Looking back, it’s a wonder that I gained any qualifications from school, considering how much time I spent staring out of the classroom window.
While the history teacher was busy talking about World Wars or the succession of the kings. I was imagining myself as an Egyptian prince, climbing Mount Everest or finishing the last leg of the 4×100 relay at the Olympics.
I’ve always had a fertile imagination that could take me to any corner of the universe, to do anything I wanted.
In biology lessons, I learned that my breathing, heartbeat, and digestive systems all functioned on an automatic subconscious level. I suddenly realised that this is how my imagination worked too. It was always there in the background, just like my breathing. All I had to do was become conscious of it.
We all have imagination, to greater and lesser degrees, and it’s my belief that our imaginations can be developed and honed just like anything else.
My imagination has helped me to make sense of the world, and my place in it as a black gay man.
There have been many great strides forward for gay men. But depending on where you live in the world, life can still be unwelcoming, discriminatory, hostile, and even dangerous.
Often, the experience of being a black gay male is linked to suffering, abuse, hatred, and violence. But I refuse to live as a victim.
I believe that black gay men (along with the rest of the LGBT community) have a unique life experience that can teach others empathy, humanity, tolerance and understanding.
Instead of trying to ‘fit in’, black gay men should strive to ‘stand out’, and help to create the world that we want to see.
My imagination shows itself best through writing. Writing gives me an opportunity to better collate, organise, and express my thoughts.
As black gay men, it’s important that we document, and celebrate our lives, so, that there’s a fuller, and richer narrative about us. A narrative that includes stories of us being happy, successful and in strong loving relationships.
Whether you’ve started to write, stopped, or just thinking about it! Please join me for my Creative Writing Workshop for Black gay men, in association with Blackout UK, as part of LGBT Month on:
Sunday 26th February 2017
2pm-4pm @ Brixton Library.
I hope that the workshop will be an inspiring session that explores the ‘creative process’ and our shared experiences as black gay men.
Please email ehtamard@outlook.com to book your place
Participants will have the chance to write articles for Blackout UK
Troy Blackout
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