Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Shadows & Lights - Post International AIDS Conference"

 SUMMER 2012 

ART+ADVOCACY

HIGHLIGHT

Enjoy!

Shadows & Lights

Post International AIDS Conference

AIDS 2012 Conference in DC, was an overwhelming experience full of love, challenges, and reflection.  It was powerful to be in the vibration of thousands of people sharing in this walk to combat the disease. Whether through science, community mobilization, and art. It was a safe environment for me.  

I thank the International AIDS Conference and its committee of leaders for accepting my work to be part of the  XIX annual conference.  I thank the Global Network of Positive Leaders for offering me a place in their leadership community.

I thank Tom Viola, Executive Director Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Broadway community for granting me with a scholarship to attend the XIX International AIDS Conference.  

Finally, I thank the Black AIDS Institute, Chris Bland (for his application assistance), and Phill Wilson (CEO Black AIDS Institute) for his leadership, inspiration, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Enjoy this feature of Shadows & Lights 

International AIDS Conference 2012

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Brave Soul Collective... Returns"

THIS SATURDAY is when BSC RETURNS!!! 

Saturday June 30th, 2012
Brave Soul Collective (in conjunction with the 2012 DC Black Theatre Festival) presents,

"Moments Of Truth"

When: Saturday, June 30th 2012      
Where: Navy Memorial Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004

Time:  9pm  /  Cost:  $15

Just months after our National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day performance which took place at Warehouse Theatre on February 7th, Brave Soul Collective (BSC) returns with an all new, full length performance of"Moments Of Truth: Healing Ourselves from the Inside Out" on Saturday June 30th at 9pm.
Through theatre, spoken word, and personal testimonials, BSC will entertain, educate and enlighten individuals about a host of topics & issues including love, relationships, sexuality, self esteem, body image, & mental health. The evening of artistic performances also as BSC's artistic contribution to the continued fight against HIV/AIDS. It is presented to help mobilize the African American community around HIV/AIDS education & awareness; reduce stigma and infection rates; and to reinforce the importance of assuming personal responsibility for individual choices that affect collective mental health and wellness.

The performance serves as BSC’s 3rd annual appearance at the DC Black Theater Festival, after presenting the production “Smoke Screens” - a highlight of last year's festival.
Tickets for this event are available now by visiting: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3365146243 & will also be available at the door, (while supplies last).

For more information about purchasing tickets, & special discounts for groups of 10 or more, email:bravesoultix@gmail.com. For general info regarding this performance please visit: http://bit.ly/BSC_DCBTF2012 . FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

Missed the 1st performance of "Moments of Truth"?

purchase the LIMITED EDITION DVD recording of the show by clicking here:

 BUY "MOMENTS" ON DVD

SUPPORT BSC 

To make a donation online, visit:  http://bit.ly/SUPPORTBSC
OR  Make a check payable to "Fractured Atlas" and mail to:   
Brave Soul Collective
PO Box 4034
Washington, DC 20044

Brave Soul Collective is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Brave Soul Collective may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Feed Your Spirit..."

"Feed your soul, Your Spirit..."

My apologies for the late post today, but sometimes you just need to wait for a good prophetic word for inspiration. 


Feed your soul, Your Spirit, with music that supports your mood, finances, relationships.  Maybe its a song that gets you out of depression, worry over lack of finances, your unemployment has run out or you've been denied services.  Maybe it's a song or lyric that you need to chew on to bring you out of suffering, suffering from an abusive relationship with another person, with alcohol, or a chemical substance.  

Feed your Spirit, with medicine of music, lyric, and melody that detoxifies your system (physical and mental psyche).  What we listen to and put into our minds, our bodies is just as important as the real food and fluids we digest.  It's all connected to our physical and spiritual being working in tandem.  




A song that filled my belly today is James Fortune's "Still Able."  Find a song for you today.


Namaste.  




Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

QUIET THE CHATTER: PT. 1, the physical

Quiet the chatter today.  Take a moment, find a still place and just breath.  If sitting does not help,  stand in a comfortable position; Feet hip width apart, arms by your side, ground down and feel the four corners of your feet, press your toes into the earth, close your eyes.  Think of a song, that is soothing for your ears and has soothing words or again, simply listen to your breath.

Allow yourself at least 3-5 minutes each day to quiet the chatter.  We face chatter and chaos every day as we leave our home and enter into the land of the living.  Sometimes the chatter and chaos happens in before leaving our home, like an early morning phone call or a text.  Challenge yourself to avoid the call or text, for at least 3 minutes. I'm sure if it is urgent, 3 minutes, won't make or break the situation.  If you don't have a private room in your home, try escaping to your bathroom.  The bathroom is naturally a quiet place for all.
 
The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotions.  Exciting, mixed and low.  I am here and I am breathing.

Hope this helps.

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Turn Your Pain into Art"

Art that Heals and Transforms the Soul:

a meeting with Artist and Healing Survivor - Osvaldo Perdomo

My motto for life is: "Turn Your Pain into Art," whether it's physical, emotional, or mental pain I believe it can go through a healing transformation by actively using the creative arts to heal the soul.  I feel, as an HIV positive individual, who has suffered emotional abuse and depression, that I'm living proof of this notion of "Art and its Healing Power."  Art (visual, performance, literary, and design) has the personal power to heal us internally and externally.  It has the possibility to heal beyond the personal and individual, extending to larger socio-cultural and social-political dynamics.  Let me not exclude the creative and artistic powers of cooking and sewing.  These too are powerful creative acts that can heal and transform the soul.  Heal through your Pain and

Turn it into Art.

 

I recently attended a powerful art exhibit, hosted by Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation - "Art & AIDS: Living for the Moment."  Overly pumped to grab a great transformative story to share with FutureForward and A.A+W fans, I invited my good friend Nathan SEVEN Scott to cover this event with me.  

Truthfully, I knew it would be a moving event, however, I didn't expect to meet so many brave souls.  One brave soul in particular, was Osvaldo Perdomo.  Osvaldo, fearlessly shared his journey to becoming the artist that he is today. HIV positive and never having drawn nor technically trained in art, his collection consisted of original hand painted portraits that were developed out of the weekly therapeutic art classes as part of GMHC's Volunteer Work and Wellness Center.  The painting reflected his journey of healing emotionally and physically while living with HIV.  There were over 130 works of art, all displayed by artists who are living with HIV/AIDS.  The body of work was stunning and it was powerful to witness the effects of artistic transformation for the artists, personally, and the spectators at the exhibit.  The exhibition humbly provided the powerful engagement of destigmatizing people living with HIV/AIDS, it also showed

its transcending transformative powers to the larger socio-political dynamics.

So grateful for this experience, and grateful for having met Mr. Osvlado Perdomo, and hearing his story.  Thanks to GMHC, the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, and a special thanks to Osvaldo, who also was the co-curator of this event.  Now how powerful is that!

Thanks for reading on this A.A+Wsome Wednesday.  

More to follow next Wednesday.

Now tune into Torya and Her Notes on Ubuntu

and for up to date information on my works and my journey with FlagBoy

follow me at: www.corneliusjonesjr.com or facebook:  Cornelius Jones Jr.