I DON’T COME HERE TO PREACH, I’M JUST EXPLAINING MY WAYS I mean I said I wanted to be relevant, relatable, and realistic

Am I consistent? I don’t know, very likely… no. There isn’t a space in my life that the same thing occurs. I don’t want it to. That’s how successful people are successful though, right? They have routines, things that they do every day, no matter the day, on time, on purpose, with purpose. I love the idea of that, I’m sure it would make life 10x easier. I’ll do something of the sort and it’ll last me a week. I don’t want my life to become predictable. I’m sure the reason is because I’m immature and I like surprises. I think what I will do is set a routine and have a reminder weekly to tell me to do it. I can start with important things like adding a layer of paint to a painting, or draw a sketch, at least think of something. For an hour a day. Cut my social media time down to 30 minutes and whoever I’m talking to has to wait until the next day when my phone lets me in. Slowly work towards becoming the robot that I need to be to be the woman I need to be. Hahahahahahahhahahahah that sounds hilarious.

I’m serious though. I could be better, more useful, and more adventurous with my time. I’m so lazy, so tired.  I probably should be eating better. I probably should be making more money so I can eat better, I just don’t want to work for anyone. I’m fine with being told what to do, I respect the vision. I just don’t take them seriously. The entire time I’m thinking of how pointless it is. How little it serves anyone, how I could be doing better things with my time. Like checking instagram and getting pissed about our government, thinking up some witty subliminal response, and putting it into a painting. Yeah, that’s how my creativity is going right now. That’s really why I started writing today’s blog.

My creativity is at an all time l o s t. I am in constant rage over this country; my work is an obvious reflection. I’m just a little lost on what I even address next. I can do the same topic over again, just make it look different. But how my train of thought is set up is that would be a waste of time and no one wants repetition. I know that’s not true, that’s how you can tell someone’s work belongs to them- it has an obvious style that the artist repeats. I want to do that but something in the way I work won’t allow me. I must achieve the obvious points: it’s relative to women, relative to black people, relative to people of color, relative to the current social climate, it’s an obvious critique. I don’t care for the first painting to look like the next; I feel that the context is what ties my work together. I keep trying to have series but they don’t work out that way.  I think that’s why I’m writing this…

I am reiterating to myself in a different way that I am an artist and my creative process is up to me. Within myself I can figure out my work, I can look to others for inspiration but I don’t need to look to them for rules. This is art, there are no rules. THIS IS THE FREE WORLD. (you gotta understand a lot of what I say is random and I’m usually joking. A pretty cynical person)  

I gotta feature in a magazine!

“Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Noble.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Art has very seldom represented black people, and has been very seldom been represented by black people. This is the same for women and other people of color. Throughout my years of school, I was shown the same few artists that I could reference. This lack of representation made it difficult for me at first, but it taught me the importance of research. This led me to be able to find a way to create art in my own style, make it powerful, and make it known who it is by and who it is for. I needed to be able to find myself in art and make sure it can last so others can find themselves too.”

For the rest of the article visit:

http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/meet-brianna-noble/

Young Money Memphis

My nephew is like a younger sibling. Always around, is annoying, fakes like he doesn’t look up to me. I don’t know if that is what a younger sibling would be like because I’m the youngest.

Any-who I didn’t realize until I looked around my studio that he has become my newest subject. My work typically goes through different subjects concerning black women and women of color. There is a constant dispute over natural black hair and what society says is “acceptable”, therefore I have something to say about it! I consciously change my hair throughout my paintings letting it be known that it it is part of who I am, and how wonderfully versatile it is.

Memphis is going through a phase of deciding if he wants to commit to dreads or not, so he tries to two-strand twist them into dreads, but then ends up with curls again. He gets his hair braided into cornrows occasionally, but doesn’t know if you take care of them and keep them clean they last more than 2 days. It is has become my pastime to document him doing his hair. It’s a beautiful task that is overlooked. At some extent, doing hair is a ritual for black people. On the other end, our hair is policed and we’re held to a different standard when it comes to looking “professional”.

I don’t straighten my hair anymore, I hate the so called compliments I get from it, “you look so much better with your hair straight”, “you should straighten it more often”, “who are you getting cute for?”, “wow, you really are Mexican”, “who did you steal this from?”. Actually, I don’t think that’s the reason. I’ve come to accept stupidity as normal. The real reason why I don’t is because it would take 3 hours to do on my own, or about $100 for someone else to do, and because I don’t want to spend around $80 to buy a flat iron and products to keep it from getting frizzy and dry. Yes, the real reason is I am cheap and lazy. My hair is thick and heavy, it’ll end up in a ponytail anyway. All of this to say, I find other ways to look “professional” like a nice bun where I actually try to brush back my flyaways, or a nice head wrap to hide ALL of my hair. I will make headwraps professional, too.

But back to Memphis. I don’t know what it is about black people doing their hair, even black kids doing their hair- it makes me body tense up with emotion. I think it’s joy or something. To see someone work on themselves, starting with the crown of their head. See someone take pride in their curls, coils, or kinks, makes me proud. It for sure is not seen. He’s just a boy trying to express himself through hair.  So, I will paint him. In hopes that it is understood he is a child. He’s 12, his only interests are hooping, learning to rap along to the dopest raps out, sleeping, watching whatever movie just came out then giving you a verbatim summary, scene by scene, and making his hair look fly. He and his hair don’t “disrupt” the classroom, shall not be seen as unprofessional, and not classify him as dirty, or a thug.


#WIP #WIP #WIP #WIP #WIP #workinprogress #workinprocess #womaninprogress

I was recently accepted into Eye Lounge in June, it’s my first time in the art scene outside of school. I am very grateful for the opportunity because knowing me, I am extremely shy and find it hard to socialize. It is like the precursor to my awkwardness that will shine when I’m actually in the public space.

It forces me to be accountable for my work and others’ so it’s just what I need to put my career into action.  Already, I have my first show up until September 9th, then I will be in a group pop-up show the weekend on September 14-16th called #WIP. There will be a few more that I’ll have more information on when the time comes to it. That’s just with the lounge!

At the Third Friday opening of the exhibition I met this wonderful woman named Saloua (the only real reason why I’m putting this blog thing into action) who has multiple businesses and is genuinely interested in helping me grow mine. In just the few weeks after I feel like I can trust in myself to be ‘bout my bidness.

It is literally a new chapter in my life. I had planned at the beginning of this year to be moved across the country. I challenged myself to be shown in Phoenix at least once before I left, so I accomplished it. The only drawback is that I have to stay here for the membership. At the same time it isn't a real drawback because of all the doors it opens, it has already opened so many. I have been trying to find a purpose work/ money work balance but kept giving too much time to the one that makes money. I know in order to give all to my purposeful work I have to sacrifice the money. Thankfully I have a team that believes in me and takes care of the bill for me when I’m really in need.

I’m currently working on things that are small but things that I have been putting off. I finally put together a website that I like, creating a blog that feels natural, and that I want to write. Being accepted to the gallery helped give me the confidence and belief that I am good enough to apply to and receive grants and residencies  It’s all so new, I’m terrified of it all but I know I have to continue because living at my momma’s forever ain’t the move.

As they always say, if you’re comfortable you’re not growing- or some other nonsense that tries to push you out of your comfort zone. As per my rebuttal (because I always have to have one) if I’m going to so uncomfortable all of the time, I’m gonna at least dress comfortable.