Make The Thing!

I say this with love and all due respect. If you believe that I am pointing fingers in disgust or disdain, remember I am saying this to myself as well. If you are not creating “the thing”, you are being selfish and blocking blessings. Do not allow the deployment of the word “selfish” to active your defensive mechanisms and shield you from earnest intellectual engagement while I spin the block on this one time. Whatever “the thing” is, your refusal, in so many forms, to share it with the world is the epicenter of a cosmic creative disturbance. As evidence, I present Sinners.

Ryan Coogler directing Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo during Sinners filming | phot via IMDB

Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed), Sinners is a prime example of needing to just make “the thing”. The film is part, love story, part horror, part period piece, part musical. This has all the ear marking of something that had no way of being effectively marketed to mass audiences. Despite lack of clear niche, Sinners has become one of the most successful original films in the history of Hollywood. It is critically one of the best films of the year and currently has Oscar buzz. If Coogler allowed himself to be consumed in the end game, instead of just making the movie, where would we be as a society?

Sammy's Juke Performance in Sinners | via IMDB

“As a society? That’s a stretch”! Is it? To harken back to my opening decree regarding cosmic disturbance, I want to fine point that claim with the Preacher Boy’s juke performance. In real time, it felt like we were watching something important. We stopped watching a movie and were swept into a cultural touchstone. We are taken on a journey that celebrates the past, present, and future of creativity. Spiritually, we are shown that we are not alone in our circumstances. We can build community through art. As the scene closes, folks standing in the metaphorical charred remains of the barn, a tear rolled down my face. It felt clear I had witnessed that reason someone will become an artist. Someone somewhere will be accepting an award one day and remember that their journey in their chosen art form began while watching that scene in Sinners. Cosmic creative disturbance avoided.

Midnight Comics Logo and collage of original characters

Your art is not just about money, followers, likes, and engagement. It is how you commune with the universe around you. There are times when the universe pays that back to you. There are times when it is paid forward to someone you may never meet. Your art is not only for you. Midnight Comics has a clear mission: “create stories that aren't afraid to take risks, while showcasing Black leads in compelling and character driven stories that inspire”. Lloyd and Natosha Jones work tirelessly to share their gifts. Their legacy will extend far beyond this blog and their books, not because they perfected the ideas first; not because they were assured that they could not fail. They found the strength to make “the thing”.

Ryan Coogler made a sexy vampire history lesson. Nintendo’s flagship character is a plumber that fights a dinosaur. Your ideas are not weird; you just have not found the audience for them yet. Your audience does not need you to be perfect, they need you so show up. You will never get better at the thing that you want to do and find that audience unless you create it first. I know, that can be a scary thought. Your ideas are your babies, therefor sharing your ideas is a form of vulnerability that is, at times, highly uncomfortable. To quote the celestially touch, Erykah Badu, “I am an artist and I’m sensitive about my…”.

We all feel it. You are not alone. So, I implore you… make the thing!