Disturbing the Peace

When I was an undergrad at UWGB, writer Chris Abani came and spoke about writing dangerously and talked about his life and the inspirations he found in reading James Baldwin. Abani had been an activist in Nigeria where the gov’t had put a bounty on his life.

Abani and Baldwin inspired me to write dangerously and honestly. It is in hearing about what others have experienced that we discover that our experiences are not so uniquely isolating.

Having moved away from a sense of victimhood over the last year in my head and in my writing, I still try to write honestly with an overall positive vibe. This can be seen in my sidewalk poem and my piece Life is Poetry as well as pieces I am currently cultivating in my head.

Aside from my written endeavors, recently I was presented with a wonderful gift that I decided to take. I was given the opportunity to force myself to pursue printing larger prints of my photos. With the purchase of my new camera in November, I had never printed anything larger than a 16×20 in the number of years I have pursued photography. Printing out a 20×30 of a sunrise scene turned out amazingly. I actually do not want to part with it. My apartment is a collection of empty photo frames waiting for the perfection that will never come about. I’d like to get into the habit of publishing, printing, submitting, and selling my photos and now that I know that I can print larger scale prints without reducing quality, I am ready. On Instagram, the Wisconsin State Journal seems to appreciate my photography skills. Look out State Fair Competitors!