On October 5th, while I was doing last minute packing for my trip to Ghana, West Africa, several works-in-progress were nagging at my psyche. Among them: a newly published but unread adult book by my friend Rev. Paula Owens Parker, Roots Matter: Healing History, Honoring Heritage, Renewing Hope; two of my unfinished story quilts, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” and “Something Inside So Strong;” updating the content of AFRO-BETS First Book About Africa, a children’s book Just Us Books had published in the early 90s; and notes for Visual Literacy and Diversity in Kids’ Lit, a presentation I was scheduled to give at a BookFest conference when I returned. How could I leave for a 13-day trip with so many unfinished projects still on my plate?
My excitement about my trip to Ghana had been building for months and this trip was the culmination of my 45-year dream of visiting the Motherland. With so many professional and personal projects pending, , this was not the best time to be away. But I knew I had to push that feeling aside so I could fully absorb all the sights and sounds and experiences to come. So I packed my ipad, my sketchbook, and a blue-lined pocket sized journal. I swallowed my malaria pill and double-checked that I had my passport and Ghanaian VISA in order. The next day, Wade drove me into Manhattan, hugged me tight, and wished me traveling mercies. Soon, I was boarding a Delta jet for my 10.5-hour flight to Accra.
I planned to track my activities in words and sketches each day, but once I got to Accra, Ghana’s capital, I ditched the paper and pen. I decided to rely on my iphone to capture hundreds of photos and gave in to an overwhelming immersion of visceral experiences in color, texture, sound, movement, and energy.
Since no one sentence or image can adequately capture my feelings about this geographic and spiritual journey, I have simply divided this blog into daily entries with captions. I can say that I was especially impressed by the community partnerships our trip organizer Lorna K. Johnson and her group Global Linkages, established in Ghana. Visiting and contributing supplies to the regional health clinic, the rural boarding school and the after school outreach programs helped us to connect in tangible ways to our African brothers and sisters. And things working out the way they often do, my 13 days in Ghana and away from all my unfinished projects, actually helped me make more progress with them once I got back home.
DAY 1 Oct. 6th—travel to Ghana by car, cab, plane and bus
(We can skip the photos from my cab and fast forward to DAY 2.)
My excitement about my trip to Ghana had been building for months and this trip was the culmination of my 45-year dream of visiting the Motherland. With so many professional and personal projects pending, , this was not the best time to be away. But I knew I had to push that feeling aside so I could fully absorb all the sights and sounds and experiences to come. So I packed my ipad, my sketchbook, and a blue-lined pocket sized journal. I swallowed my malaria pill and double-checked that I had my passport and Ghanaian VISA in order. The next day, Wade drove me into Manhattan, hugged me tight, and wished me traveling mercies. Soon, I was boarding a Delta jet for my 10.5-hour flight to Accra.
I planned to track my activities in words and sketches each day, but once I got to Accra, Ghana’s capital, I ditched the paper and pen. I decided to rely on my iphone to capture hundreds of photos and gave in to an overwhelming immersion of visceral experiences in color, texture, sound, movement, and energy.
Since no one sentence or image can adequately capture my feelings about this geographic and spiritual journey, I have simply divided this blog into daily entries with captions. I can say that I was especially impressed by the community partnerships our trip organizer Lorna K. Johnson and her group Global Linkages, established in Ghana. Visiting and contributing supplies to the regional health clinic, the rural boarding school and the after school outreach programs helped us to connect in tangible ways to our African brothers and sisters. And things working out the way they often do, my 13 days in Ghana and away from all my unfinished projects, actually helped me make more progress with them once I got back home.
DAY 1 Oct. 6th—travel to Ghana by car, cab, plane and bus
(We can skip the photos from my cab and fast forward to DAY 2.)
For me, each experience on this Sankofa Journey transformed into almost “Still life” painting/snapshots. They echoed very deeply rooted memories; they resonated familiar design elements; and they reminded me of the rhythms inherent in my own creative process for constructing story quilts. Mentally, my works-in-progress continued to evolve—fabric by fabric, color by color, texture by texture, expression by expression, and layer by layer. By the end of my physical trip, I had gathered more spiritual and mental “stuff” to work with and to infuse into the geography of my art. Sankofa means “to go back and fetch it.” Afro-Bets First Book About Africa even without editorial updates was still relevant for adults as well as children. As I continue to reflect on the journey, I realize it was truly transformative and I’m still a work-in-progress.