One thing I’d like to use Words Never Said for is speaking directly to a community. A specific community. The people who rock with me so deeply that they’d type their email into a lil’ box, just to hear from Danté Jordan’s wild ass brain every single week. To you people, I’d like to use this WNS post to say thank you. Because this week, what’s going on in my head (and body) is simply the feeling of gratitude.
It’s not lost on me that no one has to give a fuck about what I’m doing. In fact, it’s actually one of the biggest motivating factors in the work. When people aren’t watching, that’s the best time to throw shit at the wall to see what sticks. It means there are no consequences to failure. Only you’ll know you failed, and even then, there’s still success in the effort. For me, Words Never Said is about the effort. Not just the effort of putting out art, but the effort of displaying sides of myself that I only show my closest friends/family. With WNS, I’m able to bring you into that family, and I’m grateful that you’ve chosen to hop in the whip and trust that I’ll get you to a desirable location.
Gratitude has always been at the forefront of my existence. I’ve survived too many wars for it not to be. I’ve seen pains that people couldn’t imagine, and through it all, I still keep a big ass smile on my face. Because even through life’s toughest times, I’m still grateful for the opportunity to open my eyes every day and carry on. It takes a lot to push through the negative happenings of the world. But the treasures on the other side of the door make the journey worth it. Choosing gratitude over grief has always helped me push towards the other side. It makes anything that doesn’t kill me feel petty and minuscule. It’s also helped me to focus on little wins more than I’ll focus on big losses.
That’s why I’m able to pursue Words Never Said. Because I care more about the one person that does read this shit than I do about the millions of people that don’t. It gives me a level of both personal (and creative) freedom that ultimately enables me to open my heart to the public and share the magic within it. Magic that should never be tied to analytics. That’s special to me. It’s what keeps me hitting publish every Friday morning. So to the people that have contributed to that freedom, I just want to say thank you. Whether you’re a paid or free subscriber, from the depths of my heart, thank you.
P.S. This entire time I’ve been writing this, Thank the Gang by Twelve’len has been stuck in my head. Peep: