Howdy! Fancy seeing you here again (lol);

Ready to get into the values behind our name? We sure are!

NOTE: the following is adapted from our original Twitter “Mega-thread,” where we first began archiving our values and projects in 2020. When the thread was originally constructed, we detailed “Healing” and “Black,” taking some time to circle back to the topic of being “Creative.” This adaptation thus includes lifting the sub-thread on “Creativity” to join its rightful neighbors! As 2022 draws to a close, it feels right to end it by zooming in on our values, and how they have impacted our work since the birth of the videoblog in 2019.

Looking for the first Newsletter we posted with the beginning of our Mega-thread? Click HERE.

Let's talk about #Healing.

At a time when it seems like so many are hurting, when it feels impossible to see any end in sight, THESE are the moments where we need to be *crystal clear* with our language, & what we mean when we use the words we do. Healing is not "curing”).

From Adenike in our very first episode:

"This work (of #BlackCreativeHealing ) is not about solving all our problems, or putting a nice resolution (on things). Nor is healing that...You might get back to a place of wellness, but you can still have the scars..."...#Healing...is not always pretty. It's not always painless...but if it's happening in community...you're not alone as you go through." - #BlackCreativeHealing 101.

Healing is a process. One that is best served when it happens in community.

What does #Healing look like? We believe it takes many forms. Healing is when you feel the continued burn of oppression & trauma, & choose to seek care, both from within yourself & from someone you trust in your community. In the (seemingly) smallest of acts, there is healing.

#Healing is when you hear that voice inside your head saying "this won't ever stop" & you answer "well neither will I." Healing is knowing that even when you lay down to rest that there is movement. There is energy. And that that energy persists even as you rest.

#Healing is knowing that you are more than resistance. That there is a universe within you & around you, & that you have a role to play in that universe. That you can receive, + give, help. That you can create, + appreciate, beauty. That you can be still + hold value.

So when we sing "let's #Heal together," we're talking about an infinite source of abundance that is not tied to White Supremacist standards of health & worth. We are talking about something inherent in us. Something deeply rooted & connecting us, to ourselves, & to each other.

"Find what you need (Find *Hope) Find what feeds you (Find *Energy) Find what you need (Find *Art) Let's HEAL together(Find *Love)" #BlackCreativeHealing Themesong

An addendum to this, as I’m rereading it on my ever evolving Healing Justice journey: It is important to recognize that the word “healing” can hold trauma for some people - that’s part of why we have to be so clear about what we mean behind/between the words. Also, sometimes you have to stop things. Not just rest and jump back in, as I’m realizing some of our languaging may imply. Sometimes healing looks like straight up refusing any offer of care that is not appropriate/safe for you.

Our view of healing should be as expansive and malleable as possible to all the wisdom our bodies can hold- all that, and more.

Next up: Creativity!

I find it oddly perfect that while searching for where best to situate our next #BCHvalues post I end up threading it (here)...

In the image (above), surrounding the word “Creativity,” I’ve placed some terms that may be commonly associated with acts of creating, like “Flow” and “Play.” I also placed some lesser utilized words……for practices that people may not always associate with #creativity, but which are totally part of #creating too!

Those words include:

• Visioning
• Co-Working
• "Trying on"
• Seasoning
• Organizing
• Metabolizing
• Collaborating

These too are #creative acts...

Undertaking these acts in any form makes you a Creative - the more mindfully you do so, the stronger that creative power is! Looking fwd to seeing what emerges from (ongoing) Creative Co-Work(s), & sharing more content in this next season of our process, wherever that may leadJust one more word to cover!

Now it’s time to talk BLACK.

For #BlackCreativeHealing everything we do centers Black Communities. That means:

1. Our guest collaborators are Black. All kinds of Black. Always.

2. We prioritize the sharing of Black experiences that may or may not be relevant to non-Black folks.

Let’s expand on this one...

All are welcome to listen to our podcast and attend most of our events. Some spaces we reserve only for those who self-identify as Black (more on that later).

Any space that is open still comes with expectations tho. We expect non-Black folks to be respectful witnesses. What does this mean? Recognize that our work may involve you but it ain’t ABOUT you. It’s about us.

That means if you don’t understand it, it’s not up to us to explain it to you cuz we aren’t really talking TO you. We’re allowing you in the room. Don’t take up excess space.

Anyway, back to the Center...💜

Black folks get to take up space in #BlackCreativeHealing. Our social media feeds feature Black faces & Black voices. Occasionally we uplift Indigenous content or other marginalized folks, because we believe cross-movement solidarity matters.

This relates to self-identification too: we do our utmost to not police Blackness. If you say you Black, you Black. However, we do not accept harm. We said earlier we’re ALL kinds of Black. So if your words or work cause harm to our LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled folks, etc...

This relates to self-identification too: we do our utmost to not police Blackness. If you say you Black, you Black. However, we do not accept harm. We said earlier we’re ALL kinds of Black. So if your words or work cause harm to our LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled folks, etc... (insert GIF of Mbaku saying "We will not have it!")

And that’s that on that. 🤷🏾‍♂️

We prioritize Black experience sharing without expectations of translation, embracing the intersections of Blackness with queerness, disability & more. We believe this is part of community care.

But that’s a thread for another day...😎

NOTE: We recently made the decision to use Patreon to host our Newsletter content, so this page is no longer active, but should you wish, you can view past posts below, and be sure to click "follow" or become a paid subscriber in our Patreon for up to the minute details on all things Black Creative Healing in the future! https://patreon.com/blackcreativehealing

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