Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tom Ray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tom, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
My optimism comes from the trials and tribulations of growing up in poverty stricken communities. Where unfornately, most are pessimistic, as for myself i have declared to change the narrative. Seeing all as well, knowing that all things serves a purpose and my faith in God has giving me the perspective to see life through an optimistic lens.
Optimism also lightens the load of the burdens that we carry
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Yonkers native Tom Ray, known as a Poet/ Spoken Word Artist, 3x Published Author, Host, Teaching Artist, Curator of The Family Affair Open Mic Held in Yonkers & Founder of The Share Your Heart Share Your Art Foundation.
My artistic journey began in 2005, as i discover my gift and passion for writing. Unbeknownst to me, i unveiled a therapeutic outlet that would change my life forever. When i began writing in college, i started performing simultaneously. I sustain great satisfaction at the age of 20 for expressing myself through a new found art ( Poetry ) which i was unfamiliar with initially. Transparently speaking, i had hoop dreams as a young adolescent.
Writing gave me the muse to express myself through the lens of growing up in Yonkers NY. Facing the hardships i endure. I found a way to express myself without being irate. Every chance i got to recite my poetry i would do it without hesitation. Performing at a countless amount of venues throughout a 20 year span in NYC.
In 2009, after traveling from borough to borough in NY performing at different open mics, an idea struck my mind to curate the first ever monthly open mic forum in Yonkers called The Soul Box along side my partners Marcus John and Naa Akua. We organize and hosted The Soulbox til 2013.
In the mist of hosting our monthly open mic , i accumulated so much poetry i decided i wanted to write and publish my first novel. The title of the novel is Thoughts of Ray From My Heart To Yours published in 2012
I then went on to hosting several opens mics throughout Yonkers, while cultivating my craft as a self published author and poet.
In 2016 i published my second book title P.A.I.N #PROGRESSAFTERITSNEMESIS
Which is a autobiography of my life infused with poetry.
In 2017 i created a literary Art Program called The Expressive Readers Course which later evolved into The Expressive Readers Writers Course. The program is currently still in motion in the Yonkers Community.
Teaching our youth and community how to properly express themselves, how to articulate themselves through a extensive vocabulary and how to speak in public has made a huge impact on the lives of many and myself.
In 2020 i organized the first ever Juneteenth Solidarity March in Yonkers in heat of the global pandemic.
In 2021 i published my 3rd book title The Thoughts of Ray The Sequel which is complimented by a soundtrack ( The Thoughts of Ray The Sequel Soundtrack ) streaming on all platforms. All three of my publications are available at Deeclareit.com.
I am currently hosting the Family affair open mic and managing The Share Your Heart Share Your Art Project.
Professionally i am looking forward to impacting more lives globally with my gift of spoken word and my ability to bring communities together through art.
Art changed my life now i am using art to change others live
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As i reflect on my journey, my ability to remain calm in the mist of chaos is one of my best qualities.
My unconditional love for self resonates to others who i encounter is another great quality of mine.
I love the the fact that God has giving me the creative gift to bring people together as well.
The knowledge i obtained along my journey has giving me wisdom to take my time and trust the process.
My best advice for others who are early in the journey is, continue pressing forward and don’t stop. It is inevitable that you will get better at your craft. Secondly give your mind and body some rest when it’s needed. Lastly be kind to yourself, the world is already hard on us
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for vibrant souls and pure spirits to partner and collab with.
The kind of individuals i like to connect with are those who are
Purposely driven by building better communities and they also pursue impact more than money.
Ways to connect with me are through
Fb Tom Ray
Ig. @tr_dats_it
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @tr_dats_it
- Facebook: Tom Ray
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tomraytv1440?si=XzyyHxn0vl8OMDRG
- Other: My website Raysvision.com is being revamped
Image Credits
Photos taken by Anglesnshots photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
