Abesha.Com

In Your Area: Helina Metaferia

Name: Helina Metaferia - aka meta artist

Location: floating between DC, Baltimore, and NYC

Occupation: Visual - Healing - Community Artist

Favorite Books: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Alchemist, The House on Mango Street

Favorite Artists: Frida Khalo - this woman has a fierce honesty that makes me bow down. There is something about an unapologetic woman with a paint brush.

Favorite Musicians: Me'shell Ndegeocello, Ms. Badu, Midnite, Fertile Ground, KRS-1, Mos Def, Q-tip, Andre 3000, (the old) Lauryn Hill, Alice Smith, Radiohead, K-os, Amel Larrieux... (should I go on?)

Favorite Quote: "If the earth can make a spring each year, so can I. I won't give up until the earth gives up." - Alice Walker

Explain it all (life): Wake. Break fast. Meditate. Stand on my head. Stand on one foot. Salute the Sun (10 reps). Jog (or pretend to). Shower. Sit at the computer and design graphics for Clients (amist facebooking and gmail chating, of course). Eat good while listening to homegirl #1 discuss theories of life on the phone. Travel to Baltimore from DC. Hit the art studio. Paint/draw to the sound of Fela Kuti on repeat for three hours. Congregate on studio stoop with homegirl #2, discussing theories of life. Give her dap. Teach meditation class at The Living Well. Feeling good. Back to DC - U street this time. Share a meal at Busboys and Poets with homegirls #3, #4, & #5 while discussing more theories of life. Back at my place. Kriya. Meditate. Talk to the Gods. Put all my theories of life to sleep. Wake up and try to figure this shit out all over again.

Your inspiration: My spiritual practices (sadhanas) are very important to me and give me the momentum and direction to move forward. Also focused breathing (kriya and pranayama) and traveling are great inspiration sources.

Best advice you've ever been given: Be in the moment. Everything you need is in the moment. Why absorb yourself with anything else?

Favorite memory: Being a child and laughing till my eyes water and my stomach hurts. This often happened with my best cousin and my younger brother. I still love me some deep laughter. It is exercise for optimism.

Favorite regret: Don't have many of these.

Favorite snack: Anything crunchy that requires repetitive movement. Popcorn, chips, nuts.... I will eat a bag of it without noticing.

What do you love about your culture: Being Ethiopian-American is a beautiful thang. I was born and raised in the DC Errea (as we call it) but bred Ethiopian. As a Gemini I love two of anything, so to have two cultures is satisfying. [Note: I only started claiming this American thing when Obama became elected President]. What I love about being Abesha: The pride, that feeling that makes Abesha's so nostalgic about our homeland and sentimental at times. What I love about being American: The diversity, the ability to integrate with and learn about a variety of cultures.

Most surprising thing about you: People have some very interesting initial perceptions about me. Most people think I am cold or standoffish when they first meet me. But I can be very talkative and am very warm. Must be that Scorpio rising that throws 'em off.

Favorite Movie: My favorite movie is Love Jones because I am a sap like that. And because it came out when I was a teenager during the time when I was so inlove with the arts and trying to "find myself." I loved seeing the portrayal of professional artists with cultural and creative ambitions.

If you could do it all over: At this point I have realized that I walked this trail for a reason. Ain't no turning back, this here is a one way road.

Favorite game: A toss up between hand games and freeze tag.

If you were a bouncer at Club Heaven, who wouldn’t be allowed and why? Too much pressure. Can I be the bartender instead?

Favorite sport: I heard ping pong is an Olympic sport so I am gonna go with that.

Paper or plastic? You mean trees or oil? I will check the "other" box, thank you.

Do you exercise? Heck yeah. Jog, Yoga, Belly Dance, West African Dance, Qi Gong, Martial Arts.

Where will you be in 10 years? Professor of Fine Art, international travel and gallery shows, outstanding artist residencies, husband, children, healing arts work, love, happiness, wealth, joy, peace, beauty... in no particular order =)

Your favorite element on the periodic table of elements? (eg. boron, silver, calcium...) Why? I have a special thing for Oxygen. Call it love at first breath.

If abesha.com just sent you a $100 check, what would you spend it on? I'll let you know after you send me that check.

If you were reincarnated as an animal what would you be? Dolphin. They send off great healing vibes.

If you had access to unlimited resources (people, money, etc.) what would you do? I would shift the consciousness and politics of this world. The ruling factor would be love. Not money, not class, not race, not greed. Just that four letter world that emmits from the heart.

Which quote sums it all up: "We are the ones we have been waiting for." (Hopi people, adopted by Barack Obama)

Shoutouts: K Meta, T Meta, my Hood family, Elenie and the rest of my sistas from another mother... WHAT UP???