We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful One Single Rose®. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with One Single Rose® below.
Hi One Single Rose®, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I’ve always been very shy as a child. In some instances, as an adult, I’m still that shy little girl. As a woman scorned, I wrote myself past the pain which became a motivational tool for myself. I came to understand that if I’m not confident in my walk, I’ll fall prey to the ills of society. I realized then that my work on this artistic journey could become a voice for the voiceless, including the shy little girl that still lives within as doing so was tried and became true. Once I got over myself and began to walk in my truth, putting negativity behind and letting that push me forward, learning to love myself was a cake walk. Someone is always going to have something to say about us whether it’s negative or encouraging. We may hear those negative words, but they don’t have to sit with us and wear us down. I’ve learned to transform careless whispers into winds beneath my wings, going where I want becoming whomever I choose. At the end of the day, the only person who I actually have control over is myself and the only weight I need to carry is the extra pounds I’m working arduously to get rid of!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I won my first poetry contest in the second grade as I’ve always had a love for reading and manipulating words. After experiencing heartbreak then almost breaking into the music business before becoming a performance artist, I opted to put my songs on paper penning my first collection of poetry. Writing myself past the heartache, it took me 1 ½ years to get up the nerve to share pieces of me in front of an audience. As soon as I did, it’s as if the world opened and I’ve been following the word as it leads performing locally, nationally and internationally winning awards for my work along the way. Had I not gotten up the nerve to step outside of my comfort zone, I never would be the poet, spoken word artist, singer/songwriter, actress, playwright and filmmaker that I am continually growing to be. As a poet and performance artist, I perform and pen nice and naughty works for the bedroom to the boardroom and beyond. I share this experience because sometimes we have to step out of our own way. Sometimes we have to enjoy uncomfortable situations to settle comfortably sharing the gifts we’ve been blessed with.
In February 2024 in honor of Black History Month, I’ll be hosting and performing in an event at The Detroit Institute of Arts in connection with one of their film exhibits. In March 2024 I’ll be dropping my 3rd collection of poetry wherein every page is a custom poem penned based on one word received from certain individuals. I’ll be hosting the 2nd Poetry Love Festival in July 2024, a celebration of love for Detroit poets. I’m also working on the final installment of my Addiction play series to bring the first two productions to a close. If I can carve out time to complete the script, I hope to bring it to the stage in Detroit in the fall of 2024.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’ve always been very vocal, detailed, organized and a planner. It’s important to sketch out some parts of your journey but be flexible to follow the path as it leads. There may be opportunities on the horizon that you may not realize you’re qualified to handle as you develop expertise along the way. I began my artistic journey as an author of one collection of poetry—hadn’t memorized ONE piece. Attempting to sell books when buyers wanted to hear poems was quite a task, so I dug my head into memorizing the poetry I’d pen, kicking and screaming as I became a spoken word artist. As a spoken word artist, I was welcomed on stage as an actress who became a playwright adding production skills to the list before getting behind the camera as a filmmaker. Once I became obedient to what my pen had in store for me, I’ve been willingly following where the word leads and they haven’t steered me wrong. It’s very important to never give up on yourself as nothing worth having ever comes easily. Stay focused, keeping your eyes on the prize. People looking from the outside in will have many ideas as to how you should go about reaching your goals. If they aren’t supporting you on your journey before you become the star that you are, don’t let them dim your light with their semi-bright ideas. Walk on your path as they walk on theirs.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Poetry is the right fit for any collaborative medium. It adds extra special phrases on visual art or as prologues or epilogues in books and magazines. Spoken word performances takes events, film, and recordings to another level. I am always willing to collaborate with artists and promoters who are looking to add something different at their events. As a featured artist dubbed Queen Rose with Defected Records, the UK’s premiere house music label, I enjoy penning spoken word and singing on their house music tracks. I welcome more opportunities to do so. Jill Scott is my BFF, sister friend, neighbor and auntie in my head. I would love to open for one of her concerts or just have one conversation with her to be privy to the greatness that is Jill. In sum, if you’re looking for something different, call One Single Rose®.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onesinglerose.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/onesinglerose313
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/onesinglerosepoetrypage
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/onesinglerose
- Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/onesinglerose313/shows
Image Credits
Motown Pic – One Single Rose® – First poet filmed in Motown’s infamous Studio A Black and White Photo – Photo Cred – Wunderbaum, taken in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
