Sunday Ajak
​
"Spoken word comes to the mind as a method of deep communication, as a way to converse the seemingly inexpressible. Some thoughts or emotions can’t really be put into simple words conjoined in a simple sentence. Rather, sometimes the things we experience, need to be put in metaphors, abstractions, or stories. How do you explain love to someone who has never loved? How do you illustrate deep sorrow can go? Questions, that have numerous answers, and they are all right in their own way.
When I create a spoken word piece, or write an expansive speech, or even a short story. Each and every one of them, stem from some sort of indescribable emotion. This, or rather my ‘art’ is unintentional, more or less it’s become a strainer for the constant concoction of thoughts that impede on my mind. Alan Watts once said, a person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about but thoughts, thus they lose touch of reality. I concur, rather I add that a person who thinks without guidance, may lose touch. Spoken word has become that guidance for me, helping me think of things like racism, inequality, injustice, whatever it may be.
As the notions behind racism grow larger and larger, as a black man myself it’s a challenge to escape the reverie. Everywhere we look, inequality exists, and it plagues my mental health just as much as depression would. If it holds me down, then the same can be said for others. That is why I use spoken word to help those who may not be able to understand their own emotions. Whether it be motivational speeches, relevant stories, or simple metaphors, there is no realm of the subconscious that spoken word cannot heal."