Guest Contributor:
Alfred W. Coles Jr. (Alfred Nomad)
Artist, Curator, Activist and Founder of “Everything Will Be Alright” Project & Initiative
Black Mental Wellness (BMW) Interviewer:
First, can you please introduce yourself? Tell us who you are and what you do. Then the first question we have is, what are some ways that you promote mental health and wellness through your area of expertise?
Alfred Nomad:
Yeah, I'm Alfred Nomad. I am an artist, music artist, curator, and the founder of the “Everything Will Be Alright” project and initiative. This is actually answering the question of how I incorporate mental health into my work. So I basically created a music album called “Everything Will Be Alright” that's based around mental health, wellness, self-care, and community. And ended up creating an initiative on top of that to help raise funds to provide free therapy for Black creatives. I just feel like it's a really tough time. I mean, even in my own life. I've had, you know, struggles and then, of course, this year how 2020 has been and just the different spaces. I created around my project and just having conversations. I was realizing even more how important it was with mental health and the kind of holes I would see when it came to how people were aware of mental health, but not necessarily knowing really what that means. What are the resources available to you? How do you even deal with your mental health like that type of stuff? So I wanted to bridge that gap and create that with my music and the stuff I create around it.
BMW Interviewer:
It sounds like through your work this is something important to you specifically. So, what does Black mental wellness mean to you?
Alfred Nomad:
I think Black mental wellness, just wellness in general, but especially amongst Black people; I feel like it's just that much more important. It's knowledge of self, being self-aware, being present, and then just making sure to take care of yourself and also having the right support system around you, for being able to be there for other people as well. And I think it's just, yeah, it's just really self-care and also being able to be there for other people too. Especially amongst the Black community, is what Black mental wellness means to me.
BMW Interviewer:
You talked about your album, but do you have any upcoming events or projects that you have coming up that promote health and wellness and anything you would like our Black Mental Wellness audience to know about?
Alfred Nomad:
Yes, I'm not sure what the turnaround time will be for this, but the first round for my “everything will be alright” initiative we're doing this week (November 16th- November 20th) I'm starting tomorrow through Friday. We're going to be taking applications for the “everything will be alright” initiative where Black creatives can apply to be considered. We're going to be offering a series of therapy sessions, at least for one creative.
So that's something that's going on right now. The next thing is myself, and the “Love Collective” that I'm also a co-founder of we're doing another virtual event. This December called home for the holidays. And it's a virtual live event with live performances. We're going to have some appearances from people within the mental health community as well as in the real estate community. It's just kind of created, I know, around the holidays. It can be a time not only a joy, but it can also be a time where a lot of people are depressed around the Holidays and especially now with everybody having to be virtual, and people can’t be with family or be with the people they would usually physically be with. We want to just kind of create a space for people to come together and get some sort of joy and also raise funds as well for the “Everything Will Be Alright” initiative. So that's going to be happening in mid-December, I want to say, December 19, it’s the Sunday before Christmas. That's when we're going to be having it. Yeah.
BMW Interviewer:
For the “Everything Will Be Alright” project are you looking for people with more experience or is that something that beginners can be a part of as well?
Alfred Nomad:
Yeah, that’s something that, whether you have been aware of your mental health and how it works for years, or you’re just hearing about it, and you've never even considered some sort of therapy like anybody can be involved or get in tune with it. So it's open to anybody. For the “Everything Will Be Alright” Initiative, we're still taking donations. So people can donate using this link, and the website will be updated after the first round, so anyone who would like to donate to the next round would be a great help.
BMW Interviewer:
What are your recommendations for ending the stigma around mental health in the black community?
Alfred Nomad:
I don't know how it's been for you guys growing up, but I think it's starting to change a little bit. But I feel like there's been a crazy stigma when especially when it comes to therapy, within the black community. It’s like you're crazy, or I'm not paying somebody to just talk to or whatever. Or saying, “I'm not doing any of that,” Or they would just call it a shrink, and it's just kind of looked at as a negative thing and not something that is actually helpful to you. And I feel like one is to break that stigma completely; it's definitely a positive thing. And it's okay to talk about how you feel, you know, and open yourself up to be vulnerable. I know that's another thing within the black community, too, is just “being tough” or just feeling like you got to hold it down and hold it together. And I feel like Which is, of course, you have to, to an extent, but it's just okay to open up and talk about things. And if you want to see something further or more have a professional work with you, it’s okay to normalize that, and I think it's something that's really important right now.
BMW Interviewer:
Thank you for that. The last question is, how do you make time for your own wellness and health care. So I know you're involved in helping other people with their journey. But what do you do specifically for yourself?
Alfred Nomad:
Yeah, pretty much. It's a daily thing of just making time for myself. And giving myself opportunities to be able to open up in different ways. So, I mean, it's everything from just meditate in the morning, or reading or writing in the morning. My creativity is another form of therapy for me too. I've even started to have friends now that are therapists, and I can have just different conversations and just learn more, and really doing the work that I'm doing right now is Helping me to I'm learning as I'm going. I haven’t been going through this as an expert at all. I went in as a student, pretty much with this whole thing, and Just wanted to learn along with the people that I was trying to help. So all of those. All of that has been a great help for me on a daily basis. So It’s really just making time for myself every day, some sort of way to center myself and just lookout for what's going on with me and check-in.
BMW Interviewer:
Thank you. So, we look forward to getting more information about your upcoming project in December, and it was a pleasure meeting with you today. Do you have anything you would like to leave us with?
Alfred Nomad:
Yeah, so I mean, once again, I’m Alfred Nomad. You can check out the “Everything Will Be Alright” album and project now. And just make sure to donate if you can or apply, so that's available as well. And just make sure that you are checking in with yourself and checking on different things like they're doing at Black Mental Wellness.
Guest Contributor
Alfred Nomad is an artist, curator & activist who spearheaded the Everything Will Be Alright Project & Initiative raising funds to provide free therapy sessions for Black creatives. He is also the founder of the culture brand LxVE (Love x Value Everything & Everyone) to highlight and encourage entrepreneurial creatives to follow their passions, collaborate with like minds and give back to communities through creative content, clothing and events based around music and fine art. Alfred has been using his voice as an artist and storyteller to cultivate amity within communities for more than a decade. Curating experiences such as concerts, art exhibitions, panels, and his annual festival (hitting it’s 5th year anniversary this year) LxVE Fest, Alfred effortlessly weaves together his musicianship and collective advocacy. With his thoughtful life driven subject matter, and musically modern sound that tends to blend Hip Hop, Jazz, eclectic samples and an alternative influence he lets his art speak to the lives of his listeners.
Commenti