We recently connected with Phillip C. Alexander and have shared our conversation below.
Phillip C., we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity comes from my upbringing. Since a child I’ve known somewhere deep in my heart that my true purpose in life was people. I never knew the capacity or medium in which I could affect the lives of those around me but my grandmother always reminded me that God created me to be powerful. I can remember being a kid on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas where I would volunteer my time to soup kitchens at the church or give back donation walks for the less fortunate. It wasn’t until the beginning of my adulthood where I realized that if you don’t have money to give, if you don’t have time to relinquish, if you don’t have an ear to lend, your voice and perspective can be one of the most powerful donations to mankind.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Phillip C. Alexander, a Spoken Word artist from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Everything began for my poetry career in a small studio on 955 Connecticut Ave at the Bridgeport Innovation Center. Four young black like-minded individuals and myself were able to conceptualize a spoken word platform that catered to artists getting their voices heard across the world. Our first show was hosted February 27, 2021 and we had about 25 people in attendance which was such an amazing accomplishment for us at that time. Imagine my excitement when at our anniversary show we hosted a sold out crowd of 200+ people at the Bijou theater in downtown Bridgeport, that was streamed globally on YouTube. Our spoken word platform birthed a poetry collective entitled The Trifecta which consists of Darius Martin, Julian Mein and myself. We’ve had the opportunity to host workshops and perform at Universities and venues across the tristate which include places like Yale University (CT) Post University (CT) Dewey’s Lounge (MA) and Nuyorican Poets Cafe (NY). Recently I’ve been getting acclimated on the poetry slam circuit where I’ve been blessed with the accolades of the North Beast Poetry Slam Team Champion (MA), The V3 League Champion (NY) and the opportunity to represent Connecticut as part of the Verbal Slap Team competing in the Southern Fried Poetry Slam hosted in Florida. The most special part about what I do is being able to command attention through my presence. I walk into these rooms, in a place where I’m not from, where no one has ever seen me, where I don’t have anything but my name which is a name they’ve never heard and I have a few moments to leave an impact. To show the world one of the reasons I was blessed with this gift. I have a menu of poetry to serve up and anytime I’m in front of a room it’s my duty to leave the stage with a chefs kiss. To say I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have been presented to me is an understatement. I prayed and dedicated myself to my craft to be in the position I am today, I’m humble and knowledgeable enough to say I can’t give the glory to anyone else but the man above.
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?
Three qualities that were most impactful in my journey was work ethic, resilience & receptiveness. When I knew I wanted to take poetry more serious I began studying the greats that came before me. I began looking at opportunities, not just within my state but anything in a two hour radius, I emerged myself in the culture, I had a hunger and a desire not to be the best poet ever but become the best version of myself through poetry. I became my own biggest critic. My work ethic challenged me to think deeper, to study more, to elevate from my old work with each new concept I produced. I had to be resilient in the sense that nothing could deter me on my journey. I knew that in order to be where I’m supposed to be and reach my vision, it wasn’t going to happen overnight. I would have to put in the work even when I fall short because it’s inevitable you’ll see speed bumps on the road to success. I had to be receptive and open to criticism, be able to understand that art is a matter of perception and once you put your creation into the world is open for interpretation. The best advice I can give to somebody living the life of an artist is create from within and draw from without. Once you realize that life is not about what you can get from it but what you can give to it, you’ll you’ll see the only thing between you and success is discipline.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my mother did for me, was be there. There were times where I was doing poetry without any means of transportation and I can recall so many different occasions my mother driving me to the event or dropping me off at the train station, even her riding the train with me all the way to New York. Anything I ever wanted to do in life, she’s always been at the head of my support system, she’s always my biggest fan, she’s the one I could count on when anybody counted me out. If I’m being honest I don’t know how far I would’ve gone without my mother being the rock to keep pushing me forward all this time. I’m beyond appreciative for all the sacrifices she made and it’s because of her I know what strength looks like.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philcalexander_?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcalexander?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCulCeMKP3dyyqMo6n6EXAVg?si=N1J46P2ipLzenOUM
