We were lucky to catch up with Dasan Ahanu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dasan, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

I take a moment to go through emails, look at files, and order things I am amazed. Now, I can only speak to my focuses, but I have no idea how the hell I kept any of this straight for this many years. Higher Ed, consulting, community work, art… all require various email accounts, documents, contacts, calendars, meetings, etc. That is during the work. Soliciting, negotiating, or researching new work comes with it’s own set of things. Not to mention the “ideas” that never came to fruition and the time dedicated to those (especially online communication and meetings). You got multiple websites. Commissioned projects, grand funded projects, collaborations, personal projects… Geesh.

Did I mention how much memorabilia and swag I have from events, festivals, engagements, and such?

It can all turn into organized chaos. That is what happens when you are ordered so long and have worked so long that you can’t keep up with where you put stuff and tucked stuff and how you classified and categorized stuff.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a southern writer and performing artist who uses storytelling as a means of deepening our understanding and awareness of what’s happening around us. In addition I think about how to present art in new ways, re-contextualizing the use of space while engaging various audiences. I look to partner with collaborators who believe in the possibilities of art and culture and are open to providing artistic experiences to the community.

I am a multi-disciplinary maker who crafts writings for page, stage, audio and video recordings for seekers, dreamers, survivors and workers challenging the boundaries of life. My goal is to make them feel that they are seen and their stories are told.

I believe in process. I believe in discovery and wonder. I believe in imagination. I believe in community. I believe we have all the pieces to puzzle each amazing moment.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the things I to come to terms with how I carry weight. How I navigate. How I stand up. How I need to but don’t want to sit down. How I sometimes get knocked down and don’t want to get back up. How I created a space where if I yell, I know how many folks will rally to my aid. How much I try to never need to yell. How well I have convinced my folks to rarely ask if I am close to yelling. How valuable “No” is. How to be proud and not anguished by how much better I’m getting at saying it. How I see things. How little I have to explain about that. How thankful I am for the folks who helped me get there.

I am dedicated to continuing to grow, heal, sharer, and build my peace of mind. Defining my happiness. Establishing my boundaries. Because I got a lot of ideas in my head, a lot of fire in my spirit, and a lot of dreams. Can’t make it all work if I am not attentive to me. I for damn sure plan on making as many things happen as I possibly can.

I’m built for this. The brilliant and broken parts are the result of what I have experienced and what I have learned… not the definition of who I am. Still introducing me to folks.

It’s cool. There is time.

Gone be me tomorrow.

Gone be me the day after that too.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have a problem. I have taught writers for years that anything is possible, you just gotta figure out how. Write your way there. Open your mind to the possibilities. I have now come to the realization that teaching that way makes sense because my mind is ridiculous.

I literally see puzzles everywhere. Or I feel like CSI NY with the large computer screen you move stuff around on by touch. Mention anything and I’m like well you could actually….

Tell me, “I wish I could eat storm clouds and tap dance with little tweety birds wearing football helmets on the bottom of my hard bottoms screaming “Biggie” every time my toes hits the ground.” I don’t flinch. I’ll be like, “Wouldn’t it be dope if you took a can of biscuits, cooked them and then pulled them apart and laid them out inside up. Then use grey jimmies and chocolate to make them looks like storm clouds. Then you could have a pressure sensitive audio device that you put in a special sole with a recorded tweety bird voice saying “Biggie” and then paint tweety in a football helmet on a clear portion in the bottom of the shoe. It will be like LA Gear light up shoes only with sound and a cartoon character on the bottom.”

And I’ll be serious.

Folks have come to know that I bring my creativity and imagination into all of my work. I look for possibilities and can help bring a vision to life. I’m willing to explore an idea until it comes to fruition or we rule it out. I believe that there is always something to learn along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dasanahanu.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/dasanahanu
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/itisdasanahanu
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dasanahanu
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dasanahanu
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dasanahanu

Image Credits
Stan Chambers Photography, Dasan Ahanu