Jose Solís: That’s the fantastic thing about the web typically. I do know it may be hell, however it can be a spot the place stunning connections can occur.
Yura Sapi: Welcome to season three. Welcome to our liberation. Welcome to the Building Our Own Tables podcast.
The Building Our Own Tables podcast is produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons, a free and open platform for theatremakers worldwide. This is Yura Sapi, right here to assist you in your journey of creation in direction of our collective liberation. How thrilling is it to rework our future and be the longer term ancestors we’ve dreamed for? May you obtain that which helps you in your journey and launch that which doesn’t. The universe expands as we do. Nature evolves as we do. We keep in mind. We keep in mind. We keep in mind.
Chorus: [sings “Remember”]
Yura Sapi: Let us name upon the 4 components that assist us: The hearth that burns inside igniting our creativeness, our potential to see into the longer term. The water that holds us and holds inside our reminiscence. The air that lifts us up and carries our tales throughout to satisfy one another. The earth, which gives us sustenance, restore. To assist us on this journey, allow us to welcome in all of our ancestors.
We’re studying from visionaries who’ve constructed their very own tables, receiving gems of knowledge to assist us alongside our journey. In at the moment’s episode, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to tradition critic, canine dad, taco fiend, buddy of Judy, and tarot reader Jose Solís.
Jose: Thank you for having me. First of all, I’m Jose Solís. I’m all the things you simply mentioned, principally. I additionally am the co-creator of podcast and internet collection, Token Theatre Friends. I’m the founder and director of the BIPOC Critics Lab.
Both these initiatives, which can be two of the issues that I’m proudest of on the earth, began out of a spot of anger and of being upset, recognizing nuestra gente [English: our people] weren’t being acknowledged; that our contributions, that our very lives—individuals didn’t care. The extra that we cry and the extra that we ask for illustration within the arts, and the extra that we demanded to be seen and heard and to be allowed into areas, it simply wasn’t occurring.
Funny sufficient, each Token Theatre Friends and the lab began with me occurring that place of common wrath and anger referred to as Twitter, the place I went on-line—the primary time I mentioned, “I’m sick of this. Who is a journalist or who is another person of color who wants to do this project with me?” And then years later in 2020 when the pandemic was getting began, I had that very same feeling of powerlessness and full anger.
During the summer season I used to be in New York. We had simply had the horrific homicide of George Floyd occur. People had been taking to the streets, rightfully so. People had been offended, individuals had been upset. I wished to do one thing. I wished to contribute. What can I do to contribute? What can I do to enhance this? How can I put my little grain of sand on the earth to attempt to change what’s occurring given my very restricted abilities? All I understand how to do is be a critic. I don’t know methods to do anything. So given my very restricted abilities, I believed the easiest way for me to contribute was to create an area the place individuals who had been traditionally informed that they couldn’t or that they weren’t purported to be critics may come and grow to be critics.
I ended up working a pilot program in my residence in Brooklyn with eight strangers who mentioned sure and got here together with me and mentioned: “Sure, we want to be in whatever it is you’re doing.” In lower than three years since I created the lab. And to date, thirty-five critics of shade, most of whom had by no means been revealed, are all revealed critics due to the lab. It was the little push, I believe, that each one these unbelievable individuals wanted to tune into their powers, and in addition the reminder that the remainder of the world who wasn’t seeing us wanted to know that we had been there and that we weren’t going to be silent anymore.
Building a neighborhood that nurtures and helps you might be my fundamental piece of recommendation for anybody that desires to create one thing and that desires to make protected areas for individuals to develop and be nurtured. The most vital observe so as to have the ability to construct an area and invite individuals to a desk is to actually maintain your self first. If you aren’t in a spot the place you’re feeling like you might be being nurtured and that you’re being cherished and brought care of, all the things else turns into this insurmountable job.
It’s so vital to search out practices that assist us middle. I’m a tarot reader as properly. Meditating with the playing cards is one thing that basically helps me lots. And additionally, that is one thing that I ended up discovering after the lab had occurred, and it’s one thing that basically will get me very emotional, and it touches me each time I give it some thought. One of the issues that I made a decision once I was placing collectively the primary iteration of the lab, the pilot program, was that I didn’t need to impose a schedule, and I didn’t need to impose guidelines that had no motive to be. And the very first thing that I did after I had discovered the primary eight mentees that got here out of the lab, was that I despatched all of them a Doodle. I wished all of us to lend a hand in regards to the time and the day of the week.
So after we can be assembly, proper? Because I’ve seen so many instances how whenever you’re allowed and whenever you’re invited and whenever you’re accepted right into a workshop or some type of academic observe like this, a schedule is all the time imposed on you. So as an illustration, in the event you’re a father or mother and have nobody to take care of your kids, then you definitely’re screwed. You have to search out what to do along with your children. If you could have work or when you have college and there’s a battle with the schedules, you might be normally not giving the chance to discover a manner round that. So it’s all the time such as you both match what we’re demanding of you otherwise you’re not allowed in.
So after we agreed on a particular time and day—funnily sufficient we ended up deciding that everybody may meet on Sundays. I suppose it’s the day of the week the place most individuals get to chill out just a little bit and have just a little bit extra time to themselves. What I need to get to with that is that we constructed neighborhood, and it was uncommon. And to date within the three iterations of the lab that we had—the final two being posted by the Kennedy Center—nearly nobody misses a session. For some motive, each time each group has agreed, and we’ve ended up doing the lab on Sundays, every time. That’s not a rule, it’s simply what works for everybody. So it’s all the time so touching to me, Yura, when individuals don’t miss classes.
I keep in mind there was this time when one of many mentees was on their solution to a household private factor. They obtained on their telephone they usually had been within the automobile, they usually mentioned, “Sorry, I can’t be there technically, and I can’t be a part of the whole lab and participate. But I just want to hear you because listening to all of you makes me feel safe.” So constructing a neighborhood that nurtures and helps you might be my fundamental piece of recommendation for anybody that desires to create one thing, and that desires to make protected areas for individuals to develop—and it’s magic. When issues had been stored that manner. We hear that lots, that cliché in regards to the stars lining up and all the things. But no, you’re proper. It’s like, issues occur once they’re purported to occur.
So figuring out that folks wished to be in that area, no matter whether or not they had been “learning” or not, which was not the purpose of the lab, might be the factor that I’m proudest of and in addition the happiest for that got here out of the lab. I used to be not anticipating that, and that has reworked me in a manner the place I all the time inform individuals—I say mentees solely as a result of I don’t have a greater phrase to name the individuals within the lab. I normally name them trainer critics however nonetheless haven’t discovered the right phrase that matches what they’re. I don’t consider them as college students in the exact same manner that I don’t consider myself in any manner as an teacher or trainer or a professor. Instead, the best way that I need to construct relationships within the lab and in my work and in my life basically is that I consider all the things that we do as sharing.
Right now, for me, I don’t consider it as an interview or every time. I consider this as two individuals who had by no means spoken earlier than sharing for the period of time that we’re going to be sharing. And that’s how I strategy the work within the lab. I usually say that I study extra from the individuals who apply to be within the lab than I believe they may ever study from me.
“If you are not in a place where you feel like you are being nurtured and that you are being loved and taken care of, everything else becomes this insurmountable task.”
What I did in 2020 was that I went on Twitter once more. I mentioned, “If you are a person of color who wants a reading for free, I can do this for you. This is what I can do right now. Let me do this for you if it’s something that could help.” That’s the fantastic thing about the web typically. I do know it may be hell, however it can be a spot the place stunning connections can occur. I ended up doing dozens and dozens of readings for individuals who I’m in all probability by no means going to satisfy in individual. With my observe, I need to have the ability to give individuals a spot the place they will really feel protected and heard and cherished and nurtured and cared for.
The manner that I need to construct relationships within the lab and in my work and in my life basically is that I’ve consider all the things that we do as sharing. Right now, as an illustration, I consider this as two individuals who had by no means spoken earlier than sharing for the period of time that we’re going to be sharing.
Yura Sapi: Absolutely. Everything is an trade. Exchange of vitality, and time shouldn’t be linear. You have to belief instinct that moments from the longer term are connecting with this second proper now, moments from the previous, all the issues that ended up getting us collectively on this area right here, and the longer term connections we’ll have are all right here on this second as properly.
We should be welcoming magic into our world. This understanding of the inconceivable being attainable, particularly round our future—our liberated future—these anti-racist, decolonial, equity-based, justice-based, therapeutic futures for the world we discover ourselves on on this time as beings of Earth. Being capable of transfer past these fears and these doubts round what is feasible and inconceivable, I believe, is a key that we’re actually unlocking for a door in direction of our transformation and our future.
Chorus: [sings “Time is Not Linear”]
Yura Sapi: Time shouldn’t be linear. You should not alone. You are by no means alone. We’ve been by means of this cycle earlier than. We’re working from the ability of our previous fighters from earlier than, and time shouldn’t be linear. Connections occur for a motive. There’s a motive I’m right here the place I’m so bask, indulge, refuge within the happenings of now, the happenings of previous, which is able to information to the longer term, which can also be actually the previous.
The Building Our Own Tables podcast is produced in partnership with Advancing Arts Forward, a motion to advance fairness, inclusion, and justice by means of the humanities. We create liberated areas like this one to uplift, heal, and encourage us all to alter the world. You can join with us extra past this podcast by visiting advancingartsforward.org. We provide teaching, programs, organizational consulting, and an artist residency in Nuquí, Chocó, African descendant and indigenous Embera fatherland.
Jose: We’re going to ask the universe to ship a message for us in regards to the methods wherein we are able to maintain ourselves with a purpose to create areas that our welcoming, nurturing, and caring for others as properly. So the primary three months of the 12 months:
For January, we now have the Knight of Swords, and it’s the reversed night time of swords. So when a card is reversed, it talks lots about your interior universe, and to not reduce your issues. Because there’s a hurricane or an earthquake or some large tragedy occurring on the earth. Tarot as a substitute builds the area for us to have sympathy and empathy when issues are occurring, and by serving to ourselves, we can assist others.
Think about January and take into consideration the beginning of a brand new 12 months, and everyone knows that entire “new year, new me” factor and all of that. So this card is an invite for all of us to get out of our heads in January, and never take into consideration the locations the place we screwed up, the locations the place we didn’t accomplish what we wished to perform in 2022. And as a substitute, this card is saying, get out of your head and simply go to battle. Whatever’s brewing in your thoughts, no matter’s brewing on the mental stage, get out of your personal manner and belief your intuition. Be your personal knight in shining armor. Rescue your self, rescue your concepts, rescue no matter it’s that you simply need to rescue. And begin the 12 months with this vitality of reminding your self that typically you might be certainly your greatest enemy. Everything that has to do with doubt, with self-doubt, this card is saying, “Nope, don’t listen to that.” That’s the little voice making you’re feeling that you simply’re not sufficient. And not solely are you adequate, you’re the hero in your personal story. Approach 2023 similar to that.
For February, oh, that is so fascinating. It’s so fascinating when we now have reverse playing cards. So for February, we now have one other reverse card and we now have the Ace of Cups. The Ace of Cups in so some ways is expounded to the Knight of Swords. Ace card talks about your feelings. The cups discuss your feelings. So in February, maybe you’re just a little bit drained from the work that you simply did in January whenever you had been the knight going to battle and fixing issues and going after what you wished.
So in February, it’s time so that you can actually maintain your self. It’s a month of affection and we typically overlook that we have to love ourselves as properly. You are going to be the one that provides your self probably the most love within the universe. The Ace is the beginning of one thing. It’s the start of one thing. So it’s saying: “Pick up a practice where you show yourself love in an unexpected way.” When you have a look at the cardboard and also you see the imagery, which is actually a hand popping out of the sky providing blessings to you. Think of what’s round you, what you could have round in your life. But possibly there’s a passion that you simply all the time wished to strive, that you simply’ve by no means tried since you thought that you simply weren’t price making an attempt that. Go for it. If it’s a horseback using, if it’s knitting, if it’s beginning a ebook membership—discover that factor that makes your coronary heart really feel fuzzy and heat and deal with your self to it in February. And consider it additionally as a manner to have the ability to nurture your self, so you possibly can proceed doing the work that you simply began doing in January whenever you had been the Knight of Swords going for it.
For March, we now have one other reverse card, and this time we now have Justice reversed. March might be going to be a month to reevaluate your idea of justice, and it will in all probability be associated to the way you consider justice as delivered by you. Look on the locations the place you might be being too exhausting on your self and the place you might be being too exhausting on others. Look on the locations the place possibly the legal guidelines and guidelines of the society and the world that we dwell in should not fulfilling what you already know is true. We know that human beings, sadly, we don’t appear to have the capability to be truthful and to be simply with everybody. So in March, it’s a time so that you can mirror on what you’ve been doing to date, and maybe it’s going to be associated to this mission that you simply began in January or this passion that you simply took up in February.
Treat your self with kindness. Grab the structure of your soul and seize the structure of who you might be as a human being and rewrite it. March is the time so that you can add addendums and further legal guidelines, and to take away issues that now not be just right for you so to grow to be an individual that simply bear with your self, to start with, after which you possibly can apply that to the remainder of the world.
That’s my studying for January, February, and March of 2023. And I all the time remind individuals: Realize that you’ve a voice proper now. You had been born with a voice, and it’s time to make use of it. So take into consideration this vitality of the Knight of Swords, take into consideration this vitality of the Ace of Cups, take into consideration this vitality of Justice, and provides all these treats to your voice. Make your self be heard, whether or not that’s by means of artwork, whether or not that’s by means of whichever area that you simply’re in. Make positive you’re heard. Make positive nobody’s silent. And I do know that’s mentioned simpler than finished.
This is the place, if I can do something for anybody who’s listening to this, you will discover me on Twitter. If Twitter’s nonetheless round, you possibly can undoubtedly discover me on Twitter. You can discover me on Instagram, or you will discover me on my work e-mail. If you need to chat about something, that is what I’m right here for, and if there’s something that I may do to assist in any manner that I might be, simply let me know.
Nothing makes me happier than connecting with different human beings, particularly at a time the place due to the Coronavirus, due to the best way wherein the world is altering—we now have struggle, we now have so many horrible issues occurring round us—that I really feel that it’s our mission to nurture and to encourage human connection as a lot as we are able to. So I’m right here for you all, is what I need to say to all of you.
Yura Sapi: This podcast is produced as a contribution to HowlRound Theatre Commons. You can discover extra episodes of this collection and different HowlRound podcasts on iTunes, Google Podcast, Spotify, and wherever you discover podcasts. Be positive to go looking and subscribe to obtain new episodes. If you like this podcast, submit a score and write a assessment on these platforms. This helps different individuals discover us. You can even discover a transcript for this episode together with numerous different progressive and disruptive content material on howlround.com. Have an thought for an thrilling podcast, essay, or TV occasion the theatre neighborhood wants to listen to? Visit howlround.com and submit your concepts to the commons.
There’s a motive our artwork is of the guts. We rework and transcend, share love and share truths. Creation is the treatment for destruction. Storytelling is liberation. Communing is energy. Evil wins after we learn to dehumanize. Instead, we should decolonize. Upon us as an undoing of nice feats. So let individuals in. Be stronger collectively as a result of there’s a weak point in solitude.
This is Yura Sapi. You can discover out extra about me at yurasapi.com, or comply with me on Instagram or LinkedIn @yurasapi. Thanks for becoming a member of us.