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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

I Want Representation.





This post is the result of some inspiration I got in late September 2016 while searching for images relating to a topic. I either didn't use the right search terms or this was one of those times I needed to look through somebody's cellphone (I was going to say Instagram but uhh, we proceed) for creative inquisitiveness' sake. The search term was "black best friends" as I had used an image depicting best friends in my 5 Lives post. I had also been reading a lot to feed my mind at that time so there were some deeper issues that also contributed to this post, I hope you enjoy reading this as much I did writing it!



First we look at I, I is the individual. Finding your individual importance helps to shape what you give out and what you wish to receive. What are you giving out? This should be your security within yourself, your innermost convictions and your identity. These come together as the presence that you represent, and will attract or draw you to those who represent an aspect of the commonalities you like in a friend, a leader, an artist. You find the best of what you need within yourself and from there, you can search for people who take what you have to the next level, this helps in continual improvements of self.

How do you show out for you? Being present, attentive to your current motives, identifying what is a priority in your growth. Being present is living within each moment, when you are invited to an event in your field don't think about shortcomings or where you would rather be. Enjoy that moment, observe the energy around you, learn from the interactions of others (all of this can be used as material, depends on what kind of creative you are though 😁). Continually find ways to feed yourself, your mind, to feed yourself creatively. Check in with yourself, how are you doing? where do you want to be? where are you currently? You ensure to show out for self through caring for self, loving self, growing self & maintaining self-confidence. 

-  Adjust the perspective & not the lens. - 

Once you achieve showing out for self and knowing how to show out for yourself, you can help others. You can represent others, by standing up and spreading that confidence. The best kind of security that you can give to others is the security that you have in yourself. You cannot give what you don't have and you cannot represent a people that you have never seen, by that I mean if you want people to care for your presence you have to care about them. Standing up for others means that you have to realize that your platform, your authority, your presence isn't for you alone. There are people watching, both young and old who need to know if there's somebody who understands them, somebody who can amplify the sound of their realities to those who just don't get it yet. Representing those who can identify something in what you do and in who you are requires a desire to build and not to break down, it is knowing when to use your voice and when to listen. When you are the representation, you may feel the weight of accountability on your shoulders this just reminds you of the position you hold and acts as a point for identifying what you need in order to continue.

Wanting representation is not only an image, a platform, a presence or a person but it is a collective of stories told through the lives of those who show you how to hold on through thick and thin, who shine a different light on life's path and its art. We require that collective to maintain its passion, its drive and not allowing itself to be diluted or fall under the weight of pressures from those who do not understand its importance. The reason why this is so important is, the presence of representation gives you something to continually look to which keeps something alive within your being. SO  the last thing you need is a loss of that representation or its retraction from spaces where it is needed and from communities where it is needed.

Representation is not a lone responsibility, anybody can be used at any time. Anybody can occupy that space which means that the needed voice is not only found through you but others also. Get ready to be brought out of your comfort and to bring others out of their comfort work together and work on each other. As you help others to come out of their comfort and into the reality of what they have stored within; you will learn to speak less and let them have their moment. Since representation is not a lone responsibility there cannot be fights for spaces to occupy and you cannot break others down to become more visible. Representation is standing together, it is collaborating in spaces to speak out and to make unity infectious. Unity is infectious to those you represent when and ONLY  when they can see that each person has their season and gives support to others out of season, when this is understood then those who are represented are given the fuel necessary to care for self and secure their space. 

One of the principles of representation is "constructive criticism" and knowing how to do that is even more valuable. This is very important in spaces of education, legal practice and jobs but let me focus on legal and education. When you are placed in an educational space where those who may look like you or identify with something in you have something that brings you in direct conversation it is important to watch your words - how you say them, what you say and the actions after they are said. Nobody is asking you to feed such individuals sugar-coated lies and not to call them out on their ish but use the security they have in you to bring it down to earth, then work through problem and solution with them. Encouragement and showing them what they can't see for themselves is part of being the representation - you unveil chests in life that people didn't know they could search for or even have access to. 

Legally, stereotypically this one requires rising above and thinking clearly for yourself. In this space you will come across various individuals for various reasons, they all have a story and so do you. You may find those whose story is YOUR story, much like education you must watch your words and be representative in your speech.. talk like somebody who knows those grievances, that loss, those situations. Your work calls for you to reflect the law in whatever capacity that may be but life's journey also requires you to be the collective of stories and experiences which keeps something alive in those who you represent IN & OUT of your career. Whether authority lies in something reputable or less recognized those who you represent require you to know how to deal with people like them in some capacity through communication and presence in a way that doesn't look to breaking a people but building better communities. 

Last but not least how do you encourage someone who may be in hiding ?  Well don't we all have somebody who stands out, who we secretly wish we were as bold as because they just embody a great energy and presence when they are around. Make them aware of what they carry and where opportunities arise push them into those spaces to use their voice, their talent or whatever it may be to help them continually build themselves. Sometimes all that somebody needs is to continually be placed in spaces where what they have to offer cannot be hidden and often needs to be shared. Encouraging someone to come out of hiding requires continual encouragement but not just words, it is necessary to include actions such as signing them up to shows or events and calling on the assistance of those around them to make that person realize that they hold something valuable.

" Representation means that something represents an image different from everything else that we have seen out there. Break the mold, do not fit in !  Look at the environment and see how you can suit it to make the best experience for yourself. Where the experience can't be created by you reach out to others & build it together. Somebody needs you as their representation and essentially somebody needs the chance to be your representation also ! "


(I found this blog post early October 2016 when I was looking through an artist's Instagram page who had drawn Laquann Dawson.)



I want to publish a book, it will be a collective  of my work from the start of my journey at 8 years old til Summer 2015. Hold me to it ! 

                                                                             Copyright © 2017 PebblesWroteIt

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Isaac Actually Came Before Ishmael







In today's post what I want to actually talk about is a conversation I had the other day with a friend about how we as people have progressed through life and trying to distinguish, those who have been able to discover more about our past and how we have been mistreated through time. In finding that, those who have made the best discoveries and challenged the notion are black muslims, I didn't want to totally agree with that.  I realize that in some cases what has happened is it has been black muslims who believed that if Christianity is what was imposed on them by the slave masters then that means that it was a "religion" to suppress them and make them feel subject to some kind of treatment different from the way that the slave masters would have practiced Christianity and therefore some converted to islam. We can now establish that the slave masters most likely did not practice Christianity properly, but used it to twist scriptures to favor their wrongdoing and to somehow justify slavery in a man-made light. 

Then we proceed in conversation, if Ishmael had not been born of Abraham there is a possibility that the tribe or the group of people who had been birthed from his lineage would probably not have much authority in today's society but because they had been born of a great man, Abraham. Whether deserving or undeserving Ishmael took part of that blessing and therefore we now have the Arabs and Middle Eastern who are excelling in their business, are successful in life and are prospering. While we also as Christians benefit because we are Isaac, what must be understood - the way that I see it and what it means for me. As the Isaac of my father, us as the Isaacs of our Father are trying to take back and reiterate that we are the rightful children of purpose, that if Abraham had been patient enough he would have and He still did receive us, his child of promise. 

We are the rightful children of the house, we are official - we are birthed of the mother of the house whilst the Ishmaels are birthed of the woman that was given in desperation and in a way a disobedience. It is our position not to make anybody seem like they are of less worth than others but rather state, there is a rightful position in order to gain the inheritance that is rightfully meant for you. In order to gain this you must first understand your history. If it so claimed that those who follow islam, your faith follows that of your father and is not determined by your mother.. then really it is the God of Abraham that should be followed and not the possible gods or idols of Hagar that Ishmael followed by. I'm not a deep person of theology but I am learning more with my journey in life and getting to know God on my own level and in my own journey and understanding His worth in my life.

The title was "Isaac Actually Came Before Ishmael" and what that explores is that although Ishmael may have been physically conceived first, Isaac was conceived in the mind of God and therefore conceived in the mind of Abraham and Sarah first before Ishmael was birthed. I say that to say this, sometimes we as people have first of all seen the coming and the birth of our visions and our dreams before they manifest. It may takes years before they manifest BUT we must also understand that, just because somebody might have taken a fast lane or been able to get to that finish line before us that does not nullify the manifestation and completion of our blessings, our dreams and visions coming to pass. It may be seen that, that person is celebrated before you and even more than you but that shouldn't rule the way in which you live your life and alter your attitude which can affect your level of gratitude which can hinder you from receiving your reward. 

So you may feel like the Ishmael's of life are getting to the finish line before you, being birthed and being recognized before you. You must also remember as Isaac you are a person of promise, your visions are seeds of promise as long as you have the faith enough to be patient that one day nope let me correct that, TODAY. Today you will get to the finish line too ! 

The today in your future, which is the today in that moment which you raise your hands and give glory to testify that, that seed has been birthed is your Isaac moment. That is the moment you say, "I was promised this, I saw this in my mind so I could have it" and as long as you can perceive that you are a person of promise, a person of destiny with a purpose. It doesn't matter how many times people propose that they can try and do things for you, you keep on being filled with purpose because every step that you take in growing despite how painful it is, is on purpose. It is on purpose so you stay on purpose to see the finish line of your purpose. So in fact you are the Isaac that was birthed out of promise and promises are not made to be broken therefore you were birthed before the Ishmael's of life so don't let that get you down at all !



Pebble$ could you answer one question for me, why did you have to start off with black muslims, and religion and slave masters and the story of Abraham?

- If I get started on breaking down the deeper meanings of this post which show various displacements it will only get longer so connect with me on Twitter // Facebook & I will try to make the conversation more fruitful.




I want to publish a book, it will be a collective  of my work from the start of my journey at 8 years old til Summer 2015. Hold me to it ! 

Copyright © 2017 PebblesWroteIt