Sometime in the mid-90s, I sat in a church pew, in a small church in Detroit, Michigan. I’m wearing pants that are either too small or too big, a white button-down shirt, and a very uncomfortable tie. This was a typical Sunday for my family. My father was the pastor of that church. A charming, passionate, devout missionary. He’s jumping up and down. Shouting. Running up and down the aisle, getting his conjuration juiced up for our lord and savior. There’s an art to preaching. There’s an art to having to know how to get people attracted and stay enticed with Christianity. He had it. He knew he had it. I wanted it.
For my entire life I’ve been chasing that feeling. That sort of rock star admiration. Even though he was spreading the word of God to the masses, let’s face it, he was a rockstar. People flocked to see him. People paid to see him. He booked jobs across the world to do what he did. Without realizing it, I began to seek that sort of love. I thought I wanted to be a preacher like him. What exhilaration he had to feel, having all those eyes on him. All those ears opening to him. Somewhere along the way I lost sight of the church. The question now is, where will I find that admiration?
When it comes to art, story reigns king. Let’s look at our first rock star. Don’t laugh, but yes, I’m talking about Jesus.
As I said earlier, there takes artistry in keep the masses invested in what it is you do. And how was it that he kept his flock, flocking? Parables. He knew how to pass out parables, like he was passing out hot cakes. With these stories, he was able to tap into their senses, for his teachings to well, make sense. Did I want to be a storyteller this entire time?
During the winters of Detroit, there wasn’t much playing outside. We had to find somewhere to go while we waited for our parents to pick us up. I walked into the Colman A.Young center, on a Friday. It was movie day. I sat down, and for the first time I saw Tom Cruise. Mission Impossible 2. That’s what I wanted to do. Be an action star. But…I had to learn how to act first.
Speeding up this story, I’m now studying Theatre in college. I spent most of my adult life chasing the dream of a storyteller. An older professor of mine told us, you must jump in the pool. Don’t wait for anyone else to jump in. Go get it yourself. So, I spent years writing scripts, discovering poetry, directing failed projects, acting in projects that weren’t mine, failing repeatedly. I refused to call myself an artist because of my failures. Again, I found myself questioning, how can I find that admiration?
Somehow, I found myself in the service industry.
For years I didn’t really care much about it. I was lucky enough to land a gig that changed everything. You see, I’ve realized there’s a bit of artistry in everything. If you’re willing to search it out. Care. Once I leaned into that notion, I became so appreciative of what I do. I get to meet new people, tell them my stories, and listen to theirs. I get to touch people with my presence, and the drinks I create. I tell my staff often, everyone that walks through that door is our friends for the night. We get to change someone’s day. Blessings. What a blessing it is to find your place in society. Art is not only about paintings and symphonies. Art is about people. Stories. Experiences. Trust. Time. Love. There’s honor in people trusting you with their stories, and with their time. With my training and experiences, I bartend like no one has bartended before. I fill my days with creativity, stories, and just darn fun. I admire the ones that sit at my bar, and therefore they admire me. It took stepping behind this particular bar to finally say, hell yes, I’m an artist. I’m a rock star. I found my pulpit after all.
Aaron Ivory
has been tending bar throughout Memphis for the last decade. Although he despises the term, mixologist, he enjoys getting to create fun new cocktails. He has been acknowledged for his work in Memphis Magazine, along with other local and national publications. Before spending his days behind bars, Aaron studied Theatre Performance at the University of Memphis. There he found his love for writing poetry, plays, and screenplays. He hopes to be able to share his work someday.
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