MADEXXXX MADEART it to an audience of the current corporate culture that these businesses have and aligning that with the internal company that they ’ re trying to keep or trying to attract . A lot of these businesses have trouble speaking and poetry and art is a beautiful way to be a filament . It ’ s a good thing like an in- between to help build that bridge . But I know I ’ m not good at scaling , that ’ s not my thing , I like art and the language and creating so bringing two partners in who are good at that kind of stuff that ’ s what I ’ m doing in 2017 . And bringing the show through the Grey Experience , I want to bring that to 12 cities this year . Twenty four cities would be great because I want to bring it to two new cities each month . I want to keep pushing , I feel like ever since Maya Angelou passed away I don ’ t feel , like there ’ s any poet that carries that distinction of a cultural force . I ’ m passionate about it I feel like it ’ s dying so I want to push . I ’ m really committed to bringing this experience around the country .
MADE : Living in smaller cities and art being more prominent in the New York ’ s , LA ’ s and Chicago ’ s of the world , some people feel like they have to be in a bigger city to be put on or to be successful . Being from a small town like Chattanooga and having national success , what was your strategy and do you feel like you have to move around to get the eyes on your project ? Genesis : My dad was in the military so we traveled around a lot . I ’ ve lived in 26 cities , I probably lived in 15 cities as an adult by myself from New York to LA to DC , all those places . For me Chattanooga has something at its core that ’ s just still really human and beautiful . When I talk about it I feel like I can almost feel it in my hands . It ’ s a beautiful place and so first for me it was about where I can see myself living for a long time . What place do I feel is beautiful and just round and feels whole . As far as making a living , I still travel because those relationships are important but the internet is like the wild wild west .
I think we ' VE All been given this zone of genius .. i think it just takes a push and being open to collaboration "
Photo Credit : Casey Hyde
MADE : That ’ s awesome and I guess once you bring the experience around the country , you want people to consume the art . After that do you have any plans to be in galleries or how will we be able to see you when you ’ re not visiting the cities ? Genesis : I ’ m a really open brother you know . I ’ m pretty easy to get in touch with whether it ’ s a workshop or a show . There ’ s this old music video I wrote a while ago where I just put my number on my shirt . I know it sounds crazy .
MADE : Are you not afraid of people calling you ? Genesis : No , people are what inspires a lot of my art . This literary art experience talks about pushing ourselves beyond conventions and I believe that the more people can pass through that exchange it not only pushes the culture forward but it also inspires others to push within their own zone of genius . I think we ' ve all been given this zone of genius . It ’ s a lot of brothers that are talented but they might feel like rap is the only way and I just want to show that having creative confidence you can literally do anything you want . I think it just takes a push and being open to collaboration . If you don ’ t know something , ask for help . I ask for help all of the time .
You and I have just made a connection and we ' ve never met . I ’ m still in Chattanooga , and I feel like there ’ s a lot of relationships online , but I think face to face meetings are still very powerful .
MADE : Technology definitely has the power to make the world a bigger and a smaller place at the same time ! Genesis : Like I ’ m going to Detroit tomorrow for a week to link up with a few people and that journal I had , a friend of mine , he is cool with the owner of the Sonola company in Detroit and I was just pitching an idea . I was using the journal to write in so I thought it would be cool to have a meeting with the CMO just to see if there ’ s some intersection . And she hit me up like , " Yo , what ’ s up , come up . Let ’ s talk ". So those kind of things are great , everything comes with that confidence like no matter what obstacle I have in my way I can come up with a creative solution to either get around it or just start to understand it . Sometimes I will take a long walk because it ’ s like a form of alchemy sometimes so like whatever I ’ m dealing with , if it ’ s an obstacle , even if its sadness , it ’ s not that it goes away but that alchemy is like I can change it into something I begin to understand and then that helps me to deal with it properly . I think it doesn ' t even matter where you live . If you love it , it ’ s always home when you feel loved .
made-magazine . com | 42