Out With The Old, In With The New!

Hey! 

Long time! How you do? I haven’t written a blog post since May 2025. It’s been a minute. Therefore, we probably have a lot to discuss.

I have been trying to keep a bit of a low profile. Of course, I still chat shit on my Instagram and TikTok. I’m still trying to become famous because of my personality. But in terms of my artistic practice, I haven’t shared much.

However, I did an artist talk at Bunker Talks, Manchester School of Art in March 2026. You can watch it here. It was beautiful to spend some time reflecting on my practice over the years. I have had a good run. Such a pleasure to be part of their archive. Did you know that Manchester School of Art is the second oldest art school in the UK? So cool!

I have been trying to keep my head down. Every month I think about how I’m going to pay my rent and bills. But I continue to make it happen. Shout out to my spirit team. They have been doing an exceptional job when it comes to looking after me. Phew.

I have been doing some front of house work, as well as some receptionist work. However, it’s as and when. It’s not as consistent as I would like it to be.

My practice is still alive, however, it’s not what it used to be. And that’s not a bad thing. I’m just coming to terms with the transition. So yes… out with the old, in with the new.

What do I mean by that?

I am a mid-career artist now. I’m no longer a hot piece of ass! Nobody wants my ass anymore. Ha! Okay, that’s not entirely true. I’m being a bit too harsh on myself there. Nowadays, the younger guys are calling me Daddy instead. Oh, how times have changed.

Getting older has been a fascinating experience. Everyone says your thirties are better than your twenties, and maybe they are, but I’m still figuring mine out. My twenties were fast. I had so much energy and determination, and I’m incredibly proud of everything I achieved during that decade. My thirties feel slower. Not in a bad way. I think I’m just learning to take my time a bit more.

I am fortunate that having a track record has led to opportunities, and I appreciate the people and organisations who continue to acknowledge and support my practice. I do find it amusing how so many people no longer have the time or interest in me, but it’s all good. Things change. People change. I certainly have.

I am now on rejection number 36. The things I have applied for are at a much higher number. Commissions, funding, residencies, arts jobs. Is there any point in continuing to apply for things? Some days it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I can’t even sign on because they believe I earn enough to live off. I don’t.

This rejection hurt the most. 

I wanted to research and develop a ritual installation performance about Charles Dolly, an Obeah practitioner who was arrested in Montserrat between 1898 and 1908. I wanted to recognise him as a hero rather than a criminal. The Arts Council said no. Twice.

For a while, I felt like I had let Charles down. Then I realised I wasn’t done with him.

Instead of making a performance, I started outlining a TV pilot inspired by Charles Dolly, taking creative licence with his story. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Ugly Betty, set in Leeds, with a Black queer protagonist called Ezra. That’s all I’m going to share for now.

What excites me is that television gives me so much more room to play. Charles was famous. Under colonialism, he was infamous. There are courtroom scenes, acts of divination, moments that are dramatically satisfying in ways that theatre simply couldn’t contain. His story still has so much life in it.

I developed the outline through BBC Voices – North & Midlands, which has recently been announced. I know that’s right!

Funny enough, I found out I’d been selected whilst working a front of house shift. The shift before that, I’d received three rejections in one day. The following morning I was doing an early receptionist shift after barely sleeping because I’d spent most of the night crying. So receiving that email when I did felt like the ancestors saying - “here you go!”

BBC Voices has reminded me that I really do want to pursue television.

For years my work has been rooted in autobiography, exploring myself through Live Art and performance. Now I’m finding so much joy in building worlds instead. I used to be almost anti-character in my practice. Now I’m embracing character completely. I’m still interested in the self, but I’ve spent a long time exploring that. It feels exciting to step into fiction and see what happens.

Perhaps that’s what “out with the old, in with the new” actually means.

It doesn’t mean I’m abandoning performance. In fact, in September, I’ll be performing in Aarhus, Denmark -  Live Art for Children. I’ll be performing my one-to-one performance, You See… which I first developed ten years ago. There’s something beautifully poetic about performing it after a whole decade. Speaking about privilege is timeless.

Although, You See… isn’t about me, most of my work is about me. Ha! 

These days I’m less interested in making myself the centre of every story. I want to explore historical figures, fictional characters and whole worlds beyond my own experience. Looking back, I can see little glimpses of this shift in my earlier work. I just didn’t recognise them at the time.

Outside of writing, I also completed psychic training with Minister Lynn Parker through Arthur Findlay College. I’ve been reading oracle and tarot cards for years, mostly for myself and friends, so it felt like the right time to develop those skills further. My spiritual practice and artistic practice have always been deeply connected, so this felt like a natural extension of both. If you fancy an oracle reading, feel free to get in touch through my website or socials.

Speaking of storytelling, I have been obsessed with X-Men ’97. I genuinely think it’s some of the best writing on television right now. The one-liners, the relationships, the character arcs… it’s all slapping. Magneto is and has always given Malcolm X, and every episode makes me want to become a better writer. I’ve also been revisiting Dragon Ball Z Kai, which I loved as a kid. Watching it now has made me think about the differences between Western and East Asian storytelling, and the narrative habits I’ve unconsciously picked up over the years.

So yes.

Out with the old.

In with the new.

Although, I may not be throwing away everything, but maybe allowing some things from the past to take me in new directions. And I can’t wait to see what is around the corner. Let me know what you’re up to. I hope you’re happy and well.

Blessings! 

Ase o!

J xxx