Tomasz Szeliga interviewed by Ya’qub Shabazz
Ya'qub Shabazz (00:02): This is Ya'qub Shabazz, uh, Chicago born, Rochester based artist, uh, you're here at Groveland at 4:22 and I'm sitting here with Tomasz. Tomasz, can you say, say your last name for me?
Tomasz Szeliga (00:14): Szeliga.
Ya'qub Shabazz (00:17): Szeliga, Tomasz Szeliga. Uh, he's been participating in the art workshop here for the last, uh, 10 weeks now. It's been 10 weeks I think.
Tomasz Szeliga (00:24): Yeah, it's been 10.
Ya'qub Shabazz (00:25): Um, so I got a quick question for you. Several questions, actually. Uh, tell me a little bit about your time in this class.
Tomasz Szeliga (00:30): Huh, well, for one, it, uh, it was a good, uh, how do I start? It was a nice class. I enjoyed being in the class. What I didn't expect while in the class is the live conversations we've had.
Ya'qub Shabazz (00:48): Mm.
Tomasz Szeliga (00:48): When I first saw the, that flyers for the class, I quickly, uh, jumped in on it, but I expected to just learn, uh, certain techniques of painting, certain this take your time with it.
(01:03):
No, we jumped right in. We jump right like he started, you started us off with, with instant, like, all right, we'l start with something and throw your creative, uh, ideas out right away.
Ya'qub Shabazz (01:18): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (01:18): Whatever you can until you run out of ideas, draw, draw, paint, whatever you need to.
Ya'qub Shabazz (01:22): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (01:23): And then, and then the next class going forward started more, started showing us more techniques, how to different styles, how to do 3D, uh, like uh, imagery and, and at the same time while we do this, we spoke about life, just our experiences, what we plan on doing with our goals and that was far more than I expected out of the class and I was very happy, I was very happy to see that. It definitely gave me more hope.
Ya'qub Shabazz (01:59): Okay, how, how did this impact your time in, in one prison, just this period of time that we've had together. Well, we've had some good conversating, we're kindred spirits.
Tomasz Szeliga (02:08): Oh, yes. (laughs)
Ya'qub Shabazz (02:09): We, we study history. We love culture.
Tomasz Szeliga (02:12): Mm-hmm.
Ya'qub Shabazz (02:12): But being, uh, incarcerated, how did this program impact your time over the last ten weeks?
Tomasz Szeliga (02:17): Well, for one, it definitely gave me new things to do, and so it made the time go by faster, but more so than anything, it already added on to the things I've always dreamed of doing to begin with when it comes to be artistic.
Ya'qub Shabazz (02:34): Yes, yes, um tell me about your favorite memory from this class?
Tomasz Szeliga (02:39): Favorite memory, oh boy, um.
Ya'qub Shabazz (02:45): Favorite memory.
Tomasz Szeliga (02:48): Favorite memory. Uh, I guess one of the things when we first started trying to do portraits, you tried to get us to do, portraits of, uh, each other, but we didn't know who to do.
Ya'qub Shabazz (02:57): (laughs)
Tomasz Szeliga (02:57): And there was like uneven. Uh, we didn't know how to face each other and nothing. So we decided like forget it. We'll just start drawing, uh, I'm sorry drawing- painting. Whatever like a picture of something that was already had everyone else, except one guy. (laughs) Was actually do a painting of me without me noticing.
Ya'qub Shabazz (03:17): (laughs)
Tomasz Szeliga (03:18): I'm like whoa, that was a that was fun. A fun little surprise.
Ya'qub Shabazz (03:22): Oh, yeah. Um, so how did, how did being in this class make you feel? From a, from an emotional place, how did it make you feel? Every week, you know Monday's coming, you know I'm going to be here, you know the guys are going to be here, how did it make you feel being in this class.
Tomasz Szeliga (03:39): Well at first, honestly when I first started, and that's no offense to you.
Ya'qub Shabazz (03:42): Oh no, it's fine.
Tomasz Szeliga (03:44): Is it was just going to be another time waster, you know, just something to do and learn new skills. But like, as I stated earlier, it's, when you, when you learn, and it's what you kept saying also is that art is a vehicle to different conversations, too. And that gave me a lot of hope, knowing that someone's here succeeded in life that's already went through the system.
Ya'qub Shabazz (04:12): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (04:13): And, and it like it gave me motivation. More motivation, it gave me more hope. Like that's being in prison there's a lot of anxiety. There's a lot of fears involved, but especially when it comes closer to leaving, you don't know what to expect. So knowing someone who's experienced it, who's went through this and succeeded and is teaching this.
Ya'qub Shabazz (04:38): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (04:39):And then through the art class, we have these live conversations both, on both ends. It really gives you, gives you hopes that you do deserve a second chance. And you, I mean, I deserve a second chance. And everyone else I'm here deserves a second chance.
Ya'qub Shabazz (04:56): Do you feel like, uh, anything that we covered in here, uh, impacted your re-entry plan?
Tomasz Szeliga (05:02): Yes. Most definitely has. It's, I've like, I've always wanted to be a writer. This also gave me ideas that maybe I can do more than just writing, that I can do in arts. That I can, uh, that I can be a leader, in a sense. I can lead and maybe, and maybe even give, give speeches if possible.
Ya'qub Shabazz (05:30): Mm.
Tomasz Szeliga (05:30): You know, it's just to give hope to other people. To everyone else. Then maybe give understanding to people who go through the system. Or never went through the system to understand what goes on.
Ya'qub Shabazz (05:40): Okay. Uh, we, we talk about culture, and I know you're from Poland.
Tomasz Szeliga (05:46): Yes.
Ya'qub Shabazz (05:46): Uh, culturally, what, what have you picked up from this class that you believe is beneficial to you?
Tomasz Szeliga (05:53): How every, well, one, one, every, every culture is, is so much diversity with the arts, and when we say that art is an expression of the soul, you can also, when you see the different cultural art, you can say that, uh, like art is a little like every culture shows its soul through art.
Ya'qub Shabazz (06:14): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (06:14): It's, beautiful to see the, the, the vibe, the vibe, diversity, the different techniques.
Ya'qub Shabazz (06:20): Mm. Okay, what was something that surprised you about this class? You spoke a little bit about, you... It wasn't exactly what you expected, but what really surprised you about this class?
Tomasz Szeliga (06:44): Huh, the company.
Ya'qub Shabazz (06:47): The company?
Tomasz Szeliga (06:47): The company. It's like everyone here, is actually serious.
Ya'qub Shabazz (06:52): Mm.
Tomasz Szeliga (06:53): When they took this class. They're actually serious. They are looking forward to what they can do in the future and actually put seems like people do take this seriously.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:01): Mm.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:02): It's not just, uh, something that I just want to do it to say I did it. This is something that, hey, you know, we're having a real conversation. We're having a real deep, we're having deep conversations. We're actually sharing our life.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:15): Yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:15): Which are something that normally you do, we'd keep to ourselves, but that's-
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:19): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:20): That's one of the biggest surprises. We shared, we shared things that normally we wouldn't talk about.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:26): Yeah. Like relationships.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:28): Relationships.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:29): Like re, re-entry jobs.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:31): Yeah. Everything, like even things, uh, just how, like our different personalities when we actually love to do what we actually like.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:38): Yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (07:38): Is that's not something you go around and tell people it's, it's just, it was nice seeing pe... Other people's actually interest in similar fields.
Ya'qub Shabazz (07:46): Yeah, yeah, do you feel like other people opened up in this class uh?
Tomasz Szeliga (07:50): Oh, definitely. People have definitely opened up said like, uh, they shared like some pe... One of them, for example, sharing their writings, some people sharing their business life and different, uh, ideas they have.
Ya'qub Shabazz (08:02): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (08:02): And what they heard like, uh, and the different things they're learning to incorporate into their already, uh, existing portfolio.
Ya'qub Shabazz (08:10): Okay. Uh, is that something that you, you'd like somebody on the outside to know about participating in this class?
Tomasz Szeliga (08:19): Absolutely. I was, I definitely recommend for people on the outside, definitely people here too. And, uh, I would, I would want this class to grow.
Ya'qub Shabazz (08:28): Mm.
Tomasz Szeliga (08:29): I would honestly love for this class to grow in a more than a more, uh, like branch out more.
Ya'qub Shabazz (08:35): Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Szeliga (08:37): Like it gives, uh, to give more people different opportunities.
Ya'qub Shabazz (08:42): Yeah. Yeah. Sounds like, uh, there was a lot of, and I know there was a lot of good, uh, communication in here. And, uh, it was an opportunity to open up again. I look forward to coming in here, um, and being with, with you all every week. Um, this is a question and we did come, we did speak on this a few times over the weeks. Uh, what has this class taught you about yourself?
Tomasz Szeliga (09:04): It, well, it has, uh... It has showed me that even though, I've thought that, I've always thought that I don't have much to tell. I'm a, like, I'm a creative writer and, uh, I create fiction. So, it's not something, uh, because fiction seems far more interesting. But it shows me that no matter what, how boring a life you think you had, how maybe not much happened, but, you have a story to tell. I have a story to tell. And I've never thought of it that way before. I never thought that I have a story to tell of me. I've just thought, art, fiction, and I can create worlds. I didn't think that I can bring my world into it. And that 's something I learned, uh, yeah, that's one, the biggest thing I've learned about myself. That I have a story to tell.
Ya'qub Shabazz (09:59): Yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (10:00): I definitely have a story to tell.
Ya'qub Shabazz (10:03): I remember you, you did that, that mask and soft pastels. (laughs)
Tomasz Szeliga (10:11): Yeah, that was, that was a surprise when I saw a few weeks later. I'm like, that seems like something I, I would have, uh, draw done art from imitated from. And it was like, "I didn't do that."
Ya'qub Shabazz (10:22): Yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (10:22): Like, is that the one I was drawn from? No, that's something I did. Oh, boy. (laughs)
Ya'qub Shabazz (10:26): So, so-
Tomasz Szeliga (10:27): That, that took me by surprise. (laughs)
Ya'qub Shabazz (10:28): So as far as your, your self-esteem as an artist. How has the class impacted that?
Tomasz Szeliga (10:34): Well, I definitely didn't think I was going to be able to say, "Wow, I did something that good." It was, uh, it was a good, It was a good feeling. It was a really good feeling.
Ya'qub Shabazz (10:46): Yeah, yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (10:46): I don't even know how to, I don't know how to put into words, and for a writer, that's not something I want to admit. (laughs) But, it's just, when you come in thinking, oh, you're just doing it just to learn techniques, and it'll take a lot of practice to get to the, to actually be able to do something that you can be really proud of. So when you do something one time, With a medium that you'e never tried before, like pastel, And then weeks later, See it for the first time again, And it's just like, That looks closely professionally done, like what is what. (laughs) Took me a moment. I didn't think it was mine at first. I really didn't. (laughs)
Ya'qub Shabazz (11:23): Yeah, you did a great job with that piece.
Tomasz Szeliga (11:25): Thank you.
Ya'qub Shabazz (11:26): Yeah. Um, what is something you'd like to carry forward? Uh with you something you want to take with you from this class?
Tomasz Szeliga (11:35): Someone, the stories.
Ya'qub Shabazz (11:37): The stories.
Tomasz Szeliga (11:38): The stories, that everyone has a different story, of course I'm want to make sure that not gonna name people unless they just give me somebody but it gives me the different stories to tell, like I said, fiction or for inspiration, but also that hope. As I, I mentioned it before at the beginning, and that's one of the big things, is that hope. I want to bring that out, not just for myself, but for others. And that's one of the reasons I'll say if I can do certain interviews or speeches, which, uh, I want how to show that there's a lot more hope that people realize. It's just you have to grasp it. You can't wait for it. You have to grasp for it.
Ya'qub Shabazz (12:24): Excellent. So what, and uh, this will be my last question. What, what, what is something that you would like to see in this class that we didn't have this, this going around? What would you like to see?
Tomasz Szeliga (12:34): Well, for one thing, the oil painting definitely to start-
Ya'qub Shabazz (12:36): (laughs) Oil painting, we talked about that one.
Tomasz Szeliga (12:38): But maybe even more, uh, when I say the branch out, like maybe a little more, uh, you go to more pencil drawings, for example, like sort of, um, maybe something that I learned different techniques from that. Maybe, um, I mean, I don't know how much you can do like also, but I've always been interested in like, uh, pottery, ceramics, stuff like that. Uh, but no, if it comes to like, but like drawing, painting, the different techniques, how to do, uh, and, uh, and yeah, it was, uh... I mean, I'll just branch out more. Yeah, like, because it's a different class for different people, so it gives more, like I say, more opportunities.
Ya'qub Shabazz (13:27): Okay, so to close out, I'll let you close it out, if you'd like to say something to everybody out there, um, in the community, in the world, about you and, uh, your plans going forward, your experience in this class, just what's changed about you, um, and what's your life look like for you going forward?
Tomasz Szeliga (13:47): Well-
Ya'qub Shabazz (13:47): That's a big question. I know but-
Tomasz Szeliga (13:49): Its a big but, it's one thing I want to say to the community is so there's no delusions is I know I am a convict. I know I've done wrong, but I will hope that people can see through this that I have one thing. I've learned being in prison is that I can be a better person. I've taken advantage of every moment being in prison to do everything I can do to better myself from vocationals, from studying more on my own to, to just staying away from the things that I know are not beneficial to me. I'm, not falling not going into any of the prison politics, but I just want to go back to community. I want to show that I am not the monster that a society may see and I'm hoping for a second chance, but also actively want to give back to the community.
Ya'qub Shabazz (14:47): Yeah.
Tomasz Szeliga (14:48): Okay.
Ya'qub Shabazz (14:48): All right, Tomasz. There's a second chance out there for you, bro.
Tomasz Szeliga (14:51): All right. Thank you, man.
Ya'qub Shabazz (14:52): Yep. Thank you.