Writing about racism requires a directness that writing a love story does not.

In my thirties, I have felt a greater urgency to make art that highlights what it feels like to be racialized, likely due to living in a country that obscures our racism with the idea of "multiculturalism."

I tend to focus less on genre as a starting point and more on idea or intention and let the idea dictate genre.

As much as I believe in the capacity for art to create change, and as much as being an artist is physically and emotionally challenging, there is ultimately something a bit comfortable about making art in the comfort of your own home.

I used singing as a safety measure. I would pay attention to what songs the popular girls liked, learn those songs from the radio or library cassettes, and then "accidentally" sing or hum these songs in class. This would impress the girls, who would then defend me from the boys.

It's exciting to consider how art, in its ability to reveal, can be ahead of the artist.

As a person of color, I know race can't be stripped from admiration or preference.