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It was standing room only today inside the cardboard lined walls at the Imagination Factri as the man who founded the space launched two books to mark the Factory's 30th anniversary:

Yasser Musa, Artist
"Well today I made a public presentation of two new books, one called Imagina Stories, that features 17 years worth of Facebook writings that have posted since 2008 until now."

"The writings involve topics ranging from technology to politics to art to culture to education. So that was launched today as a QR code so that anybody can download it for free. But we also presented a physical one copy of a art book called Yasser Musa Works, which is a 400 page book which is also at the same QR code available for free for people to look at."

"So it's a kind of a duality, half one book on text, one book on images."

The books exist - but only one copy of each was printed - they are free to the world online at the 501 Academy. Musa says they cover a range of subjects:

Yasser Musa, Artist
"For example I write a lot about people, my own family members, people who have inspired me, artists, musicians, DJs, historians. And so I kind of categorize putting some of that, putting some on technology, putting some on education, putting some on politics, putting some on art to try and create a balance to give a buffet, so that people could see what has been going through my mind for 17 years."

And in the process, Musa as educator and artist has formed many partnerships and his acolytes spoke today about the spirit of the works:

Sean Paul Taegar, Poet
"Yasser's energy and and enthusiasm are unyielding and contagious."

"Reading "Imagine A Stories" I can see an artist wrestling with large concepts and abstract ideas, trying to tease out the core, the underlying meaning and deeper connection among all these spheres of human endeavor."

Katie Usher, Artist
"I think that Yasser is an artist. But before anything, Yasser Musa is a teacher, and I thank you for all the lessons you've imparted with me, and I thank you for being a teacher that appreciates audacity."

Delmer Tzib, History Lecturer
"This is a book of resistance, of pedagogy, of intellectual generosity. It asks us as readers and as Belizeans to question, to deconstruct, to uncover ourselves in spaces of domination. It does not demand agreement, but it demands engagement."

The books are accompanied by the launch of new art works and installations:

The poet Sean Paul said trying a thing is what counts:

Sean Paul Taegar, Poet
"This trying, like we seh eena top, "baffu, baffu til you could gamma" is a transformative art. Trying is transformative. It carries within it the fuel for failing forward. Yes, failing . Be not afraid to fail."

"Because failing often launches us into new, uncharted territory ripe for discovery and creation. Transformation fundamentally changes us, to see and dream anew, to build new worlds, to see ourselves clearly and be who we are."

"Yasser often says in interviews that he doesn't know what he is doing. And I don't think he is being facetious nor clever. He is smart and humble enough to know that's where the good shit is in the unknown. That's where real creation occurs."

You can find a link to the books on our website and Facebook page. https://501academy.edu.bz/2025/05/15/imagineastories/