Explain the concept of the name  how did it come about?

I was trying to figure out the name of the t-shirt line and I kept toying with my thoughts to come up with names.  The one consistent word was “Writers.” I kept thinking and the more I attempted to come up with something frustration took over. I said aloud, “Dude – I got writer’s block.” It stuck. It was also at that moment that I saw a connection to my cause —- At the end of the day writer’s block is a temporary condition. You work through it and you don’t let it get the best of you. You strive to reach the potential you know is there. Homelessness can also be a temporary condition. It’s a problem that can be alleviated with the right community support and some concerted effort. By connecting the two I was hoping to turn this into a movement.

Some people aren’t aware of what it is to have writer’s block. You have to do writing exercises and do a litany of brainstorming to overcome it. The concept is similar with homelessness. When you enter a homeless shelter there are steps you have to take to get where you need to be. In a shelter you get help with a variety of life skills that will assist you overcoming your condition. Not everyone can relate to either condition.

What makes this line of t-shirts so different then all the others out there?

Writers Black is not about fashion, it’s more about awareness. It’s simple to just do a t-shirt that says, “Fight Homelessness” or “Feed the Poor”. I wanted to make a t-shirt line that people wanted to wear regardless of what was behind it, but at the same time it was for a purpose. I could have done crazy graphics and catchy phrases. That’s been done before. I wanted words on the front to make people think; like my shirt that states “just a noun wanting to be a verb.” Most people don’t initially understand it. A noun is what it is, a noun. It could be a man, but the verb is an action. It could be a woman, but the verb is what she’s doing in that position. At the end of the day I would hope that we all would want to go from who we are to doing something with our God given talents. The shirts are designed to make you think. They’re designed to promote awareness, but they’re not about fashion. This movement is about awareness its about consciousness.

Is there a concern that you may not be successful at this venture seeing that this is such a competitive market?

Honestly, not at all. I never went into Writers Block with the mindset of financial gain. This was totally financed out of my own pocket. I just want to promote awareness. If I can get three people in those shirts and have them well versed in the cause behind it to explain it to others, I’ve won!

When did you launch?

The official launch was June 7, 2011. That’s when the actual product was shipped. I came up with the idea in March 2011, but I didn’t share it with anyone because it was something I needed to do. I didn’t need to hear the naysayers. I didn’t share with anyone before the groundwork was laid out.

What was the influence behind Writers Block, why was it created?

Writers Block came about when a good friend and I were volunteering at a shelter for women and children. We would read books to kids, and when story time was over the books had to be taken back to the library. I kept wondering how I could impact this situation on my own terms. I write. I wanted to use the words that I’ve written over the years and put them out there. I’ve never shared my poetry, so for me it was two things; being brave putting my art out there, and something that I love doing actually benefiting someone else. Definitely a win-win.

Reading up on you guys I read that the founder Terrell Johnson was quoted as saying, “transforming that condition into a movement” Exactly what condition is that that you speak of?

The condition I speak of is what I like to call the “stuck mentality”. If I could give one thing to those children I was working with it would be the idea that it’s not about your current situation.  My background is not much different theirs. The outcome defied the statistics you read out here. It wasn’t because I have a better set of hands, or anything like that. I just decided to drive differently. If I have a drive for something, I push towards it. I want them to know I did a t-shirt line while eating ramen noodles. You don’t have to be a rich person to create something and succeed. My parents were both at one point addicted to drugs. My father is currently in jail. My mother had taken my sister and I to rooming houses and shelters in the past. You can get past your current situation. I want people to know that Writers Block is not coming from someone sitting on a hill looking down.  Writers Block is coming from a man who was at the bottom right next to y’all. At the bottom and didn’t know what I could do about it. Just because I figured out how to put some pieces together and make it out doesn’t mean I’m going to run off and say, “I’m good”. No, I’m coming back for y’all and if I’m able to do that – that means y’all better come go back and get somebody else.

This is probably the first time I’ll be willing to say on paper that me and my sister were separated, or that my mom put it us out with bags at the ages of 12 and 13. I know what its like to not have a stable home. I know what its like to have parents with addictions. I know what its like to be abused. I know what its like to live with cousins, or your aunt, or whoever would take you in for a few weeks while your mom “gets it together”. I know all of those pieces that go along with it.

It’s so much bigger and deeper. That’s why it doesn’t matter if I make one dime, as long as I make one person think about it a little bit more than they previously had. It wasn’t about me not knowing about homelessness or not being exposed. Going into that shelter made me remember. Once you remember you can’t walk away and be like, “I’ll just see ya’ll every other Tuesday.” I thought, “How do I make other people open up to this?” I’m not meaning for this to be a  “woe is me” story. I just want to convey that I’ve been there and I understand it. I also understand it’s a temporary condition. It’s not forever. Many people thought I would make that life my forever. It’s a temporary condition. You can get out of it and you can help other people out of it. That’s what I’m going to do. Writers Block can have a million supporters or zero and it’s going to have the same purpose. It’s not even about me anymore. It’s about being willing to share the ugly parts of you when you’ve made it with the people that can connect to those parts and love you for it. Writers Block is not making me a penny. I’m still not in the black with my movement. But, I can go through and tell those kids, that I have a t-shirt line to celebrate my love for you. If I can come from the hood, struggling to read, struggling to write, and come out with a Master’s Degree, you can too.

There’s not a kid in that shelter who has a story that I can’t relate to. I want them to understand that this is a temporary condition. Do not make temporary condition your illness or your excuse.  Living in a shelter is not who you are, it’s where you are. When you get right then you do right. 

How did seeing homelessness in Chicago become the foundation of Writers Block?

I needed a connection to Chicago. I’m from Milwaukee and I was big on community service while living there. When I moved to Chicago, I wanted to be connected with different service organizations here. It wasn’t so much that homelessness was going to be my cause; I just needed to do service. It just happened to be that the organization I volunteered through dealt with homelessness. I was inspired. We’re all aware that homelessness is an issue, but I don’t think we’re aware of how many people it effects or how deep it can cut. At the shelter you see that.

Talk to us a bit about Storybook Scholars.

A portion of the proceeds from Writers Block t-shirt sales goes to support Storybook Scholars, which is my good friend’s grassroots literacy organization. Storybook Scholars was created to engage children in reading books and promoting early reading activities. Their focus is on pre-school to 3rd grade children living in shelters and strives to get them interested and excited about reading.

I’ve read that you aren’t trying to be rich off of this endeavor but the idea is to make an impact on the epidemic, exactly how is Writers Block becoming part of the solution?

When I walked into the women’s shelter I thought I would be helping women. I thought I was helping grown women. I didn’t know it would be that many children there.

People don’t relate helping with illiteracy to volunteering homeless shelters. The first thoughts are helping with food, clothing, toiletries, etc., not literacy. These kids need someone that can read to them and with them. Writers Block is raising awareness in this area. We’re putting an emphasis on something that will give them a one up throughout their entire lives; literacy. It’s the very first key to breaking down those inevitable barriers. -@guru1906

Check out more at: http://www.writersb.com