I strive to ignite the fire inside of others with my work, highlight the joy in the simple things, and tell stories that push against limiting stereotypes of what it means to be a Black man. Before arriving at this point, I spent almost 10 years away from the stage. I had been working but I wanted more than to fit into a limiting box. I needed to take some time to live life without chasing the next gig. Looking back, I realize I was in a cocoon phase. I was absorbing the work of artists I’d never investigated before: The magical repetition of Gertrude Stein. The mind-blowing brilliance of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s “Einstein on the Beach.” But I’ll never forget the evening I saw the Trisha Brown Dance Company at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The final piece was called “I’m going to toss my arms-if you catch them, they’re yours”. As the piece began, I started to weep, and it didn’t stop until I was home in bed. It was clear: I had to move. I had to create. I had to return to my art. That moment is the reason I’m here creating my own cabaret work celebrating the music I learned on the floor of my grandparents’ living room, returning to the theatrical stage, and exploring my voice as a writer. Because of that time away, I have so much more respect for the power of art to change lives and know that it must be a part of my life. It’s time to break out of the boxes and take up the creative space, inspiring other to do the same.