Jessica Noel on Imani Lee Williams

Dear Imani: 

“You know what freedom is to me? NO FEAR!” —Nina Simone in Imani Williams’ IDEAS OF GRANDEUR.

Ideas of Grandeur had a profound impact on me. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to put into words, in a public platform, what the show said to me, how it blessed me, and how I walked away feeling proud to be a free-thinking, fearless artist surrounded by a community who loves and shows up for me.

With that being said, I still experience fear and bouts of loneliness, many times each day. I often question the why of it all. Why do I feel the need to make art? What’s the point? Who cares? When am I going to experience shiny acclaim, or when am I going to throw in the towel and declare I’ve had enough of this?

But the impulse is loud in artists. We continue to create because we have to. This creative calling (i.e. the compulsion) drowns out all the other inner critics who tell us we shouldn’t create. And after your show, I’m convinced the reason we create is because we are reaching towards that euphoric state of FREEDOM from fear.

When you said “I am alone,” I knew we were at a turning point in the piece. There was a palpable shift in the energy as you took center stage. The smart comedy of the show’s first half melted away into your use of hypnotic, spellbinding gesture. Your long, lithe fingers moved like a conductor’s baton or a magical wand, emphasizing Nina Simone’s words: When I make art, I experience freedom from fear. If I could spend half of my life being free from fear, I would. This portion of your show spoke directly to me. Thank you for using brilliant sound design to highlight your messages. The sound design was impactful, worthwhile and well-executed.  And Nina Simone was telling the truth: we DO experience freedom from fear when we’re performing.

Then, we arrived at my favorite mini-moment of the show: your friends called and said they wanted to walk, hang, run, be with you. Isn’t that the best!? Those who show up for our shows are our people. We’re not alone after all, because when we ask people to come to our shows, and they come out for us, they’re really saying, “I see you, I love you, and I accept you.” 

I think friends of artists are also saying break a leg! And entertain me! Of which you did both, Imani. What a successful show. I was entertained and deeply moved. Congratulations!

Your friend, 

Jess Noel

Jessica Noel is the writer and one of the performers of Call of the Wild at Philly PACK.

Imani Lee Williams is the writer / performer of Ideas of Grandeur at the Lemonade Stand Hub.