Remind yourself who and what you are.
We become the words we speak to ourselves. If we fill our heads with negative thoughts like we are stupid and undeserving, that is what we will be.
You are capable just like me.
Wear this month’s affirmation. It will remind you that you are capable. You are efficient. Effective. Impressive. Whatever is before you this month, you got it.
I Am Capable. There are Tees, Crews, and Hoodies in a variety of colors. You can order at BlackGyrlArt
This year I am going to tell you a story. It is a very long story but deserving. I am going to add some color to history. Many of these stories you know, you might have put them all together. Allow me to.
People of African descent have always been here. Racism tries to make us believe that Africans were not smart enough to leave the continent until a European or Asian showed them how. Not true.
The first story I share goes back to 33AD where a Jew name Jesus is carrying the weapon of his destruction down a road. Beaten and exhausted, Jesus needs help, so they get a man who is fresh in from the country, a man from Cyrene. This man is from a Greek city on the continent of Africa. He used his two feet to get from one place to another.
Something about this man made him stand out from the crowd of people following Jesus. Something obviously physical because they thought he would be able to bear the burden. Here is the beautiful thing, God knew he would be able to carry it. Simon’s two feet and strong back carried the cross.
I don’t know if Simon was on a trade route or maybe he was visiting Jerusalem as a practicing Jew, but he was far from home. He was bigger and stronger than any in the crowd. His sandaled feet followed the path God had him on. It changed everything for his family.
God wrote us into this story. People from Africa were there. We weren’t standing on the sidelines. We had a role to play.
Where we came from didn’t limit where we were going. It never has.
In 2022, I am going to add some color to history.
In 2022 my photography will tell a story, about me. Why do I take the photos I take? What inspires me? In the month of January I will share one of the things I love, riding the L. This train takes you all over the city and gives you a glimpse of what a beautiful city it is. I love the creativity that created this city.
There are buildings, rivers, you name it. It all comes together in these images that show you the city’s personality.
Tis the season for parties and celebrating with the ones you love. Whether you are going to a big party or celebrating with a few folks, remember the spirit of the season. Be kind and gentle. Bless others.
Buy this shirt BlackGyrlArt
The Journey
These people took a journey to find something they had only heard in folklore. But something compelled them to move forward. The thing was a star and they began to follow it.
It led them far from home.
The Bible tells us they came from the East and were called wise men. Imagine the smartest people in the world at the time were following an astronomical phenomenon. Whatever was at the end of it had to be life changing.
Christian folklore sometimes refers to these wise men as kings using Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72. They also give them a racial identity making one from China, or India or Persia or even Africa.
Regardless of where they were from. They went somewhere. The star led them on a journey that changed everything.
One of the things that make you appreciate gentleness are things that are harsh. There was a moment in last winter that was so rough we won’t forget it for a long time. It shut down parts of North Texas and crashed their electric grid. I remember it because I was there. The Ice was thick. The Air was cold. It was harsh.
It has definitely made me appreciate those winter days where the sun shines or there is a soft wind from the south. Sometimes hard things make us appreciate soft things.
Tis the season for parties and celebrating with the ones you love. Whether you are going to a big party or celebrating with a few folks, remember the spirit of the season. Be kind and gentle. Bless others.
Buy this shirt BlackGyrlArt
The Journey
These people took a journey to find something they had only heard in folklore. But something compelled them to move forward. The thing was a star and they began to follow it.
It led them far from home.
The Bible tells us they came from the East and were called wise men. Imagine the smartest people in the world at the time were following an astronomical phenomenon. Whatever was at the end of it had to be life changing.
Christian folklore sometimes refers to these wise men as kings using Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72. They also give them a racial identity making one from China, or India or Persia or even Africa.
Regardless of where they were from. They went somewhere. The star led them on a journey that changed everything.
Even in the dark there is a gentleness to winter. One of the things I love about snow is that it illuminates wherever it is. A little bit of light goes a long way.
I love capturing moments of life whether in a photograph or an illustration. A full life has lots of moments. Each tells its own story.
If one of them speaks to you…My Art Pal
or if you want something more practical
You can get anything from tote bags to shower curtains. On society 6 Visit Black Girl Art
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