the book and am working on securing a website designer to create a landing page. The goal is to begin taking pre-orders as soon as the website goes live. There are also plans to create and sell branded merchandise - think stickers, buttons, bookmarks (!!!), anything that readers and art lovers might want to get their hands on.
I also created Facebook and Instagram accounts for the book. More about this later, but I invite you to give one or both a follow in the meantime.
AUGUST REFLECTION
After I got back from Winston-Salem, I became ill (with what I believe in hindsight was COVID). It started with relentless coughing and sneezing but quickly evolved int a situation where I had a fever, chills, full body aches, and severe gastrointestinal upset. It’s taken me about two weeks to shake it off, with lots of rest, fluids and peace and quiet.
I still have a lingering cough and some congestion, but I feel much better than I did a couple of weeks ago mainly because I made the conscious choice to rest. Nothing is more important than this, and it’s unfortunate that we live in a “productivity-driven” society that looks down on the practice of resting our minds and bodies. It’s funny though, when you really think of quiet quitting and endless social media scrolling, we’re actually in the midst of a low-key rebellion against the notions of productivity and being busy. We really want to rest, but are too afraid to completely check out and just do it.
At any rate, I am grateful to anyone and everyone who checked on me and offered well-wishes during this time, to those who made sure I ate, and reminded me to stop worrying and rest my mind and body.
I’m most grateful to my plant babies for giving me a purpose, a reason and a routine that empowered me to focus my limited energy on caring for life other than myself. And in exchange, they took the air from my struggling lungs and created fresh oxygen to breathe…
Sometimes, when I’m ill, my thoughts go to a dark place and I start to question myself, i.e., do I honestly have what it takes to see this project through to the finish line; who will support me, or am I in this all alone, you get the drill.
My inner critics (yes, I have more than one) can be brutal and I’ve had to smack them around to get them to shut the hell up on numerous occasions throughout my life in order to get shit done.
I also realized that if I didn’t get this internal shit show under control, I would continue to manifest this horrible energy in my waking life. Unfortunately, we can’t go around smacking people who insist on bringing negativity to our lives with their endless critiques and utter lack of actionable solutions. So if I don’t want toxic people and energies showing up in my life, I must detoxify my thoughts and beliefs. It always starts - and ends - with me.
That’s why the trip to Winston-Salem was so powerful; I met so many people who are walking the walk and I also had a chance to sit down with some wonderfully talented business coaches who truly heard me and offered me real solutions that I plan to rollout over the coming months (see UPDATE #2, above).
Now’s the time where, in the spirit of full transparency, I must share also that I came to a point during my illness where I seriously contemplated walking away from this book project. Basically saying fuck it, I don’t really need to finish this, just shelve it, it won’t matter. I then quickly came to realize that this foray into hopelessness has to be temporary. Not completing this work is not an option.
Let me repeat myself: NOT COMPLETING THIS WORK IS NOT AN OPTION.
I’ve been through enough dark nights of the soul to understand that the storms of life eventually clear away and the path forward will be much brighter than I could ever imagine.
Out of this experience, I’ve come to the realization that I must be brutally selfish with my creative and administrative energies if I am to finish this project. Anyone who has given birth to someone, or something that the world has never seen can attest to what I’m saying. Vibrant living things cannot thrive in chronic lack and deprivation.
Out of a sense of misguided altruism, I have abandoned and regained and abandoned and regained my creative voice so many times in my life. Today I am declaring, no more. Sorry not sorry.
Question: Where in your life are you exercising a degree of selfishness, and how has that choice to be selfish benefited your creative practice?
Tieshka, this is such a worthwhile project. I'm already looking forward to buying the book to add to my library. Thank you so much for sharing the progress of this creation with us.