I had every intention of getting this 2020 recap up before 2020 ended, but listen me and time ain’t never been friends.
However, I was determined to get the post done even if it means putting a 2020 recap up on February 7, 2021 because I’m proud of the work I did in 2020 and feel that as a creative, it’s important to share my journey in hopes that it will encourage and inspire others. So here we go…
2020 was a hard year for many of us. The pandemic hit in early March and depending on where you live things were shut down, DOWN! And even if things were open – if you have good sense then you were not there.
2020 year started off with a bang for me. I was in Story District’s first show of the year. I was being asked to host this, host that. I got a short story published. Then BAM! Pandemic hit.
As I explained in another post, I wallowed because I love the stage, the audience, the applause, and this virtual stuff was not the business. But then I accepted the reality of our situation, pivoted, and got some things done.
*Time for some backstory*
My Auntie Janice passed away in March 2017. She was the best storyteller I knew. Before she died, I made two promises: to honor her by telling more stories and to keep my nails done because she always had a fresh manicure.
Now when I said I wanted to tell more stories – I thought I only meant writing. I believed that God had told me to be a writer (a post of another day). And I had always considered myself an undisciplined writer. A writer friend invited me to her writing group and cracked the whip! She made me turn some pages in every month and if I didn’t oooo she gave me the blues. Slowly surely, I started getting the stories I had in my head on paper and then I started sending them out to literary journals for publication.
I got rejection after rejection. But that’s part of being a writer.
In the summer of 2018, I told my first story on stage with Story District – the on stage is key cause I’d told several stories in my life lol. It was fun, but I considered it a bucket list item. Not something I planned to do again. And then I was selected for Story District’s Top Shelf show in 2019 and performed at the Lincoln Theatre. Suddenly I was being asked to other storytelling events, being requested to host shows. I even started doing standup comedy!
*End of backstory*
2020 was the year when it all came together – my storytelling, writing, comedy. I got stories published, performed stories in person and virtually, and did my first 15 minute comedy set. Oh! And I also produced and hosted two of my own storytelling shows featuring Black folk.
2020 was truly a dream, even if I didn’t leave the house much. I’m blessed to have been able to spend a year creating and walking in my purpose. I hope I’ve made my Auntie Janice proud.
P.S. – Yes, I’ve also kept my nails done and in cute designs this whole time.
Please enjoy my writing, storytelling, and comedy from 2020:
January 2020: I performed in Story District’s first 2020 show, The Morning After:
February 2020:
I hosted Love Lit Salon on Valentine’s Day.
My short story, The H in Heartache is Silent was published in Barrelhouse Literary Magazine.
I performed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for Creative Mornings DC.
March 2020:
My short story, Black on Both Sides, was published in Northern Virginia Review and a few months later they featured me on their site.
July 2020:
I did my first 15 minute comedy set with Laugh Index Theatre at their LITFest20.
I performed in Story District’s virtual show, We Have a Situation, and got the idea to produce my own show.
October 2020:
I produced and hosted my own virtual storytelling show. Telling Stories Presents – Pressed: Stories About Getting Your Hair Did
December 2020:
I produced and hosted my 2nd virtual storytelling show. Telling Stories Presents – LIT: Stories About the Holidays
I talked about writing and creating structure for The Inner Loop’s Podcast
Right before 2020 ended, one of my favorite short stories, Black Talk, was published in The Rumpus.
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