Spoken word artist myndstate reflects sharing his personal journey
The openly gay social media star has been opening up about the experience of exploring LGBTQ+ issues ahead of his tour and debut book
Spoken word artist myndstate has been catching up with Hits Radio Pride, as he announces his tour and release of his debut poetry collection, 'Deep Breath'.
Based in London, he's known for powerful and emotive performances, with clips of his shows, which explore themes of sexuality, identity, mental health, and the LGBTQ+ experience, racking up millions of views on social media.
The impact of 'Play On'
And his tour comes off the back of a short film being released earlier this year, focusing on the importance of developing inclusive spaces in the world of football.
Read more: 'Play On': new short film shines spotlight on homophobia in football
He was in the capital over the weekend, marching with his club, the London Titans, for London Pride, and called the experience 'empowering'.
He reflected: "The fact that you can be so visible, be seen, and be fully yourself, and how the atmosphere is beautiful, warm and colourful, makes it such an empowering place to be.
"But there is a scary side, because you are obviously very much on show.
"And you've got to remember why you're doing it.
"There's still a political feel, and a protest feel, and there's an air of importance about the whole event.
"Mixed emotions, but there's always one of celebration.
"Being with the London Titans, and looking at the reaction to 'Play On', obviously, was one I completely wanted, but it completely exceeded expectations.
"It's lovely when that happens, just to see how far a message like that can travel.
"So many people seemed to connect with it, and you forget how this can actually help people, in a way.
"It was shared by so many, including professional footballers, clubs, and other well-known people giving their support to something which ultimately had a good cause and good message behind it.
'It took me a long time to be comfortable sharing my story with others'
He's been building a following on social media, and has revealed how his platform has turned into an open forum for people to share their own stories.
He says it's been wholesome to watch the comments section grow, with more people supporting each other and joining the conversation, and added: "I know they say that you should try not to look at the comments, but the vast majority of them are amazing.
"That was a real concern, when I was getting some traction online, especially because of the content I talk about.
"I was worried I'd get a fair bit of backlash or hate, and yes, there is a little bit of that, but the love supersedes all of that in a massive way.
"So many people write under my videos, explaining their own stories, thanking me for putting into words things they didn't know how to vocalise, or unlocking something they didn't realise they needed to hear, or have spoken about.
"The ones that get me in particular, actually, are the ones where people can't relate, but are able to understand the LGBT+ experience through my words.
"My work is helping to raise awareness, and the comments really are testament to that.
"I started in spoken word when I was finding myself in my 20s, and it's kind of like journalling.
"It took me a long time to be comfortable sharing it with others.
"A good example is through one of my first pieces, called 'Hold My Straightjacket', which was about growing up in a heteronormative world, and I remember, one of the first times I performed it, a girl came up to me and told me how it gave her the confidence to come out to her family.
"That was the first time where it hit me, that my words can have a real positive impact, and it's the beautiful bonus of what I do.
"Everyone's journeys are different, but ultimately, the things I do stress are the joint principles in our journeys, like the search for acceptance, finding ourselves, living authentically, and making sure we have solid support groups around us.
"Those are the things I make sure hits home when I talk to people, online, or at my shows."
'It doesn't feel real!'
With myndstate's debut poetry collection soon to be released to the world, he's been saying how it's also important to take a moment and look back at how far he's come.
He said: "Right now, it doesn't feel real!
"I have to stop and reflect, because it's easy to just keep chasing the next thing, but having a book, and announcing a tour, are things I always wanted to see happen.
"I've got to take a moment to be proud of myself, and it's really interesting, because I get a lot of messages from teachers and lecturers from universities asking to use my material in their syllabus, which is absolutely incredible.
"For people to even think about doing that is unreal, especially as there are a lot of incredible queer authors and artists out there.
"Kae Tempest is a massive inspiration to me, as is the late Andrea Gibson, as well as Ocean Vuong.
"Our journeys are very different, but what he's experienced in trying to find himself is someone who I look up to, but as much as I want to be inspired by other people, I concentrate on telling my own stories, because it's more authentic and personal that way.
"Which is why social media has been so important, and I've tried to use it as a platform for good.
"But in my shows, it really feels a lot different, when it's live.
"There's something more intimate that way which brings an extra levels to the words I'm speaking, and it's just great meeting people in person, where we're able to discuss our stories with each other."
Through 'Deep Breath', myndstate shares a narrative of hope and survival, and reflects his personal journey from growing up closeted to life as an openly gay man today.
His debut book is set to release his debut book in November.