Hey my Colorful fam. I know it’s been a while. I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say that these past couple of years have been a doozy. There has been so much change in the world, my world, and I’ve been trying my best to get caught up. At the start of the pandemic, I was newly off of a Broadway National Tour. For those that didn’t know, ya boy was a swing with The Phantom of the Opera. Cue the title track. Those four years of my life were so enriching and life changing. Seeing that chapter close was exciting. I was ready to see what was next. My partner and I moved to New York and were making all the moves. It felt really good. It was like the universe was actively confirming that we made the right choice…that is until Corona decided to show her ugly little head. What do the kids say?…Bye Felicia.
Tough Days Ahead
What started out as a glorious sonata filled with bellowing lows and raging highs, turned into a requiem of doom. The once vibrant, lively city had turned into a scene out of ‘I am Legend.’ The streets were empty and an eerie silence took over the entire island. It was NOT fun. New York sized apartments are not meant to be cooped up in 24/7 and unfortunately, that became the reality for a lot of people living in New York, myself included. All of a sudden, simple things like taking out the trash and going to the grocery store became a dangerous quest to find the holy grail, except there was no holy grail. There was darkness and doom. If you can imagine putting on layers of clothing, protective masks, gloves, eye wear, shoes, you know a similar set up to like the hazmat team, then you would be right on target for how I looked every time I took a step outside. It was a nightmare. To make matters worse, my partner and I experienced some heart shattering deaths in our families. This was hard.
I wish I could say that everything got better from there, but this is real life and it didn’t. Unfortunately, that’s a part of life and what doesn’t kill you literally makes you stronger. I fully understand what that means now. It’s a shame that I had to learn that under these circumstances but the only constant in the world is change. Change and I are best friends now. We have a love/hate relationship but it looks like she’s here to stay.
The sun will come out…in a few months
My partner and I left New York, moved back to Dallas with family, and began the LONG trek towards finding peace in the midst of all the change. See, she stays in my business! I was unemployed and looking for work while trying to grieve this crippling loss, while trying to figure out who I am in this new chapter, while trying to nurture friendships and relationships, while trying not to drown, while trying to eat right and exercise, while trying to stay positive, while trying not to cry…are you tired yet because I am! I need space. Time to heal…Change…we need a break!
One random day after one of the many exhaustive conservations I had been having about this period in my life, something amazing decided to show it’s little head. Is that a glimmer of light I see? I started writing. I had all of this unemployment time to try and better myself so why not. The result is what I’m about to tell you about right now!
I can see clearly now, the rain is…starting to clear
I’m just going to rip the band-aid off and tell you. I wrote a book! Actually two! Who would have thought that in the midst of all of the madness, something beautiful and useful would be born. Times like these make me realize how poetic life can be. That the famous authors and minds of the world were onto something when they created literary images and stories that really illustrated the trials and struggles of the world. The phoenix for example. This beautiful and majestic bird that dies, turns to ashes, and is then reborn…from the literal ashes. How poignant! My story, my struggles, my life, is being used to illustrate an idea, ideas, to the world that follows. It honestly makes me feel grateful that what I’ve produced is going to have such a profound impact on the world. All it takes is one flap of a butterfly’s wings right?
So what are these books? Tell us about them!
Well…what I can tell you is that they are going to be super important for the next generation. Yes! I wrote two children’s books. These books are filled with things that I wish someone told me about growing up, about dealing with the world. That’s how I essentially wrote them. I sat down, asked myself what I would’ve told myself in those situations, and I started to write. That’s it! Divinely inspired! But the work didn’t stop there! There is so much that goes into creating a children’s book, let alone two. There are speed bumps and detours on this road to publication, but it’s been a pleasant ride so far.
You’ll have to wait…but not long!
Take comfort in knowing that the release is just around the corner. If you follow my blog or are a part of my VIP club, you will get a front row seat on this road to publication. You will be a part of a select group that gets first dibs on the release of the book and other special items. But don’t sleep cuz you’ll miss it! You can also follow along on my project Instagram page. I will be documenting the road to publication there as well, and let me tell you, it’s been a JOURNEY yall!
Thank you so much for being on this journey with me and for continuing to support. Buckle up because we’re going to have so much fun! We’re on the road to publication, baby! Let’s do this!
Until next time,
Stay colorful peeps!
