We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Denzel Fleming a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Denzel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

Currently, I’m in the education system as a Digital Arts educator and advocate for entrepreneurship. The educational system works, but the controllers within the system, herein The People, could change themselves. For example, I’ve noticed how students are addressed after vocalizing concerns. Most students want reciprocated respect, but it is not extended to them often. The People treat students/ young people as if they are a burden opposed to treating them like blessings. I mean, if more educators spoke to the whole child as they would address that child as a developed adult with potential of exponential growth then that’s one way to prepare students for ra more fulfilling life and career. That student/ child/ young person would be able to reflect on a time when they were addressed as a successful contributor to life and extend that to everyone else because they’ve been made aware of that particular modeled behavior.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Denzel Fleming, better known as “nonotwashington.” I am a multi-disciplinary artist. Performing arts, photography, videography/ cinematography and writing (music/lyrics) are my current strengths.

I was introduced to art as a child in school when there were art programs in almost every public school in North Carolina. I would develop my artistic abilities in after school programs. My friends either played sports or chose to be outside; I chose to be an artist. I would spend time in isolation—my happy place—developing my mind to ‘think beyond the margin.’ Educators would write notes on my report card illustrating me to be an exceptional student with less than satisfactory behavior ‘issues.’ They said I talked a lot and was a distraction to others. There would be times when educators offered backhanded compliments to me during their lectures. I guess that was when I developed an affinity for words.

I started to develop coping strategies by ‘showing love’ in as many ways as I possibly could. I learned: similes, metaphors, puns, idioms and witty ways to scribe the life I wanted to see for myself. Some would say I was hopeful or inspiring, but to me, I was only trying to make sense of the world by studying… “where did it all come from.” I wasn’t necessarily thinking “why would adults treat me like I’m less than;” I was thinking “I should figure out as many ways as I can tell my peers the truth—a beautiful truth—sharp, yet soft, to the point… with my pencil.

Principals would call home and question my mother as if something was wrong at home. Everything was right at home; my mother played music to calm all of us. My mother would come up to school to defend me. We would walk home from school (or catch a cab); that would be our time to talk about what happened. I couldn’t tell my mother the truth because she was already upset at having to stop her ‘flow.’ School is supposed to be a safe space, right? My mother thought the same thing, school is supposed to be a safe space. I knew it to be quite the opposite for people who have their own thoughts. I knew what I had to do after many spells of being suspended. I had to tell my truth to others.

The truth is: art heals, music is medicine, writing is therapeutic and mantras work. That’s why I choose to be a performing artist in as many ways as I can.

My vision is to return to schools as a performing artist to teach young people how to express themselves through artwork. They will learn how to be disciplined when they choose a discipline, just as I did years ago. I intend on working with non-profits throughout the world to increase revenue (for us) and stimulate a creative workforce.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a particular goal of signing a marketing deal with non-profits which grants creative freedom and resources for me to produce and promote who I am and what I contribute to the world. I envision myself managing a team of individuals across the world who are leaders– willing leaders– who are ready to live the life they want.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my following on Instagram off of the following I had on Twitter. I established a community on Twitter by being a conductor/ innovator/ disruptor and introducing the #UNCCFollowTrain. Everyone in the UNC- Charlotte community were following each other and I was one of the personalities present online who would be active in real-time with them.

Fast forward, I transferred from UNC-Charlotte to attend North Carolina A&T, and that is where I experienced the most growth (in terms of an online presence). Instagram had just become popular. With Instagram being a growing platform and myself being a rising poet, I started to share my Instagram handle after every spoken word performance. I figured, if I’m going to speak in front of 50+ people then I should direct them to where to go to stay in contact with me. Instagram was the place to do so.

While in college at North Carolina A&T, I performed at almost every major college/ university and promoted my Instagram. One thing that helped me grow, though, was to follow people first. I would look up who was in the area and follow their account first. If they didn’t follow back within 24 hours then I unfollowed. I figured, if they are active on their account then they would make a decision within one day.

Instagram allows us to follow up to 7500 people. Why not take a chance and follow someone first? You might meet someone who could change your life.

Follow me at @nonotwashington — www.instagram.com/nonotwashington or visit www.nonotwashington.com to learn more.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nonotwashington.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nonotwashington
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/denzel.fleming
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nonotwashington/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/nonotwashington
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@nonotwashington

Image Credits
Image Credits: Denzel Fleming (Pixel Pushas LLC), Alexus Brown (Alexus B Photography), Muddaland Worldwide