Canboulay: Freedom of Expression March Issue 4 hq | Page 24

............... we inspire culture ............... the gap I felt we had locally. I love collaborations and working alongside other creative minds. I really wanted to work with designers, lighting designers, set designers and anyone who needed an outlet to create. It’s always a different experience. A lot of these talented artists aren’t given a chance to share their journey or gift. I was for- tunate enough to be given many opportunities to create what I wanted to see be created, a lot of people don’t have that freedom or space. I felt that TVISUAL would be a great network for a lot of artists to collaborate and move around the industry in a friendly way, while seeking great opportunities. Also, working with fashion juggernaut The Cloth was so dope!” Not sparing a moment to breathe; he ventured into illustrating once again, this time in the form of his first children’s book. He insists that this project has been a goal of his for over five years but the timing had never been right. Telling the story of a young black, female protagonist; Terrance was right at home while creating The Adventures of Jada. With intense observations of his own childhood imagination and adventures, he would develop Jada’s entire world. Telling the story from a little girl’s perspective while taking the readers on a fun adventure, he’s created a universe relatable to children across the globe. “I toggled with the idea of creating my very first book for about five years but the idea existed well over ten. I lived on cartoons all my childhood, from I am Weasel, Dexter’s Lab, Samurai Jack to X-men, and even when I wasn’t watching I was lost in my own imagination. From a young age I began writing and sketching my very own stories and scripts. Any opportunity I was given to flex my storytelling skills, I took.Before I even came up with my main character Jada, I created well over fifty possible characters for the starring role. Jada just felt perfect. She’s fun, courageous, humorous and fearless; all while being a young black girl confident in her skin. I wanted Jada to represent something positive so my baby sisters could look at it and feel a sense of familiarity. If Jada can do it, so can they! I was really inspired by my grandmother growing up, her storytelling skills and her journey in life are so rich in substance.” As if balancing a full plate wasn’t enough, Regional de- signer Kerby Young would propose yet another project. It was while on set for the promotion of The Adventures 24