you're ahead of your time: a monday newsletter to stop you feeling *shit*
consume this!
Happy Monday,
Feeling rubbish?
or feeling like ‘‘what am I doing with my life again?’’
‘‘Why does it feel like everyone is ahead of me?’’
Lets get consuming…
Internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist, Mickalene Thomas
‘‘You’re always going to have obstacles and circumstances in your life, so make the decision and get in the studio..regardless.’’
I took myself as a birthday present to see Mickalene Thomas’ exhibition called ‘All About Love’ at The Hayward Gallery (it’s there till May 2025 go and see it!) I sat down and wept at her work because it made me feel so ‘‘full’’ to see myself represented.
When I create I always think about what Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Toni Morrison said about how ‘‘black people are always spoken of and written about as objects of history, but not subjects within’’.
This was quite the opposite with Thomas’ work, her artistic gaze is purely black women who are full of infectious joy and love. It was divine to consume.
I listened to her on the Talk Art Podcast with actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament. They asked her: ‘‘What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?’’ and she said:
‘‘You’re always going to have obstacles and circumstances in your life. You have to decide for yourself - separate from all of that. Keep the work as your primary centre. ALWAYS make the art. Whether you are successful or not life will always happen - that’s a variable that’s never going to change. So decide what’s important to you and get into the studio regardless - life issues are always gonna get in the way. So make the decision.’’
If you want to know more:
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love -11 Feb – 5 May 2025
Channel 4 News -Mickalene Thomas on her art, cancel culture and DEI policy - interviewed by my friend Author and Journalist Symeon Brown
Halina Reijn, the director of A24’s erotic thriller 'Babygirl,’
‘Why can’t I be normal?’
Reijn was previously an actress or ‘‘a muse’’ as she describes it, before she started directing.
She often asked herself ‘‘Why can’t I be normal?’’ because of the types of films she likes to make.
And of course, ‘Babygirl’ was not to everyone’s tastes (I loved it!)
She had mentioned in an interview for Slate’s Podcast ‘Death, Sex & Money’ there is ‘‘barely’’ any sex (which is true) because ‘‘so much of sexuality is a story, so much is in the mind, it’s all about imagination and suggestion.’’
She also said ‘‘Two bodies banging on camera together tells us nothing’’.
I enjoy how she thinks as a person, and as an artist.
or as Cultured Mag smartly described her art in a way that I can’t:
If you want to know more:
Death Sex & Money with Anna Sale - ‘Babygirl’ Director Wants Women Not To Suppress Their Beast
On ‘Babygirl,’ Director Halina Reijn Created the Kind of Set She Longed For as an Actor
Footballer, Singer and Commentator Justin Fashanu -
'Do It Cos You Like It'.
In October 1990, Justin Fashanu became the only prominent player in professional English football to come out as gay until Jake Daniels as recent as 2022.
He wasn’t only the first openly gay black footballer in the country during the 1980s and 1990’s, but also released a song called 'Do It Cos You Like It' during the height of his fame. (It kinda slaps!)
So he was not only a footballer! and gay! and black! he made a song essentially saying ‘‘take me as I am or watch me as I leave!’’.
He was a walking bunch of contradictions, otherwise known as an ICON.
Justin sadly died by suicide in 1998 aged 37. As a child, My parents were good friends with his (famous) brother, Uncle ‘‘John’’ Fashanu, so his story feels close.
If you want to know more:
The New York Times - We know how Justin Fashanu died now let us hear how he lived
BBC Great Lives, Ekow Eshun on the first openly gay footballer, Justin Fashanu
Steven Paul Jobs also known as Steve Jobs -
The greatest innovator of all time. Period’
Now, go and be great!!!
Jackie x