Reggie Black: Are you using your voice?

Summary

The speaker shares their journey of using art as a way to confront and express their struggles with mental health, fear, and vulnerability. They describe a daily ritual of creating and sharing artwork based on their raw emotions and thoughts. The process has allowed them to connect with people worldwide, challenge traditional therapy, and redefine art as a medium for personal growth and connection. Their story emphasizes the power of embracing fear and imperfection, encouraging others to confront uncomfortable truths and turn them into meaningful expressions.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker's daily ritual involves downloading their first raw thought of the day and turning it into a piece of art.
• 🌍 The art is then placed in a public space and shared on social media across different time zones.
• 🤝 Supporters of the speaker's work have become friends in cities like Sydney, Bangkok, and Washington DC.
• 😨 Despite creating art regularly, the speaker experiences daily fear and anxiety before sharing their work.
• 🖤 As a young Black man, the speaker struggled with expressing emotions and discussing mental health due to societal pressures.
• 🍷 The speaker turned to alcohol at 14 as a coping mechanism but continued untreated for 12 years.
• 🎭 Five years ago, the speaker began using their fear and emotions as fuel for their art.
• 💡 The goal of their art is to inspire others to confront their own mental health struggles by sharing vulnerable, uncomfortable truths.
• 🖌️ The speaker challenges the traditional view of art, emphasizing that it’s about presenting flaws with courage and honesty.
• 🌟 Their hope is that people around the world will start facing what makes them uncomfortable and transform their fear into a form of self-expression.

Q & A

What is the speaker's daily art-making ritual?

The speaker wakes up, downloads the first raw thought that comes to their mind, writes it down, and turns it into a piece of art. They then place this art in a random public space, photograph it, and share it on social media.

Why does the speaker feel fear before posting their art every morning?

The speaker feels fear because they worry that they might not have anything valuable to say or share for the day. This fear becomes part of their daily ritual.

How did the speaker initially cope with their mental health struggles?

The speaker turned to alcohol as a form of therapy from the age of 14 and continued for about 12 years, without addressing their mental health issues properly.

What inspired the speaker to turn their fear into art?

The speaker decided to harness their fear and turn it into a work of art, aiming to create a platform that allows them to share their perspectives and hope that others could relate to similar experiences.

How does the speaker describe their journey in becoming an artist?

The speaker describes themselves as a self-regulating, introverted, curious extrovert who is bipolar. This internal complexity allowed them to evolve into the artist they are today, using art to create authentic connections around the world.

What does the speaker hope their art will accomplish for others?

The speaker hopes their art will inspire others to confront their mental health issues and the things they have avoided, encouraging them to celebrate what makes them different.

What misconception about art does the speaker aim to challenge?

The speaker challenges the idea that art can only be created in a fancy studio or with a lot of materials. They believe art is about presenting one's flaws with courage and honesty, regardless of the environment.

What message does the speaker convey about mental health in the black community?

The speaker highlights how, in the black community, young black men are often taught to suppress their emotions, not cry, and avoid discussing mental health, which creates challenges in addressing mental health issues.

How does the speaker view life in relation to art?

The speaker believes that life itself is a blank canvas that everyone is constantly working on. The experiences and adventures of life contribute to completing that canvas.

What is the speaker’s ultimate hope for the world regarding mental health and fear?

The speaker hopes that people around the world can start confronting their fears and uncomfortable issues, turning their fear into works of art and embracing what makes them different.