The Experience Series
“Inspired by the narrative power of Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series, The Experience Series is a collection of original works that explore personal moments of movement, transformation, and memory — not across geography, but across the emotional and psychological landscapes of my life. Each piece is both visually painted and textually written, offering a dual point of view: what was seen, and what was felt. While Lawrence documented the collective journey of a people, The Experience Series reflects a deeply individual path — stories that are personal but often echo universal truths. Through this series, I invite viewers into the intimate, sometimes uncomfortable, often reflective spaces of lived experience — as a way of preserving memory, claiming narrative, and finding meaning in the everyday.” -Ebony London
These stories, along with other thoughts and poems, can be found in Ebony London’s book Random Thoughts by Ebony London.
The Blind Leading the Blind
"Why wouldn't they help her?" I thought as I saw a group of people ignore that she was about to walk into a parked car. The light had finally turned. I hurried to her. I was approximately 20 feet away when her stick hit the vehicle. She immediately stopped.
“Are you ok?” I yelled loudly, still hurrying to her. Her head quickly turned in my direction.
“No, I’m not ok. Are you even talking to me?”
I gently grabbed her wrist and led her around the parked car and onto the sidewalk.
“Thank you. Where am I?”
I searched for the closest street sign and said, "You are on 19th and K St."
I took a moment to look at her as she seemed to be calculating her location. She was young, late 20's, early 30's. She was blind, and I could tell she had no idea how beautiful she had been prior to her drug use. I saw the beauty potential in her facial features; full lips, high cheekbones, and unruly hair.
“Where are you headed?” I asked, still holding her wrist.
“I wanted to get to Safeway to buy me some refreshments.”
I calculated that she was a few blocks from Safeway.
“I’ll lead you across the street, and you will need to walk just a few blocks down.”
She allowed me to lead her.
“How are you otherwise?” I asked.
She began telling me how the people in her life that she has known and depended on for years are no longer talking to her and that she feels alone. She told me she is homeless by choice because her family disapproves of her lifestyle.
As we walked, I listened to her heartbreaking description of her current life but I noticed my heart was not breaking for her. I didn't have the urge to take her home, clean her up, feed her, and allow her to rest. I didn't have the urge to be her eyes. I didn't have the urge to stop the progression in my life to protect her from the world's dangers that she could never see coming. All I wanted to do was get her going in the right direction.
When we got to the corner, I positioned her towards Safeway and said, “You are now on Capitol and 19th St. I hope things get better for you.”
She smiled, and I turned around and continued my walk. As I walked, I imagined her mother, and the heartbreak and helplessness she faced when her beautiful, blind daughter left the comfort and security of her bosom and home. I imagined the worry, stress, and anxiety she has every time her phone rings at night.
I asked myself, “Why didn’t I try to help her?”
I answered, “Because she didn’t want help. All she wanted was a little direction.”
Sometimes we want more for others than they seemingly want for themselves. When we try to force our desires for their life onto them, we become exhausted and take their rejection of our desire for them personally. It was the blind woman's mother, with whom I've never met, that taught me a lesson; Let go.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Too Loud
I snapped! I grabbed my toddler and placed her on my hip! I opened my door, walked down the steps, and without hesitation, knocked on her door. I knocked hard! This was the last time her broom handle would ever touch her ceiling, alerting me that my child and I were being too loud.
She opened the door, slowly. I was furious. However, the more the open door revealed her, my anger decreased. In front of me stood an 8-month pregnant woman. Her hair was a mess! Her eyes were dark with heavy bags. She was the physical definition of exhaustion. I stared at her until she was brave enough to make eye contact with me.
“In about two months you will have a baby and because of experience, I know that baby will keep you and this entire building awake most nights. Do you want to know what I’m going to do when I’m in a deep sleep and suddenly, I am startled awake by the sounds of your baby crying?”
She continued to look at me silently. “I’m going to say a prayer for you! I’m going to ask God to give you patience and rest.” She began to cry.
“Life is loud and when you have children, life is even louder. Have patience and empathy with me because I’m going to have it with you.”
I looked at her, took a deep breath, gave her a slight smile, adjusted my toddler on my hip, and walked up the stairs.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Already A Great Dad
I’m a people watcher. I can sit for hours observing people and creating stories about them. There is no better place to watch people than downtown. Downtown has a mixture of every type of body!
I had just finished people-watching while eating my burrito at Chipotle. I eat at Chipotle often but eating this particular burrito was exhausting. The new girl made my burrito, and she doesn't quite know how to wrap them tightly. My burrito fell apart halfway through. Instead of just putting my trash in the can and leaving like I normally do, I went to the restroom to wash the sticky goodness off my hands.
The moment I walked out of Chipotle, I noticed this guy across the street. He had a baby shoulder carrier on (in the front) but I didn't see a baby. I did see his dog, who was not on a leash, next to him. I found it odd but odd isn't that odd when you live downtown.
Normally, I would have no need to cross the street but today, I had to go to the bank, in the same direction the man stood. As I walked across the street, I watched him fiddle with something in the baby carrier. I was just a few feet away when I saw this tiny baby. The baby was so tiny, it seemed to be falling out of the carrier. The baby was crying, and the man was trying to comfort the baby but seemed to be getting nowhere. He looked up at me.
“Are you ok?” I asked.
He forced a smile. “Yes. Thank you.”
I nodded and walked on. The further I got in front of him, the louder that tiny cry became. I kept looking back at him. Something didn’t seem right. I was about 200 feet away from him when something told me to turn around and look at him. To fully look at him. I did.
He was young, maybe 21. He was trying to calm this tiny baby down and his dog, which was not on a leash, was just wandering around. I hurried back to him. I smiled as I approached him. I stood as close as I could to him.
“Your baby is beautiful! I think she might be too tiny for this carrier right now.”
As I stood next to him, I noticed his tiny baby only had on a onesie; nothing else! It was cold enough for me to have on a sweater, so I could imagine the misery this tiny baby was experiencing.
“I think she may be a bit cold as well. How old is she?”
He smiled! I was happy that he accepted my intrusion.
“She is one week old.”
My heart dropped but I held my poker face! I kept smiling.
“Well, you do make a beautiful baby but I think she is a bit miserable right now. She just left her mom’s warm, 98-degree body. To her, this is winter! She needs to be wrapped up, tightly, for a while. You can bring her out in this carrier in a few months.”
He looked me in the eyes and smiled as he said, “It’s too soon, right?”
I smiled and said, “Yeah, just a bit too soon.”
He took the baby out of the carrier, wrapped her in the tee-shirt he was wearing, and held her close to his chest, ensuring her neck was supported. She immediately stopped crying.
He smiled at me. His smile said, “Thank you.” I smiled back. My smile said, “You are welcome.”
“I’m going to head home now.” He reassured me.
“Enjoy your baby,” I said.
We went our separate ways.
As I walked home, all I could think about was how wonderful a father he is and will continue to be. I know that he had always pictured himself proudly walking down the street with his child and his obedient dog. He just couldn’t wait!
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Plenty of Time
It began with him asking what I knew about the car I was driving. Three minutes later, there he stood across from me, with only my car separating us, tears running down his face. I listened.
I listened as he explained that his wife of 12 years recently left him for his nephew. I listened as he explained how he moved out of the house unexpectedly, without a plan. I listened as he explained his regret of never fathering children. I listened to the story of his heartbreak.
‘I’m sorry I’m crying. I’ve been crying at the drop of the dime for months now.’ He wiped his eyes and looked into my eyes, waiting for me to say something. I smiled.
‘How old are you?’ With a confused look on his face and hesitation in his voice... ‘I’m 56.’ I begin calculating.
‘Let’s say you live to be 100 years old. That means you have 44 years of life left.’ His confusion grew, according to his facial expression. I continued. ‘44 years is enough time to create a new life! You could even create a new family if you wanted to!’
It was then that I witnessed the lightbulb go off in his head! I continued.
‘You let your nephew have that woman! You start planning and creating your new life! This time, be picky! Be specific and if someone or something comes your way, you look at that person or thing compared to your plan for your life and if that person or thing doesn’t go with your plan, don’t you dare change your plan!
I smiled as I continued.
‘Life is both really short and really long but you have plenty of time to create a new life. He smiled and I smiled back and confessed ‘I gotta go! I’ll see you around.’
He smiled and laughed at my bluntness regarding ending our conversations. I got in my car and drove away. We parted without an exchange of names or contact information. We parted only with a renewed energy to create the life we desire.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Waiting To Go Home
This beautiful man has been dancing outside my studio for a few hours. He arrived shortly after I arrived this morning. I can tell before his drug use; he was an excellent dancer! He is physically fit. He is dripping with sweat as the sun beats on him like drums as he dances. I'm curious to know what song he is dancing to since all I can hear are the trains passing. I can tell it's been a few days since he has bathed and shaved but I can tell he has the option to bathe and shave. That makes me smile because I know he is not homeless; he just can't go home.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Cheaper Over There
“You can get four pairs of earrings over there, for the price of one of hers.”
I overheard her say to her creative friend. She did not know I had just spent the last five minutes talking to her creative friend about my thought process as I created my Ear Art. I didn’t mind her saying what she had said because she was stating facts. My Ear Art was about 4 times the price of the women’s earrings a few tables down. What I did mind was that she was discouraging a patron from investing in my Ear Art because she didn’t see the value in them.
She repeated herself while her friend continued browsing my Ear Art. I decided to understand her.
“I normally don’t do this but I’ve heard you mention a few times that my Ear Art is expensive. May I ask why you feel this way?” She was shocked and her creative friend, without taking her eyes off my Ear Art, smiled at me. I continued. “I’m not going to lower my price but I am curious to know your thoughts.”
I picked up a random pair and explained how I designed and hand-painted each side including the bead that dangled above the wooden canvas. I continued to share how the metals I use are top-notch. I explained how I constructed each pair to dangle freely, allowing both painted sides the same amount of exposure. I explained how each pair is protected with an acrylic coating to ensure lifetime durability.
She continued to look at me, her friend continued to browse my Ear Art while smiling. In an attempt to explain, she stumbled over her words realizing she didn’t have an adequate response to my question.
I realized after overhearing her say the first time “You can get four pairs of earrings over there for the price of one of hers” that she wasn’t an Entrepreneur, an Artist, or an Art Collector. I realized she didn’t understand the value of artisan jewelry but I wanted her to realize just because she didn’t understand the value, that others do. I wanted her to understand that discouraging others to invest in what she didn’t want to or couldn’t invest in, is unacceptable behavior.
By the end of the event, she made her way back to my table with her creative friend. She looked me in the eyes and sincerely complimented my Ear Art and myself as an Artist. It was her way of apologizing. I sincerely thanked her for the compliment as all three of us shared a smile.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
I Got Time Today
I was recently asked how I accomplished so much. The tone in which she asked the question, I understood that she was comparing my accomplishments with hers and that she was discouraged by the comparison. I smiled and said, “I get so much done because I got time today!” She looked confused. I think she thought I misunderstood her question. I explained.
“Because of the commitment I made (having a baby) starting from the age of 17 to the age of 38, I didn’t have the time nor the energy to consider, let alone pursue my goals. However, when that commitment was over (I completed raising my child) the time and energy to consider and pursue my goals was restored!
I continued. “I accomplish so much because I am taking advantage of this time and energy that is mine again! I know sooner than later; I will enter new commitments (being a grandmother and caring for my elderly parents) and won’t be able to design and pursue my goals as aggressively.”
There is a 'meantime' between all of our life cycles. Take advantage of the meantime and aggressively pursue your dreams and goals. Don’t ever compare someone’s accomplishments to yours. Our life cycles aren’t aligned. It was a young mother with three young kids who asked me how I accomplished so many of my goals. I hope she understood, that unlike her, I got time today!
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Gentle Giant
Imagine that you are three times as tall as you currently are. For example, that would make me, being 5 ft, 6 in, approximately 16 1/2 feet tall! To give you a visual, consider Michelangelo’s David. This sculpture is 14 feet tall! Almost three times the height of an ‘average’ person.
Now imagine, a person, the height and width of Michelangelo’s David becoming angry and frustrated! Imagine this massive giant, directing all that anger at you! Yelling loudly, screaming from the top of their lungs, and cursing obscenities at you. Imagine your fear as you are looking up at the giant! Imagine how thunderous the giant’s voice is to your small ears! Imagine the saliva falling, unknowingly, from the giant’s mouth and covering your face, as the giant screams, yells, and curses at you!
Imagine how helpless you feel, knowing that you can’t outrun a giant and would anger the giant even more if you tried.
The moral of this story. To a small child, you are a giant! On average, you are two to three times their height and width. From a small child’s point of view, you are massive! You appear to be as tall and wide to them as Michelangelo’s David is to you! Please consider how you appear from a child’s point of view as you discipline them and as you show them love. Be a gentle giant.
Original Artwork by Ebony London
Artwork: 16 in w x 20 in l
Frame: 19 in w x 23 in l
AFL
Photo of Michelangelo’s David gets clean-up, by Archaeology Newsroom