Invictus Writers

So this is a video made last year about the project I will be apart of this year. So excited! Its kind of weird because not only for this project, but in so many ways and places I have been told to write about myself lately. And I don't usually like writing (or talking) about myself. Being pushed to do so is good.

Don't get me started on what it means to be alive

If you aren’t outraged

If you aren’t wondering why the constellations under your skin don’t match the ones in the sky

If you haven’t tried to put peaces of a tattered hearts back together

If you aren’t searching desperately for truth and sharing everything about it that you’ve found.

Then you aren’t paying attention

Keshia Smith News Scholars Bio- for class

Keshia Smith

News Journalism Major, Creative Writing Minor

Keshia Smith originally got interested in journalism in high school when she joined Y-press, a youth news organization that writes a bi-weekly article for The Indianapolis Star. After also getting involved with JAWS, a similar program through The Indianapolis Recorder, she knew she wanted to major in journalism.

Though she specializes in writing, during her time at Ball State she has enjoyed learning to use multiple forms of media to tell a story. She has taken classes on photojournalism and video editing to increase these skills.

During her years at Ball State she has been a features reporter for the Ball State Daily News, a graphic designer for BallBearingsOnline.com, a member of The Writers Community and a member of the Black Media Association, Ball States chapter of the National Association of Black Journalist. Recently, she had gotten involved with the The Invictus Writers (Theinvictuswriters.com), a small group of Ball State students who are attempting to write a publish a non-fiction book.

During the summer of 2011, Keshia accepted a summer internship with The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper that allowed her to apply the things she was taught in class to the real world. Covering issues such as education and events such as Indiana Black Expo, she had 25 articles and six photos published in The Indianapolis Recorder. During the Summer of 2010, she volunteered to spend ten weeks in Chicago with the not-for-profit origination Imagine Your Impact, when she helped create website fliers and advertisements.

Keshia aims to use the storytelling skills she learned as a journalism major and creative writing minor to make a positive influence on the world. She lives by Albert Einstein’s quote, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

"The Boy Least Likely To" and "Sleeping at Last"

On a less somber note, I have found another strange music obsession in 'The Boy Least Likely To' Listen, It will make you smile.







And, Sleeping at Last makes beautiful music as well. Just listen

Troy Anthony Davis Death Penalty

Am I the only one who thinks it’s odd that Casy Anthony, who was clearly guilty, was declared not guilty because there “wasn’t enough evidence”?

And then on the other side of the spectrum you have Troy Anthony Davis, who may very well be innocent, and he’s being executed tonight, even though there isn’t enough evidence to prove his guilt.

People do not know everything and will not get it right all the time. I don’t believe a person should be the judge over another persons life and death for any reason. I am forever and always against the death penalty, no matter what.

Thoughts

I can never find a box that I fit in just right. Maybe that why I don’t want to share these words with you. I am not marketable. Words need an audience to matter, and you’ll tell me these don’t belong anywhere at all.

I am 21-years-old and only 5 feet tall. I am a Christian and I believe that gay people should be able to get married. I am black and I listen to “white” music, apparently. I am a democrat and I am pro-life. I am an introvert and I’m not shy.

I feel too much. I dream too much. I know too much and I know nothing at all. I think to much and I don't write enought and I try to find God everywhere.

But my words hide inside my mind, refusing to sick to paper where they’d be exposed.

Tonight, I found myself in a Muncie bar called Be Here Now surrounded by plaid shirts, glasses, afro’s and beers. (I may have been cooler if I wrote my natural hair natural instead of straightening it. Next time, lol.)

As a creative writing minor, I felt like I needed to do more things in regards to creative writing. I joined the writer’s community at Ball State, and they told us about this shindig. This is my first poetry reading I’ve been too (except for this artist thing cru did where they asked artist and poets to share their views about Christianity), and the last three writers were really good. There was a spoken word poet who was so active on stage. Someone did Blackout poetry and it was pretty cool. I love blackout poetry because it causes you to be more creative because you have limited words.

The photo is of Analesia, a creative writing major at ball state who I had a class with once and who is part of the Writers Community.

I want to become a better creative writer. I think I will submit something to The Broken Plate and read thing at The Writers Community.

And, just because I haven't posted my face in a while, here I am. This awkward myspace photo shows that I still exist.

I have a crush on trees

It was beautiful outside today, but after Church I found myself back inside my room. Bad decision, especially sence Summer only has a few more days left for us. The Sun said she's gonna shine whether i choose to enjoy it or not.

But it wasn’t the sun that stared me down from my window this afternoon. It was the tress and the way the light shone off of their leaves as they stubbornly held onto to the same brilliant green they sported in early may. Those leaves think that color will last forever. They swayed in the wind outside my window, showing off, flirting.

But I didn’t go out. Not this time. Don’t get me wrong, I love Summer. But she’s dying and those leaves are too.

I don’t want to get too attached to the Trees. When the cold wind creeps in no amount of determination will keep the green from turning brown. If I were to spend time with the Trees now, it would be as if a friend died instead of a stranger.

anxiety cat

I'm pretty sure I have anxiety now because I can relate to everything on the anxiety cat meme. Now i'll be anxious about possibly having anxiety.







Especially that last one. My first thought when someone comes back later than they told me they would come back from a place is that something tragic happened.

Jesus Music

So in church today, I watched a mostly white worship band try to play Kirk Franklin. (And they were actually really good.) But anyway, I just wanted to make a post about music. Worship music to be exact. I love music in general, and I love all types of music. So i wanted to share some little-known Jesus music or all kinds on my blog. Have a listen.


1. Gungor- You Have me.



I guess i'd classify this as folk music? I have been listening to a lot of Gungor lately. Their entire Beautiful Things CD is amazing, but this song just has my heart. Also listen to "Dry Bones" "Can not keep you" "God is not a white man" and "Beautiful Things."


2. The Washington Projects- you are beautiful



Moving on to R&B, have a listen to this beautiful song by The Washington Projects. Also listen to 'light up the dark' and 'you are my world.'


3. Gritz- ohh ahh



This Moving on to hip-hop, lets take a look at gritz! Such a good song.

4. Brooke Fraser- Love where is your fire



Moving into pop music, Brooke Fraser is awesome. Just listen.

5. The Rocket Summer- light



And now for rock, I'm kind of mad that i can't find a recording of this song on youtube except this hard to hear live version, because its a beautiful song. I'm not sure if this a a 'christen band' by definition but a lot of his songs have christ like themes in it, and this is song is amazing.

6. Tye Tribbett- Replace me



And now for Gospel, Tye Tribbett is amazing. Just listen.

7. The Arrows- Next Time



I don't really know what type of music to classify The Arrows in. But I like them. If you have't heard their song 'in the words of satan' look that one up on youtube as well.

8. Flyleaf- In The Dark



So I guess flyleaf would be considered rock, but a harder version of rock. Anyway, I love them. Their lyrics are so good. Just listen to the whole Memento Mori CD.

9. Kim Walker (Jesus Culture)- Can I have more of you



This song puts me in a good mood.

10. Phil Wickham- I will wait for you there



I love Phil Wickham. Listen to any of his song. Really, any.

11. Elevation Worship- Give me Faith



I'll leave you with this one.

Bucket List

- Photo of members of Urban light Community Church

I went to Urban Light Community church today with two girls from Cru and I head a wonderful word on 'what God whats on your 'bucket list.' He spoke about holding onto promise God made you instead of giving up on them when things get difficult or they seem impossible. It was just on time because I had been thinking a lot about discerning Gods will lately and how to know what is something that Gods wants or just something that you want.

The thing that stuck out to me is that how something being 'too much for you' to accomplish on your own is a clue that it might just be what God wants you do. Its okay to attempt the impossible. He wants to show His strength through our weakness. If you feel like you could do it without God, its probably not what god is asking you to do, its what you want to do. The other ways he said to discern gods will was does scripture back it up, as well as discussing it with a Godly person.

It made me think of my desire to work with young people. I do not know how exactly i want to work with young people. I do not feel like I have the skills or know how to do some of the things I want to do, but i feel like God has given me a heart for them. Also, I think some of the things He allowed me to deal with in my youth has given me a heart for them as well. I don't know how I can use the skills i've accrued as a journalism major to work with young people, but I know there are plenty of ways to do so. For instance, there are programs like Y-press with the Indianapolis Star and JAWS with The Indianapolis Recorder that teach young kids. But I'm thinking of taking an entrepreneurship class. I'm not sure why.

Anyways I decided to write a bucket list. I have no ideal if I will accomplish everything on this list, but it can't hurt to try. So here it is:

Graduate High School

Graduate College

Fly (in a plain)

Travel

Do something that allows me to work with young people in middle and high school.

Fall in love/get married

Have something I’ve written published (Not an article, something creative)

Have a mini library in my home (or just a large bookshelf full of books)

Publish a YA book (traditional or self, the publishing world is changing)

Maybe intern for a publishing house? (or, you know, work for one…)

Show people Gods love through the way I live my life.

Beautiful Day

I didn't want to miss the sun again today. It's so beautiful outside! I took some pictures while walking so that when its icy and cold and ugly and icky I can look back and remember that this is how it was then and this is how it will be again.

Ball States campus is really pretty during the summer.





In other news, i've had a pretty productive saturday morning. I went to Wal-mart, talked to my mom over the phone, started and finished my assignment for a journalism class thats due monday, spend some time in the word and in prayer, and now im blogging.

Last night, I got to catch up with my friend Ariel, who graduated last year, via Skype. I like having people who you can talk about the good and the bad with. Struggles, emotions, the good and the bad. I was reading the first camper of Romans today and it stuck out to me how important that is, talking to people about real things. I mean, thats why he was writing the letter in the first place. I met with some girls from my bible study friday for breakfast and it was good getting to know them better. Tomorrow, i'm going to Urban Light with Bithia and Eren from Cru. It's a munticultural church, and I love multicultural churches because it reminds me of Calvary Memorial in Oak ParK, IL. , the church i was apart of during project. I Really liked Calvary Memorial because it causes people to get out of their comfort zones and have unity, and i met the coolest people in the young adult group.

Check out these lovely faces. And this isn't even all of them :(



I don't know what the point of this post is, really. Maybe that people are important and trees are pretty.

The sun leapt out of the earth this morning and I missed it

The sun leapt out of the earth this morning, and I missed it. Wanted to have a few more moments of sleep. Woke up covered head to toe in a warm blanket of yellow light, seeping through my window.I guess the sun doesn’t hold grudges.

The wind kissed my head as I stepped outside, It tucked dark strands behind my left ear the way my mother use to. My mind wondered how many people have had their tears wiped away by an invisible hand, and how humans could breath with things of that nature going on every moment.

You once told me that you couldn’t see colors anymore, all the blue in your eyes had been washed out by the tears you cried while it rained so no one would notice them.

Our minds can’t take the way we’ve given our hearts away to habit. This is my prayer to the One who breathes the west wind. When the earth was thirsty You gave her a drink and we said we couldn’t see the water. Tell your angles of lighting to sock our senses back to life, carry our souls home through the winds of a hurricane. We were made stronger than we think.

I asked You this as the timeless winds of tragedy vay for our attention like a bratty child who wants you to love them. I watched wealthy businessmen walk past the homeless as they starved. I watched friends point their faces towards cell-phone screens so they wouldn’t have to pay attention to things like the sun and the starving.

I understood why she couldn’t see colors anymore.

I scatter stories like the ashes of a dead man. Maybe there’s more to life than just living? More than hurricanes and heartbreak and sleeping in. Can we change things?

I still believe that loves alive, but things like love need to be applied.

Souls faint as storms fade

The earth sleeps.

Give Back- for my Opinion Writing Class

The world is unbalanced.

A famine sweeps across East Africa. Many people walk for weeks to make it to the Dadabb refugee camp in Kenya. They arrive in desperate condition, feet raw and bloodied, emotions shaken from attacks by bandits. Not only is food and water scarce inside the camp, but the overcrowded Dadabb refuge camp is facing criminal attacks as well.

According to an article by BBC News, a reporter watched mothers arrive with fewer children than they had when they set off on their journey. People carried stick-thin babies, desperate for food. The camp is quickly running out of resources.

I had a conversation with a friend a while back about the absurdity of human behavioral norms. The exact subject of our conversation was the famine in Kenya. She talked about how easy it would be for many people to hop on a plane and go do whatever you can, wherever you can. The immediate things that take up our time hear isen’t as imedate as the needs of some other people.

I thought about how many people in Kenya the food thrown away at restraints and grocery stores could feed. I then thought about it less globally, saying how strange it was that a homeless man can be outside at night in the freezing winter near an unoccupied hotel room.

My friend told me that Ball State Dining once asked her to throw away dozens of boxes of pasta that was in perfect condition. Why not donate this food to the Muncie Mission? It’s trendy to ‘go green’ and focus on the condition of the environment right now, but what about the condition of people?

We were talking about how weird it is that, despite how global the world has become and how easy is it is to communicate with and travel from one country to the next, people still mostly focus on what’s going on with their own lives. We seem unaffected by the lives of other people, and live as if we are the centers of our own universe.

If I am going to take up space in the world, I want to give back to it. I don’t think it’s enough to just be a “good person” if you are not striving to be good for something. We are not the centers of our own worlds.

The philosophical question of how responsible a person should be for the next person is a question that I do not have the space or time to tackle right now. However, I will say that I believe that unless you live so carefully that you never fail at anything, and have such perfect circumstances that you never need anyone’s help, it simply comes down to treating others the way we wanted to be treated because we all need help sometimes.

Americans don’t have to travel to Kenya to be a part of the bigger world around them. Offer to help a family member, roommate, or friend with a project or assignment. No matter how little time we think we have, we should make time to do something without expending to get anything in return for your time of effort.

As Ball State student’s, there are plenty of opportunities to help others from various student organizations. Student Voluntary Services can connect volunteers with organization such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware County, Muncie Mission, Harvest Soup Kitchen, Collage Mentors for Kids and Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Other organizations have similar outreach efforts. Last semester, the Japan Club made paper cranes to raise awareness and money after an earthquake hit Japan. Cru has created a cardinal outreach team, which allows Ball State students to go out into the Muncie community on various service projects.

In addition, simply making time for the people you care about and letting them know that you care about them is a way to get out of our ‘self’ bubbles. Listen to people and get a better understanding of their ideals and problems while being honesty about yourself with them.

Smile at strangers on your way to class.

Americans can donate money that will go towards water, food, and vaccinations as part of the Kenya relief efforts at www.usaaid.gov. In the words of Gandhi, “ Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Blog Directory

I follow a lot of blogs, I decided to share.

In addition, you can find me here: http://krsmith.tumblr.com/ http://bright-pretty-things.tumblr.com/


Personal Blogs

http://comeupfromthewilderness.tumblr.com/
http://freedomreigns.tumblr.com/
http://godsperfectwill.tumblr.com/
http://deebella123.tumblr.com/
http://gabi.tumblr.com/
http://man-of-god.tumblr.com/
http://somethingsobering.tumblr.com/
http://todayisawindingroad.tumblr.com/
http://whereartthouwildthings.tumblr.com/
http://bombinabirdcage.tumblr.com/
http://theavant-gardeplaylist.tumblr.com
http://aheartfortheheartless.tumblr.com/
http://jaycechandler.tumblr.com/
http://fragilefears.tumblr.com/
http://classyliving.tumblr.com/
http://skripture-sketches.tumblr.com/
http://corycopeland.tumblr.com/
http://jspark3000.tumblr.com/
http://mikeclevenger.tumblr.com/-
http://atomos.tumblr.com/
http://writingwrong.tumblr.com/
http://christlivesinme.tumblr.com/
http://depose.tumblr.com/
http://bithia.tumblr.com/
http://tanzimitchell.tumblr.com/
http://mustardseedguy.tumblr.com/
http://surrealcamille.tumblr.com/
http://all-the-rave.tumblr.com/
http://daughter-of-the-living-king.tumblr.com/
http://the3nails.tumblr.com/
http://burningone.tumblr.com/
http://gertier.tumblr.com/
http://modestlygorgeous.tumblr.com/
http://luminate.tumblr.com/
http://heavyheartsgrowlighter.tumblr.com/
http://wildyounghearttt.tumblr.com/
http://dbrumby.tumblr.com/
http://abideinhislove.tumblr.com/
http://loveistodismissyourfears.tumblr.com/
http://sagemoon.tumblr.com/
http://inspiredglory.tumblr.com/
http://kristinchantel.tumblr.com/
http://lashante.tumblr.com/
http://misguidedphantoms.tumblr.com/
http://soundclouds.tumblr.com/




Writing blogs:
http://chaiivee.tumblr.com/
http://voicesarentenuf.com/
http://yanimo.tumblr.com/
http://tylerknott.com/
http://readingavidly.tumblr.com/
http://writersoftumblr.tumblr.com/
http://yeahwriters.tumblr.com/
http://catrinwrites.tumblr.com/
http://10000sidewalks.tumblr.com/
http://underparasols.tumblr.com/
http://poeticallyprofound.tumblr.com/
http://maybehaiku.tumblr.com/
http://corycopeland.tumblr.com/
http://littlebirdsings.tumblr.com/
http://fyeahwriterleopard.tumblr.com/
http://twaynepoetry.tumblr.com/
http://theinklens.tumblr.com/
http://writeoneleaf.tumblr.com/
http://wadlington.tumblr.com/
http://eecummings.tumblr.com/
http://icanread.tumblr.com/



Music blogs:

http://rogiaeu.tumblr.com/
http://imadeintruth.com/
http://tanishasings.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahsweetmusic.tumblr.com/



Other awesome blogs:


http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/
http://ednhm.tumblr.com/
http://typographicverses.com/
http://twloha.tumblr.com/
http://tomyfuturespouse.tumblr.com/
http://takingbackbeautiful.tumblr.com/
http://lettertomybeloved.tumblr.com/
http://black-girl-problems.tumblr.com/
http://onbeinganinfp.tumblr.com/
http://shetakesflight.tumblr.com/
http://teachingliteracy.tumblr.com/
http://etiquetteforalady.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahbraids.tumblr.com/
http://beliefandknowledge.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahowlcity.tumblr.com/
http://ariddlewrappedinmystery.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahgirlyart.tumblr.com/
http://lovelydisney.tumblr.com/
http://ayanatural.tumblr.com/
http://blackfashion.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahlost.com/
http://fuckyeahwonderland.tumblr.com/
http://fuckyeahlupefiasco.tumblr.com/
http://happythings.tumblr.com/

So I found a pretty hilarious youtube show called the ‘awkward black girl.’ I sat and watched 7 episodes. Just wanted to share.

Because I love you

Just posting because it's adorable.

I look at someone and think: “You exist.”

And it’s the most miraculous thing to realize.

And we are coexisting. They do not simply exist for me, nor I for them; But we exist within the lives of each other.

That’s so spectacular.

Sometimes, it’s hard to breathe with so many tiny things like that going on in each moment.

I am like an athlete that has neglected her craft, a sprinter who only runs when forced to for competitions sake. A soccer player who, between games, keeps her soccer ball locked up in a dark, damp basement. I am using muscles that are in pain because I didn’t stretch before the game. This is how it feels when I try to write for fun.

I remember when words came as naturally as the seasons. They were messy and misspelled, but faithful nonetheless.

Today, I found myself in a room full of writers, sipping black coffee and discussing how we were all going to write and publish a book by the end of the semester. While sitting in that room that I realized I am both in love with and afraid of stories.

I remember the first time I saw my byline in a newspaper. I was sixteen and it had just been published in The Indianapolis Star through Y-press, a youth media organization. Granted, I wrote this story with a team of 5 other high school students and the final printed version looked nothing like what we had actually written. But my name was on the page nonetheless. I felt accomplished. This was one of the things that helped me fall in love with creating stories (In addition to reading books, but possibly more on that later).

I also remember having a blog. This blog was my attempt to be honest and talk about my life. I wanted to be truthful. This is the world through my eyes, this is what happened, this is my story.

The messy thing about our stories is that they involve other people sometimes (Unless you live as hermits live. Hermit life seems appealing at time to an introvert such as myself, but I know I am made for bigger and better things. I want to make a difference in the world, that’s all.) Someone got offend over something that I had written about them in my story about me. And even though I tried to explain that this was really how I felt from my perspective, it was a mess. I realized that words are dangerous tools that can be used to hurt of heal, and you had to be careful with them.

Going into this project, I know that we are going to write about ourselves. And we are also going to write about the people we have come across in life who made us who we are. We will speak about fears, dreams and failures. We will talk about the time we made a stupid decision or the time we hurt someone we cared about or the time we were hurt and the times we were healed. We will wonder if we really want our parents, teachers, pastors, or friends reading our stories, but we will tell it anyways because as journalist, writers and people we know that to have the truth and not share it is a great crime.

I still believe the most important factor in writing is bravery. The next more important factor is honesty. And I hope to accompany both.

Thoughts

I love looking and I love having eyes and I love having glass to put over my eyes because they are broken. I love painting and I love shadows and reflections. I love leaves and I love that they have veins and I love that they die and make sounds when I step on them. I love eavesdropping and I love being places where I’m not obligated to speak and I love people who I can speak to and I love people who I don’t have to speak to. I love a variety of animals and I love sand and the beach and uneven sidewalks and doors and door frames and paint that is cracked and things made of wood. like trees. which are a thing I love. and I love clementines and national geographic and pictures of people being people. I love people with honest eyes and patterns and patterns on people with honest eyes.