?UESTIONS: Helixx C Armageddon

Performance artist, lyricist, poet and music producer, Helixx C Armageddon. Helixx is a founding member of gender justice collective, the Anomolies. The collective was active in the 90s underground Hip Hop scene and included members across the hip-hop spectrum, emcees, deejays, b-girls, producers, visual artists, and more.

A visionary poet, today Helixx performs and creates captivating, raw and honest art.

What impact has expression had on your life? 

Expression has been a profound, restorative tool for emotional freedom. I channel the parts of me that overflow into everything I say and do. I am a river of emotions, an ocean of a person, with high empathy and high sensitivity to the natural world.

I don’t hold back the wave that is me, I take up space intentionally; mental, physical, emotional space. I feel authentic, raw and balanced when I am outwardly sharing my truest feelings. Storytelling is a way of life, I’m living my memoir in real-time with others. Approaching life this way has given me a voice that goes beyond sound. I believe artistic expression is a conduit for community and connection.

Who are your major influences?  

Downtown New York City’s artist community, my inner circle of friends and family, and the strangers and lovers I’ve met along the way all influence me greatly. I am forever inspired by the unconventional group of souls I’ve had the privilege of spending time with; each person is a world unto themselves. This beautiful oasis that we live in and repeatedly take for granted, my son who has been my biggest catalyst for change and being present with everyone I cross paths with in this multisensory life continues to influence my art.

What shapes your performances? Where do you find inspiration?  

My performances are vignettes of tragically beautiful moments that happened in my life. I unpack emotion-filled memories in front of audiences and explore the inner chatter that defined how I was feeling at the time. I’ve realised many people have had similar life experiences and I want to connect to them. I view performance as an opportunity to open up a dialogue on taboo topics to create space for healing. I am inspired by the resolve of the human spirit and how people find strength in the most harrowing situations. 

What can we learn from nature? 

Nature is full of patterns; not necessarily identical patterns but patterns nonetheless. I think if we take an aerial view of life and consider all of the patterns that emerge at that vantage point, we may be able to make decisions that would create a more just world. I think the more narrow the vision, the less expansive the view. Nature continues to evolve; working with the flow instead of against it may be the most sustainable thing we can do as a species. 

What should we celebrate?

We should celebrate our vulnerability and find strength in the acknowledgement that many of us are doing the best we can under the circumstances we are in. Life is fragile, ethereal, challenging. Be kind to yourself. 

We should celebrate that flowers bloom and -we- are in bloom for now. Our unique offerings and gifts to this world make a collective orchestra of vibrations; all the notes matter. This idea of the present moment also applies to celebrating who we are today with a nod to who we were and an openness to who we will become. 

We should celebrate the power of the imagination and the concept of not being wed to any absolute ideas. The more we know, the more it seems we don’t know. The most fascinating stories and adventures continue to emerge (once we / as we / when we) recognise our limiting beliefs collectively and individually.

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