Artist Profile: Charles Payne
Charles Payne is a Madison, WI transplant, a certified teacher and a self-taught social artist—someone who aims to use creative skills to spark change—from Lansing, MI. His work explores personal narrative and social commentary. He was the firstborn of a strict father and naïve mother. As a child, he loved hearing the sound of Paul Harvey's voice, whose innate ability to describe every intricate detail truly inspired Charles to tell stories himself. And yes, he can't wait to give you the rest of the story.
1) What challenges have you encountered in making your poetry accessible for public consumption?
It is tough to publish poetry in literary journals and by winning writing contests. I was ready to share my writing, but I didn't know how to get published. I didn't learn the basics of submitting—that's important. Writers need to know how to tell when a piece is ready to be published. And because I didn't understand the biased nature of literary journals and writing contests, I was discouraged and wanted to quit trying. Sadly, I almost did until I got a little encouragement and a few tips and resources on submitting. Here are a few of the things I have learned along the way:
(a) Edit your work—make editing a priority.
(b) Use Size 12 Garamond or Times New Roman font unless the journal asks for otherwise.
(c) Capitalize and punctuate your poems correctly unless there is a specific reason for that specific piece not to do so!
(d) Accept rejection; brush rejection off like dirt on your shoulder.
2) Which of the following words accurately reflect past (or present) themes explored in your writing: 'dialogue,' 'disrupt' or 'decolonize'?
I believe writing and performing your truth are powerful tools for dialogue across differences. As an educator, I have had a proven track record in working with and positively impacting students from low-income, first-generation, underrepresented and non-traditional backgrounds. My professional experience has also given me a thorough understanding of the unique challenges facing BBIPOC people; it has genuinely informed my work.
I want to disrupt and decolonize to create brave spaces that help people share their narratives in an empowering and insightful manner. My hope for humanity is that by sharing my story, it will become a little easier for someone else to move beyond the status quo of respectability politics and cancel culture. Honestly, I want my work to empower me and engage my community. I want my art to change people's hearts.
3) Any creative writing resources you're particularly fond of and/or have found to be useful?
I am particularly fond of three very different resources:
(a) Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL). ALL is a community-driven contemporary arts center supporting the visual, literary, and performing arts through bringing together resources, people and space to help artists like myself and others to take chances, make mistakes and get messy. You can typically find me in an ALL class or workshops, and I owe a lot of my growth to their staff and instructors. I highly recommend that you take their next Getting Started With Publishing Class.
(b) Megan Falley's Poems That Don't Suck Course. Falley does not remember me, but I met them while they were on their “After the Witch Hunt: 100 Day Book Tour” in Phoenix, Arizona, when I was first getting started in Slam Poetry. My signed copy of their book is a prized possession. Many, many, years later, their online writing and editing course has transformed me again by re-engaging my creativity in addition to helping me find my authentic voice. I highly recommend taking their course.
c) Siobhan O'Loughlin's Please Don't Touch the Artist (PDT). PDT is a series of remote immersive theatre experiences designed to humbly ask audience members questions to create an honest, genuine community of friends and lovers online. For an entire year, performance artist O'Loughlin has been writing and performing a serial event of experimental, interactive experiences over zoom. I have attended over 50 different performances because their post-show, after-parties lead to genuine friendships and bonds inside the creative space of their performances—and outside of it. PDT has taken me on a journey of not only exploring the human experience but giving me a better understanding of it. I highly suggest attending a performance.
4) What are two or three titles currently in your "to be read" pile?
1) “Homie” by Danez Smith
2) “We are Staying” by Jen Rubin
3) “You Can Not Burn the Sun” by Matthew Charles