What ARE YOU SAYING???
Issue No.2
Learning to hear my artistic voice has meant asking deeper questions about what I’m making, why it matters, and who it’s meant to reach. Why should people care about this work? What purpose does it serve in the community? How do I see it living in a collector’s home? Why do I want to share it with the world?
The more I sit with those questions, the more I come back to the same answer: people are yearning for authenticity in a time when so much feels filtered, obscured, or disconnected. I want my work to reflect the truth that my community matters and deserves to be represented in every space. I want these pieces to live in collectors’ homes as conversation pieces—works they feel connected to, and where they can also see their own stories reflected.
Studio Note
Clarity comes through making, not overthinking.
The work usually becomes clearer once I stop trying to solve everything in my head and let the process reveal what it needs.
On the Easel
Building “Abundance” from Rosy Paradox. 36” x 36”, mixed media on canvas. This piece challenged me to look more closely at where abundance is already present: in nature, in community, and in possibility. The interstate road that matches the sister of this piece “Black Owned” is a key visual point of the piece. The viewer is able to see abundance is not far away and attainable as long as you are willing to lean into it.
A Piece of Insight
Abundance is already present in nature, community, and possibility. We just lose sight of it sometimes.
The more I work on this piece, the more I’m reminded that scarcity is often something we are taught to believe, even when the world around us is overflowing.
“Abundance” 36” x 36”, mixed media on canvas $1296
Corporate to Creator
Corporate taught me focus and discipline. Entrepreneurship is teaching me range, resilience, and trust.
In corporate creative spaces, there are systems, collaboration, and layers of review that help keep the machine moving. My background taught me how to refine ideas, analyze creative direction, and contribute to a larger vision. Entrepreneurship asks something different of me. I no longer have a team to bounce ideas off of or a built in structure for feedback. Now the decisions are mine alone, which feels freeing and overwhelming at the same time.
I’m learning that trusting my voice is not about always feeling certain. It’s about being willing to choose. Sometimes that clarity comes after a walk with my dog, a yoga session, or making a good meal small pauses that help me return to the work with fresh eyes.
Collector’s Sneak Peek
I’m preparing for the Black Boy Art Show on April 19, and subscribers are getting an early look at what I’m building for that moment. I’m also adding prints that were previously unavailable to my website, along with new branding collateral for collectors who have been following my journey. I’m sharing a few of the shopping bag designs I’m developing below, and I’d love to know which ones resonate most with you.
Closing Reflection
Last week, I asked what abundance means to you. For me, I see abundance everywhere. It’s in the amount of leaves on trees, the way bushes produce an overflow of flowers, and the number of people who flood parks on a sunny day, regardless of the pollen count.
I invite you to reflect on the abundance already present in your life, and on the ways you’ve learned to trust your own creative voice.
Keep creating. Keep innovating. Keep believing.
Thank you for being in the room.
— Edmond B. Murden
Founder, EBC Loft
