I'm coming in hot...
Doubled up on the recap for March + April for you. Enjoy!
Hey fam. I missed my deadline for the March recap and I didn’t wanna make that same mistake again for April. So this time, I’m doing a quick + dirty recap for both months.
Let’s get into this recap, shall we?
A lot of exceptional accomplishments I’ve been witnessing. Writers are self-publishing (and making shmoney!), connections on Substack and forming in-person writer’s circles, zines being collected and visual art finding new homes.
A toast to all the artists that wake up every day doing what they love + making it work.
I made my way back to the brushes and canvases. I miss them more the longer I stay away but writing has become my new outlet, more cathartic. Writing allows me to express myself deeper that I haven’t found yet with painting. Paint + plants have been my hobby lately and when I need a break from the world, this is what I do. I read a post written by Corey Sweet ‘Trees Don’t Hustle’ that reminded me to not be impatient to grow. Tending to my plants have taught me to slow down and to not get caught up with how other people move. I’m also learning to be more attentive to their needs…my needs. Be still in the moment and calm the mental chatter of what needs to get done, fomo, procrastination and anxiety because I don’t any solid reasons to rush. Anxiety can be a real bitch sometimes. When I’m out of alignment, my plants suffer too, slowly wilting and looking pitiful as I keep telling them “I got you tomorrow.”
“why don’t you grow faster.”
I can’t rush what I want. Still trust the process no matter how long it takes.
My recent projects have been painting my entryway blue, an abstract graffiti painting with numbers and letters and building a paludarium. My husband helped me build the paludarium and having it in the studio gives it a calm, earthy vibe. I got a group of mollies chillin in the tank too, black + yellow like my lil Wu-Tang Clan (LOL!).
music in rotation…
Pending idea of making an actual playlist. Let me know if you’d like that.
DUCKWRTH - Grey Scale
Jhene Aiko - Blue Dream
Run the Jewels (ft. El-P, Killer Mike + DJ Premier) - ooh la la
Missy Elliott - Throw It Back + Cool Off
OutKast - ATLiens + Elevators (Me & You)
Denzel Curry - Walkin
what am I writing?…
In March, I wrote a flash fic ‘Strangers in Costumes’ that I’m really proud of. The story takes place at an airport and as a character in my own story, I’m creating fictitious stories about random people who have double lives. No big spoilers - go read it yourself.
This is a longer flash fic as I’m working my way up to short stories. A few writers came after me about writing them. I won’t drop their names, but they know who they are (LOL <3) - I’m listening.
Strangers in Costumes
“Flight 3756 to St. Louis will be boarding in 30 minutes.” the airline attendant announces.
If your body had a voice, what would it say?
“Bruises on my hands, bruises on my knees, bruises on my ego” - I remember writing this line months ago, maybe in the Fall, while reflecting on my own pain and bruises. As I prepared my next poem, I chose to use this line as a prompt. After writing the first few lines, I shortly decided to create a mini series…that same day.
heavy body… is a five-part series about how our bodies respond to everyday life and stressors. Basically, how we handle our daily battles + bullshit. The poems are written in a more “human” tone as I’ve given the imagery of each body part having a “voice”. It’s deconstructed into five parts: 1) skin - the initial poem that reflects on bruised egos and pride, 2) nerves - broken or lack of communication, 3) muscles - carrying heavy burdens, 4) organs - questionable trust within us and others and 5) bones…well…you gotta wait for that one.
Bring more awareness back to your body. We can’t focus only on the parts that hurt the most. How we take care of our mental, emotional and physical health collectively always matters.
alex b. fun fact: I like psychology, A+P and biology.
pulled off the bookshelf…
My husband wanted us to read a book together and we decided to start with ‘The Last Yakuza’ by Jake Adelstein. This true crime tells the story of Makoto Saigo (aka Tsunami), half American - Japanese, from a small town in Japan, and his rise into the yakuza organization. So far so good. I think this a great read and I enjoy learning about the different yakuza clans, their philosophies and loyalty.
listen here…
Prepare your mind + heart to receive and now Miguel and make sure to tune in for his new EP that’s dropping soon. Read along to the lyrics and his use of current and historical references in his lyrical breakdown.
other recommended reads with a few quickies…
camera roll dump…
coming up next…
If you’ve been tuning into the heavy body… series, there is one poem left to be written. Bones. Stay tuned. Let me know your thoughts so far on poems ONE through FOUR.
Which poem(s) did you resonate with the most?
Which lines/stanza hit hard for you?
Would you like to see me write more series?
FYI…in future newsletters, you’ll see me include more art along with the written works.
get this art in your life…
Every month, I’ll be sharing art that’s for sale in my newsletters. If you’ve joined my Substack chat, I share WIPs, art for sale, new flash fics, poems and other stuff I can think of that you might like.
Original small art is for sale. DM to inquire.
That’s all I got. THANK YOU so much for your support. If you like what I got, tell somebody about me.
peace.
alex b.
I appreciate the inclusion 🫶🏽
Also, the yakuza book sounds like a super interesting read!
I also forgot to add, yes to the playlist! I’m on Apple Music 😁