Shows On Shows

Hey world,

The past two weekends I’ve been pretty busy vending and showing my work in shows.

Voices In Power

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of vending at Voices in Power’s open mic poetry event. I was excited to be a part of that great event for many reasons. Few know that one of my first serious takes on expression was writing. In high school, me and my boys would mess around and write rhymes but it always turned out to be more than that for me. I didn’t see it as rapping I saw it as a way for me to express or acknowledge the things going on in my mind (back then I was terrible at letting myself feel or express those emotions so that was big for me). Maybe I will share one of those throwback tracks in this blog.. we’ll see. Or maybe I can share the piece I made for "The InterACTion Project".

So as you can imagine, I am a big fan of spoken word and am truly inspired by those artists who have the courage to get in front of an audience and be completely vulnerable with their words. I still write a little here and there and would eventually like to be able to perform spoken word but I’m a big chicken with that right now. It’s also hard to balance my creative energy sometimes. I would like to be able to focus more energy into writing but just don’t have the time to put into it. But enough about my ability or inability to write, back to the show.

I’ve been to one of Voices in Power’s events with my sister. There was so much love in the audience and every member of the crowd was engaged. The poets who performed were thought provoking, inspiring, and themselves. Topics ranged from self love, entrepreneurship, God & spirituality, police brutality, racism, empowerment, bad romance, good romance, and everything in between. It felt nice to be in a room full of people who love the art of expression. I wanted to vend at one of their events because I knew these same people would enjoy taking in my form of expression. When I’m in shows I can tell the people who are genuinely interested in art, but also the people who are just there for someone. Having an engaged group of art lovers really makes a difference. I got to talk to a lot of people and even sold some prints. That is still one of the best feelings in the world! The fact that someone liked my photo so much they felt something.. and felt that they wanted to buy it.. that is crazy to me. It was also a new network of people for me to connect with. It’s been a while since I vended in a show and this was the perfect return for me. I’m gonna continue to seek out vending opportunities and try to get rid of all these prints I have. Oh and I almost forgot to mention.. they make the vendors speak in front of the audience and talk about what they do. I didn't know I would have to speak in that room full of 200 people or so. I'm fine with talking to people who come over to see my work but to address a whole room, not as much. I was so nervous when they told me it was my turn to talk. Public speaking is hard man. This is the image that people get of you.. I don't want to come off phony.. I don't want to forget stuff.. I don't want to sound like an ad or elevator pitch. I started off shaky but found my rhythm and comfort. I am learning more and more to accept those moments when you feel uncomfortable and nervous because these are the moments that will help you grow beyond your comfort level. Check out the video below to hear the spoken I wrote for "The InterACTion Project".

Philly Art Collective 3 yr. Anniversary

Last night I exhibited my work in Philly Art Collective’s 3 year anniversary show. Philly Art Collective holds a special place in my heart. It is a show that helped me become acquainted with the Philly art community and where people began to know me as well. I realized in order to get into the art scene, I needed to be in it.. whether that was going to shows to network or showing my work in shows. As I kept going to Philly Art Collective’s shows I recognized more and more artists. I got to the point where I was comfortable going to shows by myself because I knew the people in it or would network and meet new people. These shows brought out souls of many different ages, races, backgrounds, etc., and that’s what I really liked. The man behind it, Martell, is one of the humblest dudes I know.

The first opportunity I had to show in Philly Art Collective was last January (2017) but I had been attending for a while. It was a great way to kick off the year and set the tone. I got a lot of eyes on my work and talked to people of all different walks of life. Someone told me, “I am so proud of you, your work is amazing.. I know I don’t know you but I am proud of you.” Others were just really touched by my work.

Since it is a monthly show, I took a break and showed again in June where I got more great feedback. When Martell asked me to take part in the 3 year anniversary show, there was no hesitation to say yes. To be one of the artists picked for that show meant a lot to me. Last night was great and I met some more amazing people. Someone completely gassed me by saying my work gave them a Gordon Parks feel haha but I will definitely accept that compliment. I also had the opportunity to talk to an artist who had published a book. I have some big plans coming up for my work so I picked his brain and got a lot of good information. As always Philly Art Collective was a great time with great vibes. My weekends have been very fruitful and I am thankful for all of these opportunities.

God Bless,

-Terrell