We were lucky to catch up with Nicelle Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nicelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I learned how to be an artist from my father, who is a concert producer, ceramist, and sculptor. Besides music and art, my father and I share another quality—we are both dyslexics. I’m sure a large part of my relationship with language is how difficult it is for me to tame it. Language, for me, is a wild thing. It moves like a tiger. Sometimes it lounges in the sun and seems as easy as Sundays. Other times, emotional times, it is a blur of movement. I think this makes me see things others might miss in a text.
I wish I would have realized early on that I see things slightly different from other people, and that’s ok. Words are not just letters on the page for me, they are an immersive experience. To this day, spelling will go wild; however, sometimes the tiger brings back unexpected and surprising language I could not have found on my own.
An essential skill is learning how to work with your tigers (idiosyncrasies). This skill is what I try to give my students—I teach them to, love it because it is difficult. I encourage my students to use other art forms to help them develop as a writer. A metaphor and symbolism manifest in clay same as on a page, and this is how we can make connections. Ultimately, I believe we all want to share stories and have our stories carry who and what we love across generations.
It is difficult to have my favorite part of myself referred to as a deficit or inadequacy. I mean, dyslexia is my tiger—my friend, after all. It is also music, art, and family. My father used music and visual art to communicate outside of words. I took many cues from him and used music and visuals as my first means of approaching language. I see little separation between different mediums and fully embrace that art needs art to be most effective.
Nicelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My father inspired me to become an artist at a very young age so I could spend my life creating images to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. I want to share the idea that there can be meaning and value beyond the monetary by creating images made from recycled trash, found poetry, and performance art. My focus is giving voice to those outside prescriptive narratives.
I am an artist because I become depressed and anxious if I’m not making. It is my way of life.
I use video, poetry, performance, and publication to discuss topics ranging from artistic collaboration, feminist identity, poverty and power, and the environment.
I have a background in method acting, which brings a unique approach to my process and work. This background leads me to methodically dive into various subjects, channeling emotions and experiences and working to authentically portray them through performance, video, poetry, and prose.
I conduct extensive research to delve into the lives and stories of my subjects, seeking a deep understanding that enables me to create art that not only showcases technical skills but also elicits a visceral response from the viewer.
My published books include Circe, Becoming Judas, In the Circus of You, The Walled Wife, and The Language of Fractions.
I am most proud of my poetry/film collaborations, which include Commit to Memory: The Precipice of Extinction with Cheryl Gross, 2019; The Poster Reads with Cheryl Gross and Willard Grant Conspiracy, 2016; Things with Karyn Ben Singer, 2015, and In the Circus of You, with Cheryl Gross and Karl Preusser, 2015.
Our most recent poetry film festivals and awards include Like Festival Of Contemporary Literature, Kosice, Slovakia, 2017; Festival Silêncio, Lisbon, Portugal, 2017; and JUTEBACK Poetry Film Festival, 2017.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Inspired by my father, I’ve championed social justice and literacy, teaching poetry to homeless youth, mentoring at-risk teens with YPC, and empowering high schoolers through college application support. I’ve moderated the African American Heritage Club, invited notable speakers, directed plays from minority perspectives, and contributed to various literacy programs.
Ultimately, my mission revolves around storytelling’s transformative power, dedicated to making a positive impact and being an empathetic listener. My goal is to be not only an artist but also a force for the well-being of others, living true to my beliefs and values.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I’ve donned many hats in my journey, from singing at quirky weddings to struggling through four years of opera studies, secretly doubting my ability to hit a perfect note. My time at AADA opened doors to theater, where I write and perform plays. I even called China Blue, a Burning Man sanctuary, home, collaborating with stilt walkers and fire breathers. Two years in a welding studio, five years in stained glass, and now carving marble at a local art hub have made me a versatile, interdisciplinary artist. My dad’s wisdom about event production creating inclusive spaces resonates in my work, like the Poetry Circus and Nevermore Poetry Festival, both inspired by my son, J.J.
My father always assumed I’d be a wild child until I had my own child.
Being a single mother to my creative, quirky, bright son, J.J., ignited many of my projects/books. This inspiration drives me but also imposes limits. I can no longer “run away and join a circus.” These constraints, however, taught me to focus my curiosity and develop essential skills. We made our home in the High Desert of California, known for its big sky and Joshua trees. Stuck in the desert, I’ve learned to embrace my surroundings and create art from that center, finding beauty in unexpected places.
Contact Info:
- Website: nicelledavis.net
- Instagram: @nicelle_davis
- Facebook: Nicelle Nicelle
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nicelle-davis-50ba2563
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7BLa6x9oittfg-Ljmau45Q
- Other: Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Nicelle+Davis&ref=nav_bb_sb
Image Credits
Michael Everett Crawford, Jason Hughes, Alexis Rhone Fancher, Ashley Inguanta