The History & Story Behind the Vivid Life Tour

From Travelling For Inspiration to Being Inspired Right Here At Home, The Vivid Life Tour Continues.

Dope History has been in the works for some time now. If you've been following me long enough, you might recall my often wordy Instagram stories that ranged from the history of Ybor City being haunted, to Tampa's Fortune Street Bridge, and the dark past around the area's Skyway Bridge. All of these stories can be expected as I continue to roll out Dope History here on the site.

Chasing the history, for lack of better terms, became a goal of mine in 2021, inspired by the works of Hollywood producers like Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions and other directors and writers who travel as a way to inspire their upcoming work. Jason Blum traveled to Ybor City a few years ago, making note that our beloved home to roosters, cigars, and black-owned businesses like 7th + Grove, Daddio's Patio, and others is also one of the most haunted sites in the country. Crazy, right?

I had a very similar form of inspiration throughout the years myself. Most of my writing for We Missed A Meeting, which took place between 2017 and 2018, actually took place on airplanes - usually long enough flights to allow me to focus for upwards of 4-5hours. Stories like Don't Go Playin' In the Hills, They Wept the Good Weep, and the earliest drafts of my upcoming Some Assembly Required were all written while travelling. While my writing kind of slowed down during the pandemic, my travelling didn't, and so trying to jump start the creativity, I figured going to inspiring places would help me with stories like A Boy Bathed in Blood and more.

So, midway through the Summer of 2021, I took up some research that lead me to looking up the old Chitlin Circuit. If you've never heard of it, it's actually the old route through the South where Jazz, Blues, and Rock singers of Color typically took their talents. Among those cities would be Memphis and Nashville, Atlanta, Louisville, Biloxi, St. Petersburg, and our very own home of Tampa.

The first iteration of the Vivid Life Tour would have me visit a small pocket of these cities to promote A Boy Bathed In Blood. It was an ambitious vision, but one that I decided not to hold back on. There were challenges in 2021, as you've probably read in my blog post about Tampa's housing market - in short: my apartment was broken into, setting back, and ruining my entire mood about literally everything.

I decided to block out the noise, though, and commit to pushing through for attendance at AfroPunk last year, which only got me more excited for moving, living, and being the "Vivid Life".

Since then, The Vivid Life Tour is a bit more of where I'm bringing the experiences - from hosting, to partnered events, experiences, and dope vibes - the list of events encourages people to come out, join me for the vibes, and more (we're working on the more part, okay?).

While my beloved book tour hasn't exactly come to fruition, 2022 and 2023 have big promise. Here are some ideas that coming in the near and distant future.

Tampa Coffee Tour - Caffeine Convos

If I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, I love coffee. Not in the way of like, I need it to function every morning, but more in the way of "there's really no bad time to enjoy a nice coffee". Irish Coffee. Nitro. Latte. Anything - I love it. And in my opinion, and the way I love to socialize, there's nothing in this world better than a coffee date. Plotting more than 40 different locations across the Bay area, I'll working to set up these Caffeine Convos that will be one part promotional tour and another part a chance to us all to get together, chat, socialize, network, and even (in the biggest of hopes) connect to create content.

Bay Area Mural Walk

Did you know that Tampa is considered one of the most "Instagrammable" cities in the country? From Riverwalk to the nearly two dozen murals painted across the city, as well as over in St. Petersburg, the Bay offers from dope spots for your next iconic Instagram post, flyer backdrop or more. Especially for first-time visitors, or those Snowbirds that find their way moving down here, a trip across the city to appreciate murals, craft beer, coffee and more is a dope way to connect to the art and culture of the area.

You might be familiar with Instagram pages like St. Pete Murals or Mural Cycle that do this, and I think expanding their efforts would be a dope way to connect, create, and appreciate the overall experience.

WRK NIGHTS

By far one of the most important nights of my week are my work nights. These are nights that I dedicate at least 6 hours to work, productivity, and getting shit done. For those of you who ask questions like, "How do you make time for all the stuff you do", this is my secret. You might've recently seen that I put out a request for some details on locations across the Bay where folks can come, work, and collaborate, well this is that. WRK (Work, Relax, Konnect) Nights bring together light Tuesday night vibes with the productivity creatives and professional might just need for the top of the week.

The Tampa Bay Link Up

And so, since putting out that request, I've recently been introduced and invited to over 7 new spots within the Bay for hosting some form of collaborative and creative event. You can expect to hear more about these events for WRK Nights, as well as for The Tampa Bay Link Up, which is set to return this Spring. Hosted by myself and I Am Top Dog of Florida Man Gaming, The Link Up is a networking event that brings together creatives of all skill sets and skill levels for challenges, competitions, and creating together. The last one hosted in December can be found in the Gallery tag with some shots and details.

Tell me what you think.

As I like to say, "The Vivid Life Tour Continues..." and more dates and events will continue to roll out as I get more bookings, more events, feedback, and secure timelines. I hope to see you at the next groove!

For a list of upcoming events, as well as a calendar you can sync to your phone, be sure to check out The Upcoming Events page as well as The Vivid Life Tour tag on the home page.

See the newest collection of images and release dates for The Vivid Life Tour.