How HYCIDE XPANSE’s inaugural wellness event reframes Amiri Baraka’s call to action—raising consciousness starts with tending to ourselves
“The artist’s role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely.” — Amiri Baraka
This quote has had me deep in thought. On one hand, it’s a call to produce more. On the other, it’s permission to pause. Because how do we raise consciousness when we’re running on fumes? How do we help others understand themselves when we barely have time to understand our own exhaustion?
This Saturday, October 11th, HYCIDE XPANSE is asking these questions out loud.
Their inaugural wellness event, THE ARTIST’S ROLE [self-care sessions], acknowledges that we can’t pour from an empty cup.
What Self-Care Actually Looks Like
The day begins at 1:30 p.m. with chair yoga by Catherine Rogers—accessible for beginners, seniors, and people with limited mobility. By 3 p.m., Nyota leads gentle yoga and meditation for all levels. At 4:30 p.m., ByHaze guides an acoustic meditative soundbath combining singing bowls, affirmations, ambient guitar, and live vocals.
Between 2:30 and 6 p.m., Probody Massage provides complimentary 10-minute sessions while Garbondzo handles the food—vegan and plant-based options that honor the body work happening throughout the day. The evening closes with performances by spoken word artist Tehsuan Glover, singer/songwriter Euphony, and lyricist/rapper Cyph Two—proof that rest and creation aren’t opposing forces.
Why This Matters for Newark
As a Newark resident and artist, I understand the specific weight we carry. We stand on the shoulders of giants. This city moves fast. The hustle is real, and very necessary. But somewhere between honoring the grind and glorifying burnout, we lose the plot.
XPANSE, an immersive arts space centering photography, media, mentorship, and wellness, is activating something most cultural institutions ignore: the community AND its artists need tending.
This matters because Newark’s creative class is building in real time—galleries, platforms, festivals, infrastructure outside traditional gatekeepers. But infrastructure needs architects, and architects need rest. Sustainability requires both momentum and maintenance.
The Consciousness Work
Baraka’s quote makes more sense to me now. Raising consciousness isn’t just about what we create for others—it’s about what we create for ourselves. The artist who understands their own need for rest, for silence, for intentional pause, creates differently. They see more clearly. They build more sustainably.
Self-care becomes consciousness work when we recognize that our well-being directly impacts our ability to serve our communities. It’s not selfish. It’s strategic.
XPANSE understands this. By integrating wellness into their programming from the beginning, they’re modeling what arts spaces should be: sanctuaries for intentional creative exchange, reflection, and collaboration. Not just venues for output, but spaces for restoration.
What Comes Next
THE ARTIST’S ROLE [self-care sessions] happens Saturday, October 11th from 1-7 p.m. during Newark Arts Festival in the heart of Newark’s Arts and Education District. It’s free. It’s intentional. It’s necessary.
Copies of “HYCIDE: The Black & White Book” will be available for purchase—a reminder that the work continues, but so does the care.
I’ll be there, not just covering the event, but participating in it. Because sometimes the most revolutionary thing we can do is revitalize.
See you Saturday.
