Tasha Jones

Poet, activist, and artist Tasha Jones credits arts, culture, and primarily hip hop for her desire to learn. For her renewal, Tasha wanted to reconnect with the two most important members of her family: her children, her son Shalom (Peace) and daughter Messiah (Life). “I wanted to consciously hear my children define who they are and/or who they are becoming and spend quality time together.” Her children set the destination and together they journeyed to California, visiting Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Glendora along U.S. Route 66, and Disney-land. They played in the sand, acted out movies on U.S. Route 66, and were even greeted by Princess Tiana at the gates of Disneyland.

Tasha considered the renewal process an awakening and the opportunity to reconnect as a mother to her children. The entire process also opened her professional life. She credits the fellowship for artistic growth and now creates poems in a different light. She is recording more than poems, she is singing, painting, and simply getting more involved with her own community in Indianapolis. “I have learned how to better balance parenting and artistry.” For her family, the experience has been tremendous with the most surprising outcome being her children’s dedication to their own artistic and athletic pursuits. Not only do they create and train together, they work as a family and now realize that their goals and dreams are interwoven.