bu.diy (black unicorn diy)

queer. asexual. black. chronically ill. unicorn. diy stands for "do it yourself", I'm interested in ways we seek knowledge and expertise in community. How we (re)learn, remember, and get free as brown, black, and indigenous folks.

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Oh! And my band “staying inside” started rehearsing again. 

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So yea...just did a mass dump of all things I uploaded on my instagram because I realized that I haven’t updated this blog in a while. I’ve mostly been busy with applying for jobs, prepping for the “incite,excite” closing showcase on March 5,, applying for more jobs, figuring out wtf self care looks like for me, oh! and contributing to Ddance Caribbean collective’s social media presence, AND I started an online writing class. Geesh. I have to admit when I started that list I thought it was going to be like 3 things but I just truly realized how busy I am. 

It’s been really challenging and rewarding to be actively creating again. The past couple of days have consisted of everything BUT writing and rehearsing. Yes I’ve been busy mostly out of avoidance. I know it’s possible to move past this wall but why does it feel soooooo impossible right now. whyyy 

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idk (this is how I rang in the New Years)

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staring at her for days now. I've been stitching this portrait of "the world's oldest person" Susannah Musshat Jones. She's 116 yrs old and lives in Brooklyn. My biggest thing was capturing the curves and wrinkles on her face. Now, I'm exploring the different hues and shades in her face--with thread! Discovered #needlepainting sub genre of embroidery so I'm going to try that on for size to capture it.

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bittersweet. First iteration...haven't had much time to work on it. #workinprogress

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Studying children's picture books for an upcoming project. Aka looking for full time work children book publishing.

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I’ve been gone for min...

So you’re going to get a flood of posts and shit from what I’ve been working on. :)

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Tonight is #inciteexcite gallery opening 6-10pm at a-space! (4722 Baltimore Ave) Also, looking forward, I'll performing a piece called "bittersweet" at the closing showcase on March 5th. (Artwork by @wzly_pete)

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The biggest thing for me is breaking the habit of procrastinating on projects. I've gotten into the habit of working in large chunks of time and rushing to get something done. I'm hoping to shift to working on projects little by little day by day. I've made the above outline three different ways in order to grasp how I'm going to do it. Hopefully the more I do this I'll have found a process that feels right.

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Trying to be deliberate about my artistic process and dreams to work for home.

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In progress piece based on a photo of the oldest woman in the world. She's 116 yrs old and lives in Brooklyn.

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I finally finished Tina! Please excuse the hoop marks and general grunginess, I still have to wash and iron it. I’m giving this to my awesome friend who loves Tina.

The pattern is my own, and based on artwork by Adria Wells.

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Perf!

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Rudiments

Rudiments can be boring if you’re only practicing on a pad but when you finally get/understand how to use those rudiments as fills on a drum kit a whole new kind of awesome suddenly opens up. Like me as a beginner I haven’t memorized all and usually i just use singles as fills most of the time but when I applied the 6 stroke (RllrrL) on the kit recently and do it in moderate speed and in circles it just sounds awesome. I’m currently working on various paradiddles and hope I can do it in a decent speed also while alternating the other rudiments that I know.  Here’s a tip that I learned if you’re also having a hard time applying rudiments on a drum kit put all the double strokes on the snare and hit the rest of the kit (toms, cymbals etc) with the singles then just do variations and play around it (start slowly then work your way up to speed) that helped me alot to start 

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Super helpful. I found I was able to do paradiddles on a practice pad but when it came to the kit I was like “huh”

[sicklord]

ME AS HELL

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omg this SO MUCH this

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I applied for a position at a costume shop. I hope I get it. 

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I’m feeling extra motivated this a.m.

 I started laundry and the sun hasn’t even risen. I meditated and journaled. I’m determined to cornrow “L” hair today. I attempted kinky twists on her hair on Thanksgiving  but the hair kept sliding. Going to try cornrowing her hair and putting in crochet braids. 

I also want to set up my creative work space in my room today. 

I can do this. 

Also budgeting–I’m withdrawing $$ to pay back rent. Getting back into walking and biking to reduce travel costs. Setting up grocery list and cooking to plan efficient ways to spend $$ on food. 

I can do this.

I figured I can use old shirts and clothes that don’t fit to practice my bralette, watson bra, and other sewing projects. I can also just practice on scrap fabric different sewing techniques even if I don’t have $$ for fabric. 

I can do this. 

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Update: I did it! I flat twisted/cornrowed L’s hair and added Crochet braids. Have’t been able to go grocery shopping as of yet because $$. I have been looking up recipes that I can start implementing once I have the money to go grocery shopping. I printed off pages of the projects I wanted to start working on...Namely: Tatooed tights and bralette. I’m excited. I gathered some old shirts and what not to start on the bralette. 

[yossiepaul-deactivated20160726]

[K]now that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths.

Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider (The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House)

Essentially Black Unicorn