Let me take this moment to reintroduce my new found self. During my long leave of silence I have turned my face to the Son (sun), thus the shadows have fallen behind. I have embraced the spoken secrets whispered by those who have lived before me, not because those who spoke them were perfect, but because the lessons learnt from a man of fault are as candles lit to disperse the darkness; those learnt from a perfect man are light itself. Mine eyes, though vaguely open, can see clearly the prospects of harvests sown in season.
I feel as one who has been awoken from a beastly sleep. Having dreamt dreams that I now want to live selflessly; the light of faith empathetically burning before me, I want the shadows that I once cursed so incessantly to fall away at the light I have found inside self. This beginning is in no way inspired by those (articles) that came before it, it is in a sense a hasty departure taken at the hour of great enlightenment. It is as a man who hastily packed his bag, when he heard that eternity required no baggage, word was all he packed!
SPOKEN MIND
Now, those of you who have read my previous work will notice the logo change. The brains behind the work are the founder and team of Consciousness Media Legacy (www.consciousness.co.za), Karabo Mkhabela and Tebogo J Mosane, in partnership with Graffic Hub (www.visualnetworks.co.za), consisting of Reabecoe Selekisho and Lerato. The idea behind this collaboration is not only to strengthen the brands and create a more unified artistic front, but it is also an act of allowing room for maturity and in a sense, a larger sowing field. In the ideal sense, I know exactly what I would like Spoken Mind to become, however, I am no idealist. Reality will dictate. www.spokenmind.net. But Spoken Mind is a wise man taught by a sage who was taught by a wiser man. Like, “God created MAN in His Image, in the image of God created He HIM, male and female created he THEM.” We are the ‘them’ that have found both purpose and wisdom, and wisdom in purpose. The aim is to use spoken word and the arts as a medium to facilitate social change.
EVENTS
In the last 6 months, Spoken Mind hosted the first Intervarsity Spoken Mind Competition (August 27), which was ‘won’ by Given “Illustrative” Masilela, representing the TUT Street Poets Society. This event was followed by “Spoken Mind – On the couch with…”which took place on the 22nd of October. The show saw Lebo Mashile bracing us, hosted by the South African Literary Award winning poet, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers. Part of the proceeds from Spoken Mind initiatives, including merchandise, is contributed to an organisation called Pledge-a-Pad (find out more on the site) We are also promoting up and coming poets, so drop me an email if you would like your material to be played or marketed on our site. Currently, we have Rantoloko Molokoane’s first poetry anthology, aptly titled, “Read, Write, Dreams into Life” and Natalia Molebatsi and the Soul Making’s CD.
SOCIAL CHANGE
On the 16th of December, Spoken Mind together with other young artists from No Camp Chairs Poetry Picnic, Rora and Consciousness.co.za, all of whom went on their own capacities as “human beings,” visited the Tshwaraganang Orphanage in Hammanskraal, visit the Spoken Mind page on fb for the full gallery. Contributions were received from different individuals, the Department of Arts and Culture, Nampak and Grand Holdings to name a few. By the time you read this article, we would have gone to the home again on 21 January to catch up and spend a day with the young children being taken care of at the home, to join us on future visits, please do not hesitate to contact me, matthew@spokenmind.net.
What would you like to see from this page going forward?
…droW(**m)att…
The Spoken Mind Lives!!!
“Forget the times of your distress, but never forget what they taught you.” Herbert Gasser.
The Spoken Mind Lives,
