Unchain Your Mind | 8 things I've learned on this journey...

1.) Don't ask me to promote your stuff if you won't promote mine. 

I have an album for sale on several websites, a FB artist page, YouTube page, and a blog. At what point did you plan on purchasing or subscribing? Respect the hustle. It's give and take. 

2.) If you didn't write poetry before you met me, don't start now.

 I always get the "I always wanted to write" or "I keep a journal" lines. Poetry is open to interpretation. I encourage everyone, don't try to tap into your inner self in attempts to impress me. 

3.) I'm a people's poet. Not a poet's poet. 

That being said, my goal is to reach the people. Not to speak so deeply as to where they will have no idea where I'm coming from or what I'm saying. Which remind me...

4.) Don't kill me with metaphors that nobody can visualize.... EVER.

I was hearing a picture of you standing in a well of feelings looking for water. 

Wait...what?

5.) I am in every poem. In some way. 

Yes, most of my poems are about love, life, and love lost. That doesn't mean that it directly depicts my life. You won't find out who I am through my poetry. I promise. 

6.) If you offer me a line or inspire me to write a piece, that doesn't mean we should do a group piece. 

I don't need to elaborate do I?

7.) A poem starts in the heart long before it ever makes it to the page. 

Which is why you'll always find parts of me in each piece. 

8.) If you want to right better poetry, study better poetry. 

Unchain Your Mind

Unchain Your Mind | He Turned It!!

Won’t He do it?! Let’s start from the beginning.

July 2013

 An email is distributed to all E-5’s (my current rank) that are looking for a better job/position in the hospital. I was immediately interested and sent in the requested information. The job being offered gave me high visibility with plenty more opportunities to advance my career.

August 2013

I get an email with my interview date. By this time, I don’t even want the new job anymore because I like my current work schedule, position, and was apparently slotted in a position higher than my rank (being in an E-6 slot looks good for an E-5). I let my supervisor know that I was no longer interested but was still told to go to the interview. I get to the interview with the mindset of “I’m not taking this job so they’re just gonna make sure that’s my decision and leave it at that.”

They explained to me the pro’s and con’s of the my current position (which apparently doesn’t actually exist and neither does the E-6 slot…I was bamboozled!) After being smacked in the face, they asked if I still wanted to back out of the interview. My mind was not prepared to answer any interview questions but I went ahead and followed through on my original plan and decided to interview. Three hours later, I got the phone call saying that I got the job! I was chosen over four other candidates.

September 19^th2013

The Thursday before the Monday that I start my new job, I get a phone call saying that they decided not to choose me for the job. Excuse me? Did I miss something?! It was nothing personal, just a conflict in schedule.  I took it as a loss and didn’t stop my search for better career opportunities. Now let me take a moment to explain a little bit about where I work…

 

I work  in the hospital…the higher you are, the better opportunities you have. Now that you have a small visual…

October 7^th 2013

I get a call from my supervisor letting me know that I may need to switch positions with someone in my department in order to accommodate his personal/marital problems. Wait. What? Clearly I must have pissed off someone and didn’t know it. I had to find a better work environment before my morale plummeted significantly. I maintained my positive attitude and smiley face while at work but came home and complained to my mom. Of course, I got the “pray about it” and “it’ll all work out” speech. Not really what I wanted to hear.

October 11^th 2013

“He Turned It” by Tye Tribbett gets played all the way home. Why?! Because I got a phone call saying that I’d be working at Troop Command in an E-6 slot starting on 1Dec! Won’t He do it?! A position that I didn’t even know was available, didn’t know I was being looked at for, and never expected to fill! People apparently wanted this slot and I was chosen. What God has for me, is for me. 

And so the journey continues…

Unchain Your Mind | The Fork...

Sometimes I wonder if this journey is for me. My inner fighter tells me to keep pushing but my flesh tells me to just focus on something else. What am I referring to? My journey as a poet.

I’m not disappointed in album sales, I’m disappointed in the amount of people that I desire to reach that aren’t being reached. Maybe I should switch the genre in which is right about. Maybe I should think of profound inspirational relationship quotes like Rob Hill Sr. Perhaps I should focus on making people laugh. I’ve got a good sense of humor. Everyone has an opinion about the government…that could be an option……nah. That’s not who I am, as an artist or person. I can’t expect people to connect with unauthentic content.

People buy, but don’t share. Is it not powerful enough?

I was made to do this. I was made to help, heal, connect, and change. I just don’t know how to do it to its full effect. But I won’t stop until I do. This fork in the road…