Is it worth it? Let me work it. I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it.
So goes the chorus to Missy Elliott’s 2002 song ‘Work It,’ and here I am, 23 years later, introducing a free-to-download piece of creative non-fiction writing built around this phrase.
This is a ‘kind of DIY essay-zine-memoir-praise poem hybrid’ that ‘revolves around creativity and a variety of riffs on the idea of diversity – being plural and various, embracing multiplicity and difference. This encompasses thoughts, memories, learnings, and unlearnings related to music (and mixtapes and remixes), Black feminism, psychotherapy, personal power, writing, teaching, collaborating… all things that have inspired me over the years but rarely had a common forum in which to mingle.’
In weaving together these different elements, it pays homage to artists like Missy, Erykah Badu, Rapsody, and a host of other women who have contributed to hip-hop culture and had a positive impact on my life. It is also greatly indebted to the wisdom of Black writer-activists like Audre Lorde, Foluke Taylor, and Tricia Hersey, in whose work I have found so much insight and direction, mentorship and hope. And thank you to TheSecretGueret for designing the artwork! ❤️
As I write these introductory words, I can’t know what effect, if any, my sharing of this piece here may have. What I do know is that it feels right to do it. As Audre Lorde said, ‘When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.’
This piece is a whole lot of me speaking – more than I’ve ever put out into the world in written form, in fact. I’m trusting my instinct that now is the time to flip and reverse notions of cautiousness and embrace daring. I hope you’ll find something of use in the experiment 🤓
Simon
Nozomi Counselling & Psychotherapy 