Another Chance to Shine & Share...

"All hell done broke loose now!" Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" is on my mind. I watched the classic again recently and was reminded of our power, not only, to change our own perspective, but to change that of others as well. Z Free (www.myspace.com/zaccai) and his friends gave me another chance to re-create how I present myself artistically. Yippee! The uber artist strikes again! Plant the seeds and watch them grow!

The Uber Artist doing his poetorial on The Verge-a soon to be released web cast.

There was amazing creativity surrounding me when I attended a taping of The Verge: a fantastic show of political satire, commentary, consciousness raising, fitness, and just plain silliness produced & hosted by Jomo (www.myspace.com/unseentheamericandream)- the million dollar Mister. Don't call him a Buppie!

Me, Producer, & Uber Artist... Grins supplied by self-timer madness and the high of a successful performance.

Gotta back track for a minute... Z Free, Jomo , & his bride to be, Nicole met up with me on Monday night at Bar Nun for an open mic 10 years running. It's a popular showcase for singers, musicians, & poets. My bro knows the host, so I was assured a spot to perform. Good karma was how I stacked that one, because I ran a jam for 5 years & know it's tricky to slide in friends. City vibe? Yeah!!! Mellow soul, Z. He, Jomo, & Nicole gave a little pep rally to soothe the uncertainty lurking in me. There was a lot of rappin' going on and I felt a little a bit folkie. Who me??? Yep. The message handed down: what you have to give is yours & the rest doesn't matter. Whew!!! Got me right out of self-judgement mode, although my heart was still pounding.

Open Mic at Bar Nun in the U Street Corridor-every Mon. night, 10 yrs strong!

Live performance has taught me how to utilize the energy of nervousness. It is ENERGY!!! The nerves usually show up when I enter new territory or have an extreme emotional response to an upcoming event. All the nervous cylinders were firing Monday night when I took the mic and rocked the house with my music!!! The shouts for an encore thrilled me. It was also a kick to hear audience members singing bits of the tune I presented, Let It Rain Love!

This brings me back to The Verge and the tapping session to which I was invited on Wed. evening. Major love fest. Sooo cool to be surrounded by creatives and spontaneous combustion! When Jomo informed me I was to be the guest poet on the show, the heat was on. When did I become a poet? Oh well... I did have some writing with me I hadn't yet unveiled. So on with the show!

Unseen, host of the show, in a Verge induced frenzy.

Hanging with The Verge crew: Jim, Z Free, 2 Word Dueling Dudes, & Unseen.

All these guys are gifted. They're exposing a whole community of artists and doing their own thing too! I was captivated by Jim's-the sound man- incredible art hanging in the warehouse. Amazing stuff! Typical artist, though: a load of talent and fresh out of business cards. So I have no idea how you can find him or his paintings other than in Baltimore. However, if you want to reach out to him, I'll find a way to connect you. Networking is the way of the World.

Jim's self-portrait

Exercise your power to change your perspective and create the life you wish to live! As Z Free said to me... What R U waiting 4?