Today we’d like to introduce you to Tee Hubbard.
Hi Tee, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started SoulScraps as a medium where I could express the deep and vulnerable spaces of my mind. The name comes from my belief that any artistic creation is a ‘scrap’ of one’s soul.
My writing reminds me of Robert Frost’s quote: “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world”. I lean on periods of poetry such as Romanticism and Modernism in the respect that I often write in a flowing, non-rhythmic, free-verse pattern. It is confusing to some, but it is my way. Quarrels are often confusing and offer little to no resolve, so I like to leave my writing that way. The resolve is up to the way it lands in the palms of the reader. Their analysis is based on the universal human language of love, conflict, and passion. When my readers pull away at symbolism and get to the “meat” of my pieces, they have all been “there”. I mostly center my largest projects around romantic relationships. My book ‘Soul Scraps Vol. 1’ has about 2 dozen poems in them, all about 5 or 6 women. It’s fun… because you are never quite sure who I am talking about — as I don’t put them in any order. These days, I spend a considerable amount of time writing about my partner in my series: #BalladsToBee. I string words together to display the nuances of black queer love and its many facets, whether lovely or not.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road for me… In the consideration that my art relies on inspiration. I am moved by pain, specifically, and it takes me a while to sift through my thoughts and feelings before I can pen them down. Moreover, once I commit something to ink, it makes it real and tangible. When my emotions are too sensitive to bear, I tuck those memories away for chunks of time until I can shoulder them completely. Artist Kentrell Gaulen (stage name: NBA YoungBoy) explains this in a more articulate manner when opening his song ‘Genie’: “This a pain song but I’m letting everything go/I promise when I speak specifically about anything’/Cause that’s my way of showing I don’t care no more”
I share those sentiments. A few of my readers think that I am “too open” sometimes, and I have to explain that it is all a part of my healing. I have to put a name to the shadows of my mind to expose them. You know?
And that is where I’ll have to take soul sabbaticals. These are beneficial for me, but they leave my audience hanging. So, once I return, I have to do a lot of work and marketing to regain traction.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My “9-5” job is teaching AP English and English IV at a local school in Oak Cliff. It is the same high school that I attended and I look forward to pouring back into the Oak Cliff community. I bring my ‘SoulScraps’ passion into the classroom each day by hosting “writer’s workshops” within my classroom. We spend time journaling, editing, and hosting poetry slams. It is my purest joy to spend time cultivating a unique English classroom experience for a majority black and brown demographic.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Texas at Arlington and last May I graduated with my Master’s in English from Texas Southern University. I am also certified to teach English 7-12 with an ESL add-on.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Outside of my loving partner and family, my students are my number one source of gratification and happiness. Their unique intelligence(s) and dreams motivate me. They challenge me to be better. Their growth in all things (not just English) remind me that change is inevitable and is worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Email: tg.hubbard2016@gmail.com
- Instagram: @soulscraps
