Expansion

I used a lot of brain power looking for some sort of term to adequately describe the time between now and our last days of normalcy. The only thing I could come up with was the ‘experiment’ to fully describe this time in all of our lives. So earlier, during the experiment, one of my girlfriends spoke some words of wisdom that have literally carried me these last few weeks. I told her how I kept having various ideas flooding my consciousness and that I didn’t know what to do with them. Her response of course, was the now infamous saying that, “Ideas not manifested become burdens carried.” I took those words to heart. I wrote down all of those ideas that kept whispering to me during my dreams. I spoke them out loud, just to see how sweet they tasted in my mouth. Then I wrote them down again until they started to feel like reality…

A Tribe Called Manifest. Literary Alchemy. ATCM. Lit(erary) Alchemy. Lit Alchemy. A. Tribe. Called. Manifest.

All of these words share a deeper meaning for me. Not only were they calls to action, they were orders that I had been charged to comply with. So in the midst of the experiment, two brands came to life. Expansion became inevitable.

On June 5th, A Tribe Called Manifest hosted our inaugural Full Moon Intention Writing Workshop and Sound Bath. Prior to the experiment, I would often host Full Moon gatherings at my home. These were events where friends could come together to do rituals to enhance our manifestations under the power of the Full Moon. The social distancing and stay at home orders threw a humongous wrench in those plans and we all turned to social media to fill that void of not being able to come together as a community. Well, one thing that was obscenely noticeable was the lack of color in those spaces. We couldn’t find any groups or pages to turn to that housed people who looked like us. Then race relations exploded and the perception that there were disparities in certain spaces were busted wide open. There weren’t an excess of places for Black and brown women to find rest, and ritual and solitude, especially not together. My friend Ashlee Rivera and I, curated a safe space for Black and Latinx women to come together virtually where we could do just that. I host an intention driven writing workshop for attendees, and afterwards she provides a healing sound bath meditation for them as well. These events have not only been restorative for us, but have made a positive impact on those who have attended. As we progress in time, we see progress in ourselves and look forward to the expansion that is occurring around us.

It’s no secret how much I believe in the power of words. As a child, reading was my favorite thing to do. It helped expand my vision, it opened my eyes to the wonders of the world and changed the trajectory of my life. I owe my existence to a love of reading. When I published my first book in November 2018, I again realized the power in words. Every line of poetry contained in that book contained incantations that single-handedly healed my heart and gave me the confidence I needed to grow into a better version of myself. I want others to experience the magical power of literature. Thus, Lit(erary) Alchemy was born.  I have conceptualized Literary Alchemy as a brand promoting the magic of words. Words have power and I want people to respect that power and indulge in it. Lit Alchemy has products that promote literacy, and encourage creatives to write with authority. All of the products will be created with intention and I hope they inspire others to see written and spoken word the same way as I do. Words make up my existence. Reading used to be forbidden for people who looked like me, so every opportunity I have to read I see it as revolutionary. There is power and purpose in everything we read. In addition to products, I envision Lit(erary) Alchemy providing mentorship and resources to help promote literacy to the masses. I am excited for all the possibilities, and of course the alchemy…

I am excited to create a bigger imprint on this world. I am thankful for the doors that are opening for me. While I see myself continuing with these expansions, I also feel another book coming into fruition. My work is still not done.

I will continue to serve, provide and create. And rest. That right there is important also. I will save that conversation for another post though…

FRH