We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Javone Gratton-Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Javone , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk was to put my story out to the world through poetry. I was in several dark places in my life that influenced me to write pain in poems, even though it isn’t traditional poetry that many people are used to. When I started off posting my art to social media, it was a slow process, and I kept going until my hit poems “Trenches,” “Blinded,” and “Cemented Heart” put me on a run across different countries and even collaborating with other poets. As for my city, East Atlanta, Hood Healing Poetry got me noticed in the entire state of Georgia. I reached out to Victoria after being told by people to look up places near me to perform, and her event, “Grateful 4 Ghetto” was the first one that stood out to me. I kept in contact with her and others around her, and I performed at recent events. I was also invited to other events soon after, such as “The Vibration” in Midtown, hosted by Milky, where I performed erotic poetry for the first time, and something pulled me towards “Worship and Poetry Open Mic Night,” hosted by Alexis, where mental health and how faith can help us through good days and darkest times.
.

Javone , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was always interested in poetry since elementary school, but I didn’t tell anyone about it. When I lost my older brother, Jordan, in 2018, and I was forced to stop playing college football, I had to go with what I know best, and that is writing. I dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts many nights until I picked up my pen to express my pain. The genre of writing I do is trauma/environmental coping with outside aspects. I originally wrote ten books in total. Sadly, I tore them up and deleted them, then restarted with the four books I have on Amazon right now due to little to no support. As for Book one, “Javone: A Georgia Boy’s Poetic War Story,” it describes the pain, trauma, and other things I went through to become me. Next, Book two, “Trapped In A Concrete Rodeo,” speaks on the in-depth problems I faced in the black community while trying to find myself again. Now, Book three, “Sorry, I Forgot To Live For You,” articulates the journey of trying to make something out of nothing while dealing with the opinions of people. Finally, Book four, Writing My Ghosts: The Last Suicidal Letters,” explores my vulnerability about losing myself and failed attempts to take my own life. Through all this, my mom motivates me the most when I contemplated quitting many times and shows to every performance, including the people I grew up with. I preach poetry in a way someone in streets or went to storms can relate. I also made merch (shirts) recently on printify to go along with my work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Impacting others with similar life stories

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ll say promotion of my art on social media , going out in public to reach more people,and workshops like the one I intended with Hood Healing Poetry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://von-poetry.printify.me/products?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabTjHUyAAz3yAAo70hagiqlEMBvRh2Yr9nW9nUROA3nAO8nfSFRrx9HWQA_aem_H3Q1ogQL14v7eb1noeLF-g
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vonpoetry?igsh=emNsZm9zcDBxM2h0&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/javone.gratton?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

https://www.instagram.com/pax_mans?igsh=MTFua2ZjbG5wMDFlYQ==

Pax (Photographer)

https://www.instagram.com/hoodhealingpoetryllc?igsh=MWJtMmc3dzQ3cTdybw==

Victoria (Host,Curator,Poet)