We recently connected with Gina Loring and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Gina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Thanks for having me! It’s hard to pinpoint one project. I’ve been really lucky to have the opportunity to fuse activism and artistry in most of my work. I think Nina Simone said it best: “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” I don’t think it’s an artist’s obligation to use their work as a platform for social commentary, but I do think it’s an opportunity. I feel like artists are vessels for information translated through creative expression, and any art you put into the world can and likely will impact others. In a way, I look at it as a responsibility, an assignment that fulfills my own need for self-expression, and hopefully also resonates with others in a meaningful way.
Some truly meaningful projects that come to mind range from writing poems for Jane Fonda’s environmental activism with Greenpeace, to teaching writing workshops with incarcerated youth and trafficking survivors. In my current role as the Poet Laureate of the African American Policy Forum, I’m honored to be part of the creative branch of their social justice work, advocating for Black women and girls who have been killed by the police (the numbers are staggering), supporting the freedom to learn movement (in response to the banning of seminal texts), and standing in solidarity with all historically disenfranchised communities.
Of course, there have been moments in my career when I wondered if I was on the right path, but I think this story sums up why I’ve stayed the course. After a poetry reading at a cafe, an older man on crutches approached me. He had waited until the place had all but cleared out, so it was just me and a few staff members cleaning up before heading home. He reached for my hand with urgency, staring with such intensity, in another setting it might’ve startled me, but I knew the emotional impact of poetry; how it can connect strangers. He said slowly, ”You have an important voice. You are speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.” In that moment, I knew I was not only on the right path, I was doing what God intended for me. I say that with humility; I have no illusions of grandeur. I just know I’ve always felt called to use my voice in a way that has an impact. My goal is to be intentional in contributing to causes closest to my heart.
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?
As a poet, vocalist, activist, and teaching artist, I do a lot of different things, depending on the project, from commissioned poems, to performing at colleges and universities, to doing studio vocalist work, to teaching writing workshops in juvenile halls. I’m passionate about what I do because I know firsthand the transformative power of the written word. I started writing as a teenager. I was going through a lot, and my journaling, which evolved into free verse poetry, became my life line; it was the impetus for many of the poems I would later perform as a professional poet. Little did I know I was finding my footing on a trajectory that would take me to many corners of the world. Being an artist has not been an easy path, but at the same time, it has afforded me so many experiences I’m truly grateful for, from touring internationally, to working with icons like De La Soul, Mickalene Thomas, and Kimberle Crenshaw. As a multi-diasporic person, my perspective houses many narratives, all of which influence my poetry and purpose as an artist. My hope is to encourage others to use their voices by using my own.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think we’re socialized to believe conventional careers constitute real work, and anything else is viewed skeptically. Security and consistency definitely have their place, but being able to think outside the confines of the status quo and live beyond communal conditioning is vital for evolution. There have always been people who took the road less traveled — artists, inventors, intellects, activists, leaders, and change makers without whom there would be no growth or progress.
Again, stability is important, particularly if you have no inherited safety net and/or have a family to support, but living outside the limitations of conventionality can be meaningful in profound ways. I think it’s important to be clear that being an artist is not synonymous with “not working.” There have been times I’ve juggled multiple teaching jobs, been writing extensively, performing regularly, working on lengthy grant and fellowship applications, and then been asked what I “actually do” (implying being a poet means I do nothing lol). I think non-creatives (which is kind of an oxymoron, as everyone has creativity within them), often view artists as dreamers who aren’t living in the “real world.” To that I say, we may indeed be dreamers, but as long as we have a solid work ethic (and financial literacy skills – more on that later), we are contributing to the “real world” in ways that likely have a broader and more significant reach than whatever you’re doing in your office job.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I’m into it! I did a deep dive last year and binged podcasts, YouTube tutorials, and articles to get the lay of the land. I think it’s imperative to learn the terrain of Web3 and blockchain technology, since that’s where we’re headed collectively. I’m excited to continue learning and exploring what these digital platforms and currencies mean for artists. I think now is the time to engage and onboard marginalized communities who have historically been excluded from financial and professional opportunities. As an artist of color, I am particularly committed to engaging with my peers about these new technologies, to be sure we are at the forefront and not left behind. I’m interested in adding to the web3 ecosystem and solidifying creative footing in that space. I also encourage women to get involved and support women-led NFT communities like World of Women and Women Rise. In tandem with learning about crypto, I’ve been devoting time to becoming more financially literate, which is a critical, but often lesser honed skill for many artists. I encourage folks to check out fiscally-themed podcasts and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of IRAs, CDs, taxes, life insurance, budgeting, stocks and bonds, etc. and take command of your financial wellness. With blockchain technology’s expansive reach and probable mass adoption, investing time, energy and money in both fiat and crypto currency (and notable NFTs) is a wise move.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ginaloring.com
- Instagram: @ginastarlight
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gina.loring.7
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-loring-066700225/
- Twitter: @theginaloring
Image Credits
Headshots by Karol “Bfly” Pabon