Meet Ebony Payne-English

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ebony Payne-English a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ebony, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

I have been a professional at my craft for 21 years and I have been in so many rooms with so many amazing and influential people. So many times, I was told how gifted I was and how bright my future was by people I grew up idolizing. Ironically, almost everything about my ascension was a freestyle. Anyone that could have changed my life by giving me a co-sign or some direction, didn’t. Anyone that could slow me down or stop me, tried. I never understood that. For a long time it made me very bitter, sad, and angry. Now, it just makes me generous. Any up and coming artist from my city that I have the opportunity to assist in some way on their journey, I do. Any young person I can stop from giving up on their dreams, I try to intervene with. That’s just as important to me as my own success because I know what it’s like to have expended every option, every angle, and know how amazing you are but have no idea if you even have the strength to keep going because life is hard and bills are due and making art is expensive.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have 3 books available to purchase via my website www.ebonypayneenglish.com or on Amazon. The first is Secrets of Ma’at, a 42 poem artistic interpretation of the principles of truth and justice that the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Kemet) used to govern the people. The second is a graphic novel that is my imaginative take on reincarnation titled, The Random Happenings. The third is Bits & Pieces: After Therapy For Black Women which is a 32 poem collection about my experience as a single mother. I have music on all streaming platforms, my most popular albums being Bits & Pieces which is the jazz score for my last book and Kuongoza which is the soundtrack for my short film by the same name. Regarding new projects, I have been pouring much of my energy into crafting work that honors the humanity and contributions of formerly enslaved Americans. I have been collaborating with anthropologists, historians, city governments, and sculptors to produce memorials that present names and narratives of the people whom without their labor, we would not have the country we live in today. I have also been traveling, Cuba most recently, and learning about economic oppression as it relates to the diasporic experience to inform the content for my next book titled, The Death That Precedes The Butterfly. This project is my most ambitious yet and will expand the W.E.B DuBois theory of double consciousness through the lens of intersectionality and the cultural evolution of the Black feminine experience.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resilience, courage, and authenticity are the three most impactful qualities I possess. Resilience because the human condition is beautiful and also traumatizing. There is so much that will try to kill your spirit. You cannot allow it. You must persist. Courage because doubt is the enemy of ambition. If you are to ever achieve great things, you must not allow fear to make decisions for you. I acknowledge my fear. I’m human which means I am not without fear. However, I choose to move through it. The ones who do the hard things are the ones worthy of the reward that comes from doing the hard thing. Authenticity because nobody can tell my story but me. I believe that is the key to my success as an artist. My story is uniquely my own and I am not trying to be anyone else but my unique and true self. So much so that I don’t engage in comparisons of my work which is a form of creative freedom in my opinion. I get to enjoy the liberation of self-approval and honest artistic choices uninfluenced by trends or popular culture although often inspired by the world around me. All of these things I learned from failing at my goals many times. Each shortcoming sharpened my character in a different way. Sometimes it took multiple interruptions of progress to learn the same lesson but once I had it, I was certain I would never have to learn it again. That is the best advice I could offer anyone. Learn the lesson that comes from failing. Get up and try again.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My support system has been pivotal to my growth as an artist, mother, and human being. They have filled in every gap, they have coached me through every crater, that have raised me through every valley. I would not be alive today without the love that has been poured into to me from my friends, community, and chosen family. I’m truly blessed.

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