Random Deep Thoughts

Randomness: I originally tried to write this on my laptop at the MLK Library, but their Internet connection SUUUUCCCKKKSSSS (just in case you wanted my opinion about their Wi-Fi capabilities).

Anywho…

I’m about to get deep on ya, so gird your loins.

Let’s start with a couple of questions: What makes you happy? What’s your passion?

These questions drive me crazy and make me stabby, not because they’re bad questions, but because I can’t answer them.  How ‘bout you?

As for me, I honestly don’t know what makes me happy happy joy joy or what I want to be when I grow up. You’ll probably saying, “Quit whining and go figure it out!” Well, it ain’t that dang simple.

When it comes to the happiness question, the process of figuring that out gets more daunting the older I get because I don’t know where to start.  Also, in my mind at least, “What makes you happy?” isn’t a simple question. How do you figure out something that abstract? Yes, I think happiness is abstract. I honestly don’t know what happiness means for me. If I like something or get excited when I see or do something, does that mean that thing, event, etc., make me happy?  For example, I like eating Pintango’s cinnamon gelato and drinking a good mojito (not necessarily together) when I can get it.  I love watching the Olympics (winter and summer!) and got über excited when I saw the London 2012 commercials recently. These things put a smile on my face. Smiling usually indicates happiness. However, how does knowing that I like overpriced ice cream, sugary alcoholic beverages and the parade of nations help me become a more content and joyful person?

I also know that I really like the beach. Growing up in Memphis, my only experience with water that wasn’t coming out of the faucet was being annoyed by the nastiness of the Mississippi River. When I finally visited Florida while in college, I fell in love. I would visit a beach every month if I could. I can’t swim and look horrible in a bathing suit, but I could stay at a beach all day (or most of the day) and be…happy. It’s honestly the only place where I feel calm, content and at total peace. However, there’s got to be more to happiness then just knowing that I like something, right? Just liking something feels so passive, but as far as something I do actively, I can’t name a thing right now that brings me “happiness.”

Now that we’ve confirmed that getting to happy isn’t the easiest thing to do, let’s talk about passion. Yeah, I haven’t figured this out either.  Part of the problem, when it comes to happiness and passion, is that my confidence levels have never been very high, so I abandoned things that I did poorly or scared myself out of trying things that piqued my interest. Consequently, I don’t have a clear idea of what I’m good or at and/or what I’d do for free because I love it so much, a.k.a. the definition of passion.

The other problem with passion is that it doesn’t always pay the bills. If I’m totally honest, there’s something that I’d like to try, but I’m not in a position to explore it and it doesn’t always pay well, or at all. That’s a huge problem when you’re in between jobs and your financial situation is uh, challenging.  I have to focus on finding a full-time job with a decent salary and benefits. God willing, I’ll find a job and be able to explore the potential passion on the side. Passion is great, when you know what it is and have the luxury to pursue it. Everyone isn’t that fortunate.

So, what do you know after reading all this? I like beaches, gelato, liquor and the Olympics, and there’s a thing that I kinda wanna do, but I need to find a job that I probably won’t be passionate about in order to pursue it. Sound right? Cool….or not, depending on how you look at it.  

These are my starting points, but where do I go from here?  All suggestions are welcome. I’ll let you know if I have any epiphanies anytime soon.

Stay random my friends,

Jay

 

Learning to Fly

My friend has a blog, FlyingFearlessly, and you should read it. She's talking about living courageously and who doesn't need inspiration to live a bold and audacious life? If fact, starting a blog was a courageous thing for her to do because she's notoriously private and over thinks EVERYTHING (I'm her friend, so I can say that).

Anywho, take a look, show her some love and learn how to fly :) 

Random Recap: Macy's Black History Month Celebration Honoring Romare Bearden

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Macy's Black History Month reception honoring the legendary Romare Bearden. Co-sponsored by The Romare Bearden Foundation, the event at the Macy's Metro Center location in downtown DC celebrated the life and legacy of Bearden's work and marked what would have been the artist's 100th birthday.

Romare Bearden

Hundreds of people attended the reception, which featured a satellite exhibit of Bearden's most celebrated works, cocktails, hor d'oeuvres and a live band! Macy's has been holding similar events in 12 markets across the country, and last night it was DC's turn to show love for a man considered by many to be one of the 20th century's most creative and original visual artists. Check out the highlights. **Apologies for my photog skills. Annie Leibovitz, I am not**

The Lamp

Falling Star

Jazz

Circe Turns a Companion of Odysseus into a Swine

In addition to Bearden's works, guests were also treated to live music courtesy of Chelsey and the Green Project. In addition to singing her heart out, Chelsea thoroughly entertained the crowd with her violin skills. Yeah, you read that right. If Miri Ben-Ari is the hip-hop violinist, Chelsea is the R&B version ;)

Also, what reception would be complete without remarks from the event sponsors.

Macy's VP and Store Manager Robert Booker

Irie Harris and Ernest Dow from The Romare Bearden Foundation

As you can imagine, the event also brought out art lovers and owners, including arts enthusiast Juliette Bethea who is the proud owner of several Bearden pieces.

I'm an art exhibit type of gal, so events like these are always a treat. If you don't know about Romare Bearden, get into him and thank me later. You can start with the Macy's satellite exhibit, which is on display until Feb. 19. After that, visit a museum, Google him, buy a coffe table book or just do something to familiarize yourself with his brilliant body of work.  You won't be sorry and if you are, you're just weird.

S/O to Xina Eiland for the invite :)

Romare Bearden is all up in your weekend

Hey babes,

As you might recall, I'm attending a Black History Month event tonight at the Macy's in Washington, D.C. honoring the great Romare Bearden. Unfortunately, due to a huge response, the guest list for the event is now closed (Boo guest lists!). Buttttt, there are a couple of other great Macy's Romare Bearden events happening this Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Bowie Town Center location. Randomness: I kind of love Bowie. If it weren't so far from everything else that I do, I would live there. Black bougieness at its finest.

Anywho, activities include art projects for the kiddies and cooking demonstrations featuring some of Bearden's favorite Caribbean recipes. The fun starts at 2 p.m. Check out the poster below for more info, and as always, keep it random.

Celebrate Black History Month with Romare Bearden

In addition to blogging about randomness, both old and new, I'm also going to cover events from time to time (hopefully). For my first assignment, I will blog about Macy's and The Romare Bearden Foundation's Black History Month celebration.  The event marks Bearden's 100th birthday and will highlight his brilliant and influential body of work, which includes collages, watercolors, oils, prints, music and poetry.

For those that don't know, Romare Bearden was a prolific and visionary artist that primarily used the collage medium to depict the Jim Crow South, the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance in all its vibrant complexity. I was first introduced to Bearden a few years ago, and I'm very excited to see his work again, along with pieces by new artists influenced by Bearden's life and legacy.

My friend, publicist extraordinaire Xina Eiland, is co-hosting this event at the Macy's in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Feb. 16. Email her to RSVP. If you decide to go, let me know. 

***UPDATE: Unfortunately, the event is at capacity, and the RSVP list is closed :(
That just means I have to make my recap extra fabulous. No pressure  :?  ***

Here's my little piece of Romare. Go get your own :)  

Yours in randomness,
Jay

Here we go again

So I'm giving this blogging thing another shot. Back in 2011, I blogged privately about my health struggles. Trust me, it was some heavy stuff, and God willing I won't have to go through THAT again. As you can imagine, blogging about life, death and disease was a wee bit depressing, so now I'm blogging publicly about...random ish. Hooray!

What does this mean for you dear reader? Heck, I don't know, randomness? I may talk about current events, sports, relationships, pop culture, or french fries and side-eyes, you just never know. That's the beauty of this whole writing/blogging thing. I'm going to write about whatever excites me, saddens me, tickles me, perplexes me or makes my teeth itch. I hope you like what I write and spread the crazy randomness to your friends. If you don't, I question your taste level (not really, but I'm going to say random stuff like that, so get used to it now).

Anywho, as Miranda Priestly would say, "That's all." :)

Coming soon...