My second poetry collection, "The Days of Plenty," offers a glimpse into my early journey as I embraced the arts professionally. As I wrote these poems, I began to note their dates, and in time, I realized I had inadvertently created a personal artist's diary.
"The Days of Plenty" explores my internal process of accepting this chosen path, conveyed through a series of metaphors and allegories drawn from my lived experiences. In truth, a career in the arts wasn't my initial expectation, as my education and experiences generally pointed towards a more conventional corporate life. However, that vision soon gave way to a profound need for creative expression, a desire that ultimately outweighed the appeal of a steady paycheque and benefits. The poems within this book narrate my journey of coming to terms with this new, often fractious and deeply fulfilling direction.
Within these pages, I feel I began to solidify the defining characteristics of my personal style and artistic voice. Building upon the imagery and imagination explored in "Ritual and Ruin," this collection incorporates the insights and nuances that adulthood brings. While themes of romance and belonging remain present, they are now interwoven with reflections on my mental well-being and the resilience that this period of life demanded.
Section Title
I've always been captivated by the visual storytelling of editorial photo narratives in the magazines I loved as a teen. Once I was introduced to fotonovelas as I started exploring the arts, I knew I wanted to play with the medium. For "The Days of Plenty," I aimed to amplify this concept, crafting a visual story that encapsulates my journey. The most compelling way I envisioned this was through the creation of a somewhat dark and evocative masquerade.
The need for these images became the foundation for the concept of "Masquerade is Rebellion." The visuals informed the narrative and the costuming, prompting a further exploration of the roles that heritage and culture play in my contemporary life, which often feels quite disconnected from Jamaica and its influence. I also felt it was essential to integrate the vibrant energy of Dancehall and Carnival into this visual narrative to counter the deep emotion of my words with the electricity of my memories.
Remarkably, the masquerade and the accompanying images emerged approximately four years after the final poem in this collection was written. In this way, and in many others, it feels as though "The Days of Plenty" continues to offer new layers and insights even now.
