Across the board, creativity is just careful destruction. As poets, we dissolve comfortable thoughts on what’s important, or maybe on what’s possible. As painters, we rid the world of empty canvases, replacing blank space with ideas. As musicians, we do away with overused chords and simplified rhyme schemes. In art as a whole, we examine what exists and determine how we can best alter it to change the universe for the better. I’m Dominique and I create. That sounds suspiciously similar to an introduction at an Artists Anonymous meeting, but that’s the reality of...me. Creativity is my default mode. I’ve been a songwriter for eight years; a poet, author, and spoken word artist for four; a voice actor for four; a fledgling photographer for almost one; and an incredibly amateur visual artist for maybe eight months. Oh, and 96% of my free time is dedicated to either reading or singing. Loudly. Simply put, I’m a raging fan of all things right-brain. Before any of that arose in me, I was just a curly-haired pastor’s kid who liked words. Some things never change. I definitely have, though. You and I are still at the “hi, my name is…” stage, so let’s start slowly: I’m an artist. I’m an introvert. I’m a Christian. And if you’re not one of or any of those, I appreciate you just the same. Lately, everyone seems immersed in a war of opposites and it’s tiresome. There are plenty of white cops who don’t hate minorities. I know countless extroverts who don’t like small talk. Some of the loveliest and most fluid conversations I’ve ever had were with engineers. There’s no shortage of non-Christians who don’t have agendas. People just differ sometimes, and there’s art in that (note: this is not me saying all differences are good). This is the part where I get a taste of my own medicine. When Carissa approached me about becoming a part of Dead Last Collective, I was stunned. Honestly, I read through her message (which was not short) several times and wondered if it was real for a while. Then, I spent quite some time wondering why she asked me. Wondering whether I was qualified. Whether I was good enough. If you’re somehow unaware, Carissa Engle is a ridiculously talented painter, craftswoman, singer, and [whatever else you can think of, probably]. Her boyfriend, Jesse, who’s the founder of DLC, is a brilliant graphic designer and photographer. He’s got his own clothing brand, for goodness’ sake. And, while I don’t know Hayley Gray personally, I’ve seen her work and it can’t accurately be described as less than amazing. Remember, Carissa was asking me about working alongside ALL THREE OF THEM. As in, people would be able to see my work and theirs. Do I need to say it? I still will. That was terrifying. I thought. I prayed. I weighed. And, in the end, I figured it was worth the risk. Because the four of us are very different and, again, there’s art in that. Hey, this part is important. God didn’t phone me and give me the go-ahead. Jesus didn’t materialize across the table and say, “Why not?” I wasn’t visited by an angel in phosphorescent white who nodded his approval and disappeared. Sometimes, God wants us to act based on what we know about Him. Personally, I know that God is thrilled when we use the talents we’re given, or the skills we’ve developed. And He’s never going to be upset when we work together to create beautiful things. By the way, you’re in for a whole mess of beautiful things, so stay tuned. Oops. This post was supposed to be about me and who I am. It sort of was, I suppose. And, to be fair, my work will probably speak for me in that regard better than a blog post can. Suffice it to say that I’m insaaaaaanely excited to see how this venture pans out. Hopefully, I’m able to encourage you or challenge you or affect you positively in some way very soon. And I’m sure I’ll be encouraged and challenged, too. Or, to put it another way...I look forward to us being carefully destroyed together. Sound good? One Love, Dom
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Jewelry can seem like such a petty thing. It’s a possession that people pay tons of money for and sometimes only wear once. It can enhance your appearance, emulate a specific identity for yourself, or draw the eye to you. All of these things can be true, but I love seeing jewelry not as something that improves the way you already look, but rather something that emphasizes it. Something I really love about jewelry is that it can carry memories. My grandmother recently went through a few of her old jewelry boxes with me and gave me a few of what used to be every day accessories for her. As she pulled out each piece, she had a specific memory attached to each one. It was so special for me to receive jewelry that my grandmother had once worn. My boyfriend, Dex, loves Haiti. He has visited multiple times, sponsors several Haitian children, and plans to work towards the betterment of the lives of the Haitian people for the rest of his days. He has truly invested in this country. He has become a part of it, and it has become a part of him. Before he went on his most recent trip, I made necklaces for Rouslie and Saraline, the sweet girls he sponsors. I put them in a jewelry box I wasn’t getting much use of and gave it to Dex. While we were catching up about his trip and talking about his visits, he asked, “Remember those pearl earrings that were in the box with the necklaces you made for the girls?” I tried to rattle my brain. Pearl earrings; when did I make pearl earrings? I replied, “I really don’t remember. Why?” He said, “Saraline loved them so much, so I gave them to her. She wore them every day.” He showed me a picture of her wearing the earrings and I realized that those were the same pearl earrings that my grandma had given me just a few months before. Apparently I didn’t take them out of the jewelry box when I was emptying it! I was ecstatic. She looked so happy wearing them. She wasn’t happy because of the earrings, but she was happy in the earrings. She wasn’t beautiful because of the earrings, the earrings looked beautiful because she was wearing them. Those pearls had seen decades of memories. They’d seen tears, laughter, smiles, anger, hugs, fear, romance, new lives being born, old lives passing away – years of memories were held within the white spheres that Saraline now wears on her own ears, making her own memories. I like to think that one day, Sara will pass them on to someone special to her. This is why I create; to make something that you can experience beautiful moments in so that whenever you wear them, you can experience the beauty all over again. - HBG Calling yourself an artist, creative, designer, maker, you name it…often comes with some interesting territory sometimes. I'm not saying bad territory per se…but interesting.
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December 2016
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