Artists in the Afternoon: Prose, Poetry, & More will take place Saturday, September 3, at the Metropolitan Library, 1332 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta, GA, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. This event is presented by the PrideIndex.com Esteem Awards and REThink the Narrative.
Dr. Derrick Tennial, the Owner/Founder of REThink the Narrative, and Dr. Jesse Sanders, Ph.D., Redefining Mental Health Counselor, best-selling author, and owner of REDEFINED LLC. & REDEFINING EMPOWERMENT CENTER INC will co-moderate this exciting afternoon of conversation and enlightenment. Artists in the Afternoon: Prose, Poetry, & More will consist of three lively panel sessions covering issues that range from helping aspiring writers to self-empowerment, and health and wellness.
It takes a village of dedicated artists and individuals to pull off an event of this nature. PrideIndex and TheEsteemAwards.com are happy to have professionals like Dr. Tennial and Dr. Sanders as moderators.
We sent an open-ended questionnaire to each participating artist, asking for basic information about themselves and their writings. First up, we present Atlanta resident, Ken Carr. Forthcoming responses from Casey Hamilton, Dr. Elijah Nichols, Anthony K. Robinson, Cedrick Bridgeforth, Tim’m West, T’ai Freedom Ford, Ken J. Martin, and Latanya Mack will be published leading up to this exciting collaborative.
Ken Carr is an Atlanta-based artist, rapper, and designer. This talented self-proclaimed “graphic guru from the dirty south” started drawing at an early age, but at 16, he decided to become an artist.
In 2007, he self-published IMPOSSIBLE, a picture book that he said, “transitioned from pen and ink drawings to digital media.”
PrideIndex is happy Mr. Carr signed on to join us for Artists in the Afternoon. Ever since purchasing his book, it has been almost 15 years of pulling it out of the hands of my friends and family who wanted me to let them “see” it.
Website: Kenntopia.com
PrideIndex (PI): Tell us something about yourself that no one else knows until now:
Ken Carr (KC): I like to consider myself a “Renaissance Black Man,” an artist that taps into all realms of the art universe. I am a graphic design artist/ illustrator, songwriter, music producer, screenplay writer, and photographer.
PI: Name of book(s) or other products you plan to sell:
KC: Black Lives Matter memory match card game. “Mask ON.” “Fresh Summer Kids” memory match card game. Key chains, calendars, and socks.
PI: Who is your target audience?
KC: Children as young as six and young adults.
PI: What is the central message you desire to communicate to the reader?
KC: Peace, Harmony, and Social Humanity through visual representation.
PI: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
KC: Since I was 15, I knew I could draw and tell awesome stories with my short stories and artwork collection.
PI: Where do you find your inspiration?
KC: Inspiration comes from social media and trending topics around the world. I also pull inspiration from fashion forecasting and yearly color trends so that my graphic works of art and retail product lines stay current.
PI: Why did you write this book?
KC: My current line of memory card games was generated through the years of the ongoing pandemic. The members of my large family were always looking for games to play as a whole family unit. I added an element of surprise to all my card games to make the gameplay experience more exciting. Game players get to exercise their site, social, and critical thinking skills simultaneously.
PI: How do you nurture ideas from brainstorming until they come to life on paper?
KC: By continuing my research and developing graphic design mood boards, focus boards, and product samples to test out on the retail markets.
