Where Have I Been?

Where have I been? Good question, probably deerves a good answer, but I don't think you have the time right now. God willing, I will be posting more frequuently, and in the meantime, check out one of my projects I am working on. Peace.

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Working on my Love and War series. #art #artist #picoftheday #love #heart #me #painting #paint #green

A post shared by Quwwa_Artworks (@quwwa_artworks) on Aug 11, 2020 at 6:47pm PDT

Still Ain't Gettin' It (More B.A.D News For America)

"No child, teacher, or anyone should ever feel unsafe in an American school."

President Donald Trump after the Parkland, Florida school shooting, which just occurred yesterday.

And to think: Here I am scolding myself for not speaking about the President's latest tirade (well now it's old news since he made statements about cutting food stamps and giving poor people boxes of food.). This time he blamed immigration laws for the death of two individuals, one being an Indianapolis Colts linebacker, Edwin Jackson.

Never mind the fact the suspect was allegedly drunk, just like the other tens of thousand traffic deaths attributed to drunk driving on a YEARLY basis. Nope, look past that, and get to the heart of the matter, at least in his eyes, illegal immigrants. So now only illegal immigrants are going around in a drunken state, killing others on the road. Wow.

I sat here being mad, trying to find some sort of excuse for why I didn't jump on this latest obvious display of bigotry by the so called Leader of The Free World. Could it be that I was procrastinating, as I usually do? Or was it out of fear of sounding redundant? Or was it because I didn't want to come across as the usual Trump-hating liberal?

Whatever the case, there's always something happening in America to bring events such as this back into perspective, regardless of the age of the issue. This country is draped in enough bigotry on all sides to never have to worry about running out of incidents to compare or reflect on the constant double standards, hypocrisy and denial that continues to plague this "Land of the Free."

Yesterday's shooting in a suburban Florida high school is another constant reminder of what bigotry can do to a person, as well as a society. It makes those who engage in bigotry not see the true reality of things, how the decline of morality, values, and intelligence is a direct result of their own doing, and not some outside entity, as many are led to believe.

We have witnessed during this administration alone SEVERAL mass shootings in a frightening span of only a FEW months. When the church shooting in a Texas small town killed 26 people late last year, people were assured by the President that "God and YOUR COUNTRY are with you." In the Las Vegas shooting we heard practically the same speech, yet no reason why. We witnessed in Plano, Texas last year a shooting at a football watch party that took the lives of 8 people, which included the shooter himself.

So far in only 45 days into this new year, there has been 5 school shooting incidents whereas someone has either been injured or killed. And neither of these incidents happened in Chicago, Illinois or Chiraq, as some may say.

Yet when the smoke clears, the bodies have been buried, and all of the tributes and memorials have dried up, for some reason we go right back to hearing about wild immigrants, shithole countries of color, persistent threats of terrorism from someone who just can't stand America's toxic freedom, or poor people inside the country supposedly tearing this nation down, the usual conservative banter.

But Conservatives are not the only collective of people that can be called into account for displaying bigotry. Liberals and the like are not absolved from such accusations either. Clear case in point is the the out-of-the-blue video from CNN of all people, that supposedly shows Africans being sold into slavery in Libya. Black Americans went up in arms again at the sight of  seeing or being led to see Black people once again in a state of captivity, oppression and slavery.

The usual emotional response? Attack Arabs and Islam, of course. Spread vitriol hatred against a whole group of people, and accuse a way of life as the catalyst for such actions.

Imagine CNN, the news network that doesn't like the antics of the Black Lives Matter movement, but just can't seem to expose the movement for what it really is: a movement led by Black feminists and members of the LGBTQ community, using the plights of unarmed Black men who were murdered at the hands of police, but only as a mechanism to get into the psyche of the Black collective. They can't seem to show the real intentions of the movement in their own land, how it poses as a conflict of interest to heterosexual Black men, families led by Black men, and how they wish to subvert the Black community from the inside to inject its matriarchal beliefs. But they can tell you what's going on in another part of the world. Yeah right.

But it's easy to get the Black public in America. Just take a look at the Disney-produced Black Panther movie. Oh, and let's not forget the pseudo-Black Panther, Black-empowerment tribute from Beyonce at the Super Bowl two years ago. Nothing has changed.

I encountered such a bashing against Arabs and Islam a couple of weeks ago on a Youtube page, whereas a so called Pan Africanist posted a video from of all people, White conservative media reporter Alex Jones. This video has Alex Jones spewing the most agregious lies against Islam, alleging that the Qur'an speaks in the most hideous of terms about Black people, although he could not bring up one shred of evidence. He played off as if to say there was so many bad names given that he couldn't list them all, although he couldn't even list one name and show one single verse.

 He then proceeded to claim that these some of the slaves are butchered, and then fed to other slaves, who are then forced to eat the remains before they are executed, with the belief that this will make them enter Hellfire.

Yet this person supposedly holds fast to the Ten Commandments, which also includes "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

Sad to say, most of the responses from the video proved true about what is said about many Black people, especially in terms of lacking critical thinking, doing extensive research on any given subject, using emotions over intellect, and jumping to conclusions. It also proved that as the old saying goes "stuffed shirts comes in all colors."

When I challenged them to bring one shred of evidence to prove Islam denigrates Blacks and encourages slavery, not one could do it. Just the usual crying out and accusing Black Muslims of being brainwashed and misled, among other name calling.  However one such person tried to reason that his displeasure towards Arabs and Islam was due to some Arabs who sell liquor, pork and lottery in inner cities.

There was a time when such people would chide those who claimed Islam while engaging in acts they knew were forbidden in Islam. Those days are gone for many.

Like Donald Trump, these actions are now used to masked their hatred and bigotry towards Islam, as well as other races of people.  One such individual expressed his joy over some of the atrocities that are happening to the Arabs, even the killing of women and children. He cited that this is the ultimate example that Islam is not true.

Little does this guy truly understand Islam, and how in Islam, the Muslim community can also be punished, if evil and disobedience is prevalent in the community. The Creator will dole out punishment to those who profess belief but act otherwise. However the punishment for the Muslim community only resides in this life, not in the Hereafter.

Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron. Ar-Rad, verse 11

But this is the problem with bigotry and racism. The hatred of others and desire to be better than another based on superficial factors such as color, ethnicity, class, pedigree or whatever clouds their intellect. The mind knows right away that in terms of race, one's skin color does not dictate intelligence or lack thereof, but a corrupted heart, filled with undue arrogance, hatred, and intolerance will lead one to believe the most ridiculous and illogical of stories about another person or culture.

How can the Black community cry foul against racism and White supremacy, when they may hold the same racist beliefs as described in those Hidden Color documentaries? How can they possibly hope for justice when they're willing to believe the first lie that comes to them about someone from another belief or nationality?

Once I reflected on this, it gave me a whole new perspective on why we witnessed all of these recent slave narratives. As one imam said in a lecture about the New World Order, they were preparing us for something.

This country and its inhabitants point fingers at everybody else and everything for the dismal plight and the decline of this country. Meanwhile claiming superiority over all others at the same time. Yesterday's shooting is a reminder that something is horribly wrong with this democracy we claim we live in.  It will not be fixed with the usual finger pointing and name calling that occurs on all sides. It will only come starting with an honest reflection about this society and freedoms we claim to enjoy. Until then it's business as usual.

Whatever reaches you of good is from God, whatever befalls you of evil is from yourself.  An-Nisa verse 79

Still At It....

12 x 16 Pastel painting entitled Safe and Sound. 

Just when I got into the groove of blogging, other things pop up, and blogging takes a back seat. I'm preparing for a showcase coming up in which yours truly will exhibit my work to my local community, something I haven't done in 5 years, and it's been long overdue. This one here promises to be somewhat different than the previous showcase, due to changes in certain areas, especially in the rebuilding of the local library. This is a big plus for me, because not only do I get to exhibit my work, I can also access classrooms with projectors and screens, and trust me, I do have something planned for that as well. I don't want to spill all of the beans right now, but just to inform those who started getting into the habit of reading my blog regularly that I would be off the social topics for a while, but only on this platform.

 I know I had not finished the blog concerning Leslie Jones and Milo Yiannopolous, but in this age of fast food information and hot gossip, it's become passe' anyway, not that it's no longer important to discuss the issue, but one with much insight will see this issue pop up in another way shape or form, and the Leslie vs. Milo incident can be used as a reference point. But that's for people who value critical thinking and reasoning, which is not what our world is concerned with. 

Anyway an extra special thanks to those who take the time to read my lil' ol' blog, it is greatly appreciated. Not to get too involved with stats and metrics, which brings me back to my old customer service rep ways (UGGGH!) but last month set personal records for my blog in terms of views and readership. It's only fitting that I show gratitude in some form for those who take the time out of their busy schedule to come and See What I See (CWATIC). 

Until next time, take care and hang tight, we're only getting started here. 

Peace. 

The Big Switcheroo...MORE HARM THAN GOOD CONTINUED.

To continue: Labeling someone a deviant indicates there was an established system already in place, yet for whatever reasons, beit ignorance or willful deception, some people wish to tread a different path. Islam strongly denounces such actions, as well as sectarian groups who attempt to create their own niche. The methodology of implementing the Islamic Way of Life came only through the Prophets of God, ending with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Only he and God(Allah) alone can sanction any action with the intention of servitude, or in arabic ibaadah.

But in efforts to distort and manipulate, appropriate terms such as deviant, inventor (mubtadi), liar (kadhab), transgressor or sinner (faasiq), wrongdoer (dhaalim), and astray (dhaaleen) are replaced with extremists, terrorists and such to intentionally mislead, and from there comes as the late psychoanalyst Edward L. Bernays coined as "The Engineering of Consent". The creations of "anti-Shariah" laws in certain states, which have now been renamed as "anti-foreign" laws to disguise bigotry towards Islam, as well as the Patriot Act, which allowed spying on American citizens all come from this social engineering and social control.

To further illustrate the point, looking at the profiles of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and the current so-called khalifah of the group ISIS, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi (which is not his real name mind you), Wikipedia classifies both individuals as "Sunni Muslims" (another descriptive term that does not exist). This implies that all of their actions have their basis in core Islamic principles. That means when one hears reports of suicide bombings, or internet beheadings, kidnappings, all which are designed to antagonize the so-called "free world" and challenge the "free world" to come and fight, it has it's roots in  "Sunni" Islam, although there is absolutely no evidence to suggest such actions are permissible or even make sense, especially in the constant proclaimation of committing such horrendous acts by certain so-called groups.

Wikipedia also has a site entitled WikiIslam, a page dedicated to discussing Islamic topics only. On this site I found a horrendous article intent on discussing a statement made by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding men who are killed for the religion receiving 72 virgins in Paradise as a reward. Using an array of information, mostly not attributed to the Quran and/or the Prophet(S) himself, as well as unauthenticated statements reportedly made by him,  this article goes to great lengths to 1) describe the Islamic concept of Paradise as a pleasure palace, complete with orgy-esque and free-flowing sex amongst the men and 2) Show justification of the modern-day concept of suicide bombings, or some refer to it as "martyrdom operations".

For the sake of digressing even further, I plan to address that particular article in the very near future, but what I can state now with surety and clarity that there is no evidence that Islam sanctions such actions, and how can such actions be attributed to "Sunni Islam" when there is no such concept mentioned by the Prophet of killing oneself in order to kill others, nor was such actions even possible during his time? History tells us that explosives and gunpowder were invented two centuries after his death! So if "Sunni Islam" is to follow the Way of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), how can he give such directives without knowing what is an explosive?

 It represents an excellent case in point with regards to the quote "A lie can travel halfway across the globe, while the truth is putting on its shoes." Truth sometimes require extensive research, and those who show so much animosity towards others so much so that they are willing to lie about another's lifestyle or culture can realize the tedious task of finding out the truth in a matter by looking up several sources, and going to the official text to ascertain the truth.

So why the long drawn out digression from the initial topic of Muhammad Ali? 

     (To Be Continued)

Click here to go to Part One:

http://realquwwa.blogspot.com/2016/06/more-harm-than-good-making-muhammad-ali.html

To Read Part Two, Click on the link;

http://realquwwa.blogspot.com/2016/06/more-harm-than-good-making-muhammad-ali_15.html

Shutdowns, Breakdowns and Meltdowns (Part 1)

Peace all, Writing this blog from a personal standpoint can be therapeutic at times, and sometimes it can become more of a hindrance than good. It really depends on the mood that I'm in, which has been shifting constantly in the past few months. What started out as good and promising has turned completely upside down, and my mood changes have become more obvious than ever, and so has my language. Obviously something is not the same with me. Right now I'm sitting on the floor of the library, which has now become a familiar spot with me, multitasking as usual, not being able to get a single task done. I used to think that my lack of concentration or lack of focusing on getting one task done was due to my scatterbug nature. That was until a couple of weeks ago I was looking up an issue on the interest regarding depression and anxiety. Once I read the symptoms, I stopped wondering about the other person and started looking at myself. It's no secret that I've suffered from depression, especially when one reads previous posts I've written in the past, especially in regards to some of the escapades I've experienced in the high stress call center environment, however I did not realize what I was doing was due to a depressing state. I thought I had it managed pretty well ya know? Whenever I became depressed I would find myself walking throughout the neighborhood, sometimes equipped with my headphones and MP3 player and sometimes not, only to come back home somewhat refreshed, but it's reached epic proportions now. It came to a head this past July while doing contract work for a company. I was helping to move computers and networking hardware, not harming anyone at anytime, thinking that after working a couple of weeks here I could earn a nice amount of money to hold me down until something more permanent or more lasting comes along. Things didn't look so promising after the first couple of days as the two men who headed the project were behind in their duties, leaving the contractors with very little to do the first couple of days, so we were made to leave early. On the following Wednesday, I received word that my services would no longer be needed, as I was told that a couple of people complained about me, but he would not go into detail about the nature of the complaint. In reality he didn't have to, I've been discriminated and profiled against too many times to act like I don't know the reasons why I'm being treated in such fashion. The funny thing was although I was told some people complained against me, the agency I worked for was not told such things, only don't send me back to the site. I immediatedly told the recruiter what I feel was the issue, and I explained that I'm Muslim and I do have a full beard, but that in no way has been or will be a detriment to my work ethic or my reputation as a honest, law abiding citizen. Being African American and Muslim has given me the upclose opportunity to see first hand how ignorance and racism has and will continue to pull this country down, while it's citizens point fingers everywhere except the right places to hold the right people accountable, meanwhile people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds continue to suffer at the hands of someone else's stupidity. It hasn't stopped there. This discrimination has taken on new forms, such as an agency calling me a couple of weeks inquiring, or should I say profiling me about a position I had applied for. The recruiter seemed pleased with my resume, and then came the questions. NOPE, no felonies, no default on a college loan(although I fail to see how this should affect my status as one who is capable of troubleshooting computer equipment in the first place), no bad credit, except in the area of having a car repossessed three years ago, as a result of losing my job, making me unable to continue to pay on my car...so poverty becomes a punishment now huh? So now poverty is a character flaw instead of a socio-economic issue huh? One that renders the person into a caste of those who can't cut it? So much for the land of opportunity, huh? And they wonder why people go illegal? Matter of fact, I don't even think they even wonder about that, especially when conditions are created by these scavengers and parasites that leave those on the outskirts of society, scrappin' and scrapin' just trying to break even...They just feign concern...they don't really care... I'll continue this later....Peace out....www.qartworks.com

Painting(Tribute to Sgt. Hogues and the Tuskegee Airmen)

Salaam and Good Evening all...Working on other projects, will fill ya in soon. Right now check out my tribute painting to the Tuskegee Airmen...Take care!

Patience.....Young Grasshoppa(A Year in Review)

Peace all,

I had to think for awhile about how I wanted to do a year ending blog, things flipped so quickly that if I really wanted to fully recap Q's year in review, it would probably be a long, cumbersome blog, so let's trim the fat shall we?

I guess I can say I began to see promise this past February when I was able to start up my own website and expose my art among other things with it. REALQUWWA.COM started slowly, and not having much fanfare, I tried to advertise on my Youtube channel as well as Facebook, but response has been slow to say the least. But I don't despair in any event because I know what to expect, especially as an independent artist, along with the subject matter of my work. Today my website has two displays, the ongoing Lifestyles of the Ignored and the See What I See exhibit (CWATIC) which I renamed The All Aboard the 554 Exhibit , which chronicles scenes in my area of South Dallas. 554 is the route number of the city bus that goes through my area.


The See What I See(CWATIC)Exhibit held this past October 29th marked a milestone for the Q, seeing that I had not presented an exhibit of any sort, the only time I really exhibited my work at any time was at a student art exhibit when I attended Community College, and that was a while to say the least. But the response was great, especially in the fact that many people were able to see the direction my art was going, and also gave the opportunity to expose the possibilities of visual art to an area that does not get a chance to truly see a cultural event like this. To show the mindstate of my area as well as American society as a whole, I received replies from people who were somewhat surprised and/or dismayed when I explained that this exhibit was for FREE, and not to commercialize my work. I mean don't get me wrong, I am not saying I will not sell my work when the opportunity comes, but the purpose of my art is not just to "sell things" and make money, but to make a difference, inspire, and motivate too. In my area people have relegated everything now to a "hustle" or "getting up" and we are missing out on making a serious impact in society today. This is the sad state of society, mostly stemming from the notion of not seeing things in a spiritual perspective, and only seeing things from this temporal materialistic existence. It's high time we start changing that perception. The corrupt only hold the money for a period of time, but in the end everything goes back to Allah(Al-Warith, The Inheritor).

Other events include the inspiring art sale I attend two weeks ago, held by renowned artist and Dallas resident Frank Frazier, Jr. He's a veteran at this thing, and his invitation thru Facebook was something I did not want to pass up. I met other artists, and saw astounding work that inspired me. I am very grateful to witness such an event. Also can't forget the BlogTalkRadio interviews with Angel Ayes and Lady Flava, which let me air out my outlook on many things in art and society as well.

This year has ended on a positive note in that the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library graciously invited me to display my artwork. This was a library I had targeted for CWATIC, but finances prevented me from holding such an exhibit, but thankfully I was able to present a CWATIC display. Here are the photos:







So I have no choice but to take this as a step in the right direction. I feel that God(Allah) is putting me in a much better position, and I must remain patient and not be deterred from any naysayers, or any type of "slow" response, because in the end the victory will be there for me, if I just hold on. People are politicking for my work to be displayed in different areas, and other opportunities await me. I keep thinking about the day when I almost gave everything up, but that something inside me told me to just submit the proposal. Fear of rejection had pretty much overtaken me, but after realizing I'm just following the course that's already paved for me, things became a lot easier. Now I am more confident in my ability, and ready to expand my repetoire and come up with more artwork. 2012 looks to be very interesting, and I will not wait for February, when my next exhibit hits.





It's about to be fun.....Peace......CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com

What Now?

Peace all...

It's 6:14pm and I'm sitting down with this hot laptop on my lap, I guess I took the name laptop too seriously(lol).

But anyway, I have some good from the homestead! After over 6 months ya boy landed a JIZZOB!(YAY!)The time it took and the mental beating it took on me was brutal, but yeah, I landed one, so all those naysayers can sit down and shut up! But we know that won't happen right? HA HAAA!


With that in mind, the question now becomes what happens now? I mean granted it is a job, however it's a mere job that barely covers my immediate needs. I mean I'm grateful, but I also have to be a realist. Am I relegated to hopping from one job to another? And what does this mean for my art: is this another spiraling tale of unfulfilled wishes and dreams, is it a stepping stone for something greater? Granted when I left my previous job I felt it was the beginning of something great, with a show lined up, people digging some of my creations, and all of a sudden I lost a lot of things. My car was the most devastating thing because it was a source of independence for me. A symbol of efforts made along with patience and faith in God(Allah) and myself. Now I'm back to spending 2 and a half hours just to get to a job that takes 30 minutes to get there by personal transportation.

One of my Facebook friends told me that sometimes you have to purge yourself and keep those things that are needed. I'm realizing that now. It doesn't make sense from the outset when you look at it, after all I have to go and wash clothes, buy groceries, go to work, etc, etc, etc....LOL. But I think I'm getting the jist of what she meant. So I take that deep sigh, but move on...

It's gotta get better somewhere, somehow, someway...




Take care all...

Enough Already!!!

Peace y'all

Well today I almost lost it! That's right, Q went off and just started spittin' what he felt. Normally I don't do tangients and tantrums(hey that sounds like a great title for a rap album!)but this could not be held in. I have been working at this glorified craphole for almost 3 years and I have heard every weak excuse this side of 9/11 as why I have yet to see a raise(as well as the workers as a group)among other insults to the intelligence. Now the latest crop of doo-doo that was thrown to my team was that we are solely responsible for losing $120,000 to a client who refuses to pay for support, or lack thereof. This little red-headed rodent with a God complex basically held us responsible for why this penny-pinching hole-in-the-wall corporate client does not want to pay, yet would not admit that this faux pas was the product of the companys' failing attempt to restructure, streamline and introduce substandard micromanagement tactics designed to take advantage of employees' fears of losing jobs and allow these bite-size tyrants in the upper offices to increase their pocketbooks.

People have been buttered up and down like corn on the cobb just to work here, then once they bring them in, they ring up the most despicable excuses as to why they won't receive a raise, and it's always the employee's fault. This is a sad state of affairs when hard working human beings are stripped of their dignity and insulted with lies. Just tell me you are going to jerk me, don't lie to me, because one day they will lie to the wrong person.... so do you still wonder why some people go postal? Who wants to devote their hard work and sweat and for some people loss of family time just to be discarded like a sh****ty diaper?

It won't get to that point with me, for I know where my sustenance comes from(Ar-Razzaq), and it didn't come from these fools. It was already written, I'm just playing the part. But for some poor flag-saluting, FOX News watching, God Bless America and forget everybody else-sentiment-having sap, to have this happen and watch his beloved country transform into a corporate-ruled tyranny, this should drive them batty. What gets me is that people see this nonsense, and do nothing about it because somewhere in the deep dark unused portions of our brain, we still believe this is the best country in the world. Every day our liberties are being taken and every excuse there is some "foreign threat" that seeped into the hallowed landscapes of this country and are now plotting to take over, giving rise to the need to restrict movement and speech and this need to send forces out to combat the threat. But the real threat is internal, but we accept this and say stupid stuff like I don't mind having some of my liberties taken to ensure my freedom.

IT'S THE SAME THING FOOL!

The same tactics apply at the plantation(workforce), people are having their movement and freedom restricted over bogus excuses, but here we let it happen. This spells nothing but trouble for the American. What will it take before we wake up and see who is really behind all of this, whether it's the job or the world as a whole? Tell you what, it definitely isn't a rag wearing Arab sitting in the cave with a billy goat as his only immediate friend cookin' up some scheme to rule the world!

God Help Us......

Can't Run.....So DON'T!!!

Peace Y'all

Yo Quwwa, what's up? You look pizzissed! I am. How pissed? We'll as Comedian Robin Harris used to say, pissed to the highest of pisstivity(lol)!

Tell me bout it.

Okay. Recently I was invited to another Ning site that was created from someone that was a friend on my Iseecolor site. I thought to myself that this was another opportunity to expose my art and get my voice out there. The person had commented on my blogs and gave me the impression that they dug my steelo.

Well last night I decided to get to work on my page, and posted one picture I entitled Down N Out. No sooner as I posted the picture, I received an email from this person telling me to "keep it positive". Now I can admit I can be of one who jump to conclusions(after all I am human) but it bugs me that people's first impression of my work is "depressing" as if I'm trying to dampen people's spirits or something. I guess people are really falling for this "change you can believe in" jazz.



For the record, my work is a simple reminder of those who fell through the cracks of this life, filled with materialism, and the enticing of the base desires of the human being. One should not be so obsessed with obtaining all the toys in this life, for death is imminent. One should strive for that which pleases God. We all know(or should know) that for most of us this life is filled with tests, hardships and pain. I have experienced this in a concentrated form for the past 7 years, but through it all(thank God) I feel that I have perservered.

In January one my Ning sites asked a question about the impact of having a "black president" would bring. Most of the responses from Blacks were that of "it gives the world a chance to see that we can be CEO's of Fortune 500 companies and big businesses" in other words, we get a chance to show America that we are not all "thugs and welfare queens" and such.

I don't have to prove anything to this world about my worth as a God created human being. I have nothing to prove to anyone except myself. That I would take the talents He(Al-Khaliq) has given me and use my voice for His bidding.

It is with that in mind that I focus alot of my work on downtrodden and oppressed people. While we sit and idolize the Fortune 500 companies, we simply turn our heads and ignore the Unfortunate Millions that are victims of this Criminal Economy and these Global Gangsters. I try to illuminate them. Give them the honor they deserve.

Through negativity one should try to strive for that which is "positive" but the key here is what is one's definition of positive? I don't believe the love of money is the root of all evil, but I don't believe that having alot of money is "positive" either, especially when those who possess it are bombarded with personal problems that money cannot cure. Take a look at your favorite entertainer, sports personality, or politician and see what I mean.

I try to maintain a balance where alot of people wish to "escape" that which is apparent. I don't mind painting landscapes, still life and such, but in the end, what have I done if that's all that I paint? No offense to those who paint these objects at all.

Let us begin to face our problems head on, whether personal, social or spiritual. I guarantee you the feeling of liberation is great. Beside I have never heard of a toeache or a toothache going away by ignoring it, have you?

Take care everybody...LUV YA!!

THE POINT OF NO RETURN......

Peace y'all

It's 10:09am, I just went out to my car, and it was dirty again from the storms that came from the recent arctic blast. I washed this thing last week from all of the dirt that had collected from the storms before. My car was beginning to look like I had just competed in a Monster Truck exhibition. Now it looks a repeat performance.

Anyway, I was unable to attend the exhibition at the South Dallas Cultural Center last week. The weather was brutal. I'll give it another swing this week. I want to get to it before they go to another exhibit in February....

I am feeling much better since the cold/flu thingy has subsided. This one lingered longer than usual, keeping me from having sustained sessions with my artwork. Thank God I was able to finish a piece to be revealed in the near future, but this working at another job, then coming home to work on another piece is really becoming a strain on my body. It is one of the reasons I get sick more often, as my body does not take time to regenerate the immune system. On several occasions my body gets wrecked from stress, and by the weekend I feel like I played extensive hours of football without any padding. I learned at my job yesterday that I will be moving to another team, due to my present performance. When they brought me into the office, I thought they were going to complain about my recent work, so when they asked me how's everything going, I let them know I was feeling serious burnout. They told me the team I am going to will be more focused on one client, so the stress factor would be considerably less. The less stress that I really need is the less stress of switching modes that I endure on a weekly, if not daily basis. Switching from one mode where I have to hear constant complaints without the ability to respond except in what they say is a "professional" manner to a mode where I get to say whatever is on my mind is not an easy task; thoughts have to be gathered, and time to reflect in this Bluetooth Society that I call it(I'll explain that later) is at a minimum. There have been times I have thought of hanging up this art thing, but then I think of why I named myself and my artwork Quwwa...Determination... Will Power....Maybe I'm being tested to see if I practice what I preach..

I've come to the realization that I have reached the point of no return. I have met people who have become touched by the work, and since that is part of the objective, I feel I can't go back. This thing has become a part of my being. I have started something that needs to be finished. I can't think of chumpin' out and going to hide in the corner now. Plus I got a family at Iseecolor that will hunt me down and find me if they ever heard of me puttin' it away.

Maybe, God Willing, just maybe I will be able to make this full time. Then all of the stress and anxiety endured will be a purification for my soul. People at my job comment on my demeanor and stated that although I expressed burnout, they never saw it. I read during the past Ramadhan that one of God's attributes is that of forgiveness, even to the point of not letting the troubles and afflictions we put on ourselves become obvious to the people. One young lady commented that they have never saw me sad or upset, they always found me smiling... God is Great..



SHAKE IT OFF......Take care y'all

Official Statement

Peace ya'll

It's 7:25 pm, and I had plans to create a totally different blog, but in the spirit of the inauguration tomorrow, I felt the need to make an official announcement. Like to hear it? Here it go!

OFFICIAL STATEMENT....

In spite of all of the euphoria, and the newly embodied "hope" and "change" that has flooded the air, this artist will continue to bring you pictures of those who have been, and will be left out of the big dance.

This artist fully believes that as long as the term "politician" and the concept behind it exists, the masses of the people will belong to either of two groups, the few of those who screw and the majority of those who get screwed.

This artist also believes that as long as multinational corporations exist, as well as entities such as the Federal Reserve, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, G8 summits, NAFTA and GATT treaties, the President of the United States will always be a figurehead, or even worse, a conduit for these entities to not only exist, but proliferate.

This artist also believes that nothing will be done to change or eliminate the ever-growing money making ventures such as the Military Industrial Complex, where war is big business, and Prison Industrial Complex, where slavery is still in full effect.

This artist also believes that nothing will be done to eliminate the Patriot Act, which gives the government the ability to spy on its own people without justifiable cause.

This artist also believes that 'economic stimulus' is a pseudonym for giving you money to pay off the pimps. The real objective should be to stop the pimp from pimping.

This artist also believes that the new administration has the capability of being more dangerous than the former administration. People of color have always looked upon the New World Order with contempt, mainly because the people leading the charge were White individuals. Would having a non - White President make it easier for People of Color to accept the New World Order? Think about it.....

This artist strongly believes that change can never come from those who campaign for your votes. The greatest ills in this society stem from diseases of the heart, which include greed, oppression, racism, sexism, classism and an all-out disbelief that we have to die and give account of all of our actions. Once the people change their hearts, the conditions of the society will follow suit.

Thank you,
The Quwwa Project