I had to learn how to see in my darkest hours. When that last bit of hope felt lost, I fell through a hole in my mind. I felt myself crashing through deeper holes, until I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by wild flowers and rolling hills. I found a deeper paradise in myself. A wonderland.

I feel at peace in knowing: art is my clear path.

There are many origins to art: some of us know our power in changing lives, some of us know we need to change history, some of us know we are suppose to be the heart of the people. My reason? To be a better human. Hustle. Lift up the Black community. Be sexy and have fun along the way. Its a tall order, but somebody has to do it. And like Big Mama (my Higher Self) always tells me: “do it for the community,” And for the community I shall do it for.

Then It dawned on me.

My art is my activism. My activism is my art. The only place I ever thrived in, is when I worked for a Black institution, they held me down and let me grow.

My voice, the way I work, the effort and energy I have—belongs to my culture; to see the beauty and diversity in us. And Big mama will find a way.

But lets get into the title shall we….

Some of the most notable artists and their fruit, dropped from the tree of tragedy. Yes, Eden had many trees. Enlightenment in every bite. Art in every chew. Imagine what 400 years of slavery(in counting) taste like. Soulful. Isn’t it.

Thus, the first meaning of “Art is as clear as Black.”

Most of the art we enjoy came from darkness. or pure rage. Some art came out of not being able to see the next step. But you feel it, it hits you. without touch.

Art is one of the darkest paths you can take. Both physically and spiritually.

That’s why my spirit speaks first. I can handle no lights on the outside. But my little light of mine—it has to shine. Period.

And that’s how we arrived to the second meaning of “Art is clear as Black.”

I never reckoned myself a full blown artist. It’s been a very dark path. But now art as my clear journey to self; there’s glimmers of brightness everywhere. Illuminating in the darkness. the photons holding beams of energy together. The source of all matter.

Art is clear as Black.