Death is at the tip of her tongue

I'm in a real Lupe kinda mood these days.

I don't mean to sound like a Debbie Downer, and perhaps this is just some unofficial seasonal depression trying to kick in, but I really feel like the world as we know it is coming to a close.  

With all of the horrible injustices and inhumane things going on around the world in an era where we undoubtedly have the capacity to eliminate them all I find it difficult NOT to think like this.

I passed a homeless couple sitting outside on a bench in the cold today.  I dont know what pissed me off more- the fact that they had found no other solution but to just huddle and freeze, the fact that I had absolutely nothing to give them or the fact that, even if I did have something, I wouldve been afraid to offer it for fear that they'd stab me or something. 

Then, when I got home I tried to finally get a better understanding of, and enroll in, the new healthcare stuff.  I found out that my being a single young non-child bearing mother would cost me about $180 a month for coverage- which I obviously can not afford at this point.  So that means continued knocks on wood, overpriced out-of-pocket fees for doctors visits and jank ass medical attention from the low-cost facilities for my impending sinus infection.  

Simultaneously, I was perusing Craigslist in contemplation of picking up a side gig only to find that employers have lost their absolute motherfucking minds in 2013.  Retail stores were requiring cover letters, bachelors degrees and recent photos of applicants. 

Retail.

Are you fucking kidding me? To fold clothes for minimum wage?

And most of them have the audacity to require open availability/flexibility.  How can you ask someone to be free at your beck and call when your pay rate barely even covers the cost of the transportation to get them to you?

You want me to be a college educated professional to WORK in your store? Lets not even talk about what qualifications I need to SHOP in it...

There are LEVELS to the layers of disrespect that these major companies/corporations are dishing out to the everyday Joe Schmo.

Everything that I see in the world nowadays just makes me want to unplug. Not on some suicidal shit but just, like, fuck off from media of all sorts.  I know Im sounding really angst-y teen-y right now but everything looks like a bowl of bullshit as far as Im concerned.  

Im starting to feel like life in this era is just one big ass hologram. Most of us are constantly chasing these intangible ideas of happiness and freedom in a society whose main goal seems to be to convince you that that doesn't exist.  Or worse, they DO exist, you just have to play by these rules and follow these steps to just get closer to it.

I dont get it.  

And the really shitty part about it is that we have become so numb, complacent, accepting, selfish, lazy, or whatever you want to call it, that theres nothing left of this world but to self destruct and fast.

Hopefully whatever comes after us will retain the technological advances of ours but have the heart of the people before us.

Transitionin' from Standing Out to Fitting In

You know how when you have a low moment in life and all you want to do is dial up your closest people and just...talk?

And no one answers?

Thats the fuckin worst, bruv.

And then there you are, all hypersensitive and shit, left to sort out your latest mid life crisis in absolute solitude.  

Fuckityfuck.

And you know that even if they DID answer the gotdamn phone, there would probably be little to no understanding or solution to whatever latest debacle you're going through today.

You dont care. You just want to be assured that someone is there. Thats it.  Even if they cant do a motherfucking thing, you just want them to hold the phone and listen. Or better yet, at least pretend that you're not a kook and you're complete rightgeous in feeling however it is that you feel or believing whatever it is that you're believing.  

Like when you barely have two nickels to your name but you're working like a MVP. And you know that money is coming- lots of it. You have the invoices to prove it. But until that unbeknownst-to-man day comes, you're living on magic beans. And, truthfully speaking, you almost dont even mind it because you're in love with the overall nature of your life. But no one else gets it. And no one else seems to want to hear that shit. And that shit is usually the straw that breaks the camels back when it comes to your ability to persevere. Fuckin holdin on to the dream gets really real when no one is seeing or believing the shit but your sole unstable ass.

If it weren't for that one time you were prepared to put your very last ten bucks for dinner on the counter and the cashier told you your total was only fifty-nine cent due to some invisible coupons that you didnt even know you earned on that bum ass rewards card on your keychain....

If it weren't for that one time your dont-see-often friend (rather bewitchingly)hit you up for dinner/movie ON THEM when you you thought you were gonna be forced to spend another afternoon at home contemplating getting a job at McDonalds or entering the sex trade....

If it weren't for the fact that doors have consistently and continuously been flying open and ways have been made repeatedly throughout your journey....

you might've given up by now. 

But thank God you know better than that.

Because if you can't handle not having someone to pat you on the back and tell you every things going to be ok then how in the hell are you gonna handle all the proverbial slaps in the face that you will certainly continue to get while trying to carve out a career and life in this city? How will you deal when you show up to a gig and you're the only splash of melanin on the entire set? Or when you're surrounded by people who absolutely refuse to be real and instead propel lifestyles of very real materialistic wealth but faux happiness (or the dyslexic ones who are genuinely happy to boast fake/short term material wealth)? How will you handle the people who are only in your life to keep tabs on you and not actually support a single thing you do? The ones who are only interested in keeping their foot in your neck? 

I'm still only at the beginning of my journey but I can very well see the many pitfalls that stand between me and my dreams and Im just hoping I dont fall into one of them.

Young, Fresh and New

I think we all get a bit uncertain about where we are, what we're doing and where we're going in life from time to time.

That is space I often find myself in and Im praying to the highest that this is something exclusive to my twenties and not a lifelong battle.

BUT

Everysinglefuckingtime I get to that point I usually immediately get a signal from the universe telling me whats up.

I did a gig for a major sneaker brand commercial campaign that I knew would be intense, as those kinds of gigs tend to be, but I didn't know what type of team I'd be spending the few days with- which makes the utmost difference.  

Much to my surprise, one of my favorite young stylists (Marcelo Gaia) was on board for the project and so was one of my favorite cool kids (Joey Labeija). And I was working with two awesome girls (Kira and Christy) on the H/MU team that I just met at a runway show I worked.

Trust, you do not understand how amazing it is to show up for a job that youre not yet sure about to find people that you already know and like in real life are going to be working beside you. You dont know how it feels to show up to a job full of fancy folks as an assistant and hear someone shout your name in excitement (or confused familiarity). Its like an affirmation that you, the technicolor haired black girl from Detroit, do in fact belong right where you are.

And to meet new people(people who are far more advanced in their careers than you/ people who are far more cooler and in demand than you) and they're receptive and warm to you without you doing a motherfucking thing but being your genuine natural born self- is quite amazing as well.

To simply be in the company of a few very talented young professionals who you KNOW are gonna make it to the top and have a mutual admiration/appreciation and belief in one another is all the verification I need to know that, even if I cant yet work out the details, Im certainly moving in the right direction.

Brown Girl, Turn Your Shit Down

Such an interesting social climate we're living in.

Such an interesting social landscape I'm living in.

I just went to see MIA live at Terminal 5 and, consequently, I've been functioning on a different wavelength ever since. 

At one point in my life, I was quite serious about the idea of being a social activist...as a career.  

And now I'm a hair stylist.  

Funny, no?

Well, as much as there are a shitload of injustices going on in this nation and beyond, I haven't quite figured out my own personal avenue in making an impact on a single fucking thing.  

The point is, at the time that I wanted to be the next Angela Davis, I thought I had to give up on every creative aspiration I had.  And now, now that I've been progressing in an industry that is completely operated by appearances, relationships and oft-superficial bullshit, I've grown overtly cautious of causing too much of a stir- which means I've kind of given up reincarnating poor Ang. 

But getting reacquainted with MIA has reminded me that the concept of artist and activist don't have to exist on seperate planes. Its not an easy path to tread but its not impossible either. And, some chicks, like MIA, manage to make it look dope as well.

Go figure.

http://www.youtube.com/v/K1Bdw4HJ7Z0?version=3&autohide=1&autohide=1&showinfo=1&feature=share&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=HOQBHoBLmHs5BKiZjq_VpA

Marquee

Back in August (2013), I found out there was a traveling documentary centered around the legendary House of Field premiering at Marquee. 

And it was open to the public.

Naturally, I brushed off my hologram platform sneakers and carried my ass to Chelsea that night. Full 'fro, flannel, stacked bangles and absolutely no fucks.

I can remember practically stomping the pavement as if it were a catwalk and my name were Naomi. I was totally consumed with the spirit of Carrie Bradshaw.  Even when my evil mind was whispering to me 'What if there's a list that Im not on?' and 'Oh, fuck look at all these dope ass people here', not ONCE did I feel out of place or not cool enough to be there- which is pretty maj for me.

As I walked up to the line, there were a few people already there but one woman in particular stood out. 

Her. Hair. Was. Everything.

It was past her shoulders and the orangest orange that ever did orange. And the color was PERFECTLY evened out. No streaks, no bands, no missed spots. Nothing less than perfection.

She told me I could go on ahead of her, as she had every intention of finishing her cigg first. I happily obliged. Eventually, she and her clique and about a hundred other people who looked like the original and authentic version of Sex and the City characters and tumblr inspirations filed in line behind moi.  

I listened to the lady tell stories about Patricia Field and working in the store for a good 45 minutes and I enjoyed every second of it. 

Seeing as I was the only weirdo who had come solo, when the doors to the venue opened, I was able to tunnel vision my way to the best seating area in the house. After everyone got they're kiki on they eventually all stuffed into my seating zipcode. 

The film came on and I immediately noticed this shindig was something like a family affair.  After the filmmaker said his peace and apologized for Pat not being present (which I had found out from Big Orange earlier) the movie opened with applause. Not necessarily out of excitement, but out of familiarity for sure. Apparently many of the people in the flick, were in the crowd, as well as friends and family of the 'house'. 

And sure enough, she was too.  Best Hair 2013 was actually HoF legend Codie Ravioli. And she had taken a spot directly across from me, which meant

1)I was surrounded by the coolest people of the House
2)I got to hear side stories/comments throughout

Score.

This night turned out to be pretty meaningful to me.  The film was obviously amazingly inspiring for any creative ambitious fighting young outsider. But it was also probably the first time, in the whole three years that I've lived here, in the whole time that I've been working in the fashion industry that I actually felt comfortable with my not-in-the-cool-clubness.  Like, I enjoyed the night, the scenery, the crowd, the vibes, everything WITHOUT feeling awkward at all. I did not feel like I wore the wrong shit. I didnt feel like anyone was looking at me disapprovingly. I didnt experience any of my normal oddball shit. I was just me. Amongst a bunch of cool ass folks. Thats it. 

Freedom from baggage and hang ups. Confidence in every move. Creative passion pulsating through my bod. It was the very feeling that I had always imagined Id have once I moved to New York. 

Flash forward to today. I dont know exactly how/why but I found out that Codie passed away- which prompted me to relive this night. May she sleep amongst the angels.

Violet

Patty Schemel of Hole's documentary of being a bad bitch and living (happily) to tell about it

There's always going to be someone else.

Someone who's better, more talented, more interesting, more disciplined, more confident, more connected, more inspiring, more popular........you get the point.

Knowing that and STILL being totally secure in your OWN shit isn't always the easiest thing.  Knowing that sometimes the bad guy wins and the evil person prospers is unsettling and can throw you off your game a bit.

I've been in this headspace on and off. Especially in regards to my career and overall quality of life.

Whereas before, years ago, this would get me down, I now give it a more positive spin. I try to keep my mind focused on my life and what I want to accomplish with it.  Simple shit.....  except I wasn't able to do this for a very long time.

I'd see someone who I knew was full of shit get a break and I'd feel like a loser for not having one of my own.  Or I'd see someone doing the very thing that I want to do and feel like since they've already gotten to it, theres absolutely no way I can do it too.

And then there's always that person who's just simply the shit. And you just have to eat it, because even YOU'RE a fan. Fucking asshole.

Now, it doesn't get to me like it used to.  Now, I've matured a bit and I've learned a little more about my own strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals and dreams.  And those things are so exclusive to me that it makes it pretty fuckin impossible for me to be discouraged or intimidated by the next bitch.

The thing is, everyone has a journey.  And everyone's journey has the potential to be epic in its own way. Value and trust it and everything else will just fall in line.

Despair

   At some point over the weekend, I practically lost my shit.  On the N train. 

There were my emotions, running all high from peoples responses to the Trayvon Martin verdict, coupled with personal roadblocks that were staring me in the face.  

And there on public transportation, while just beginning to cross over the bridge to Brooklyn, I felt like I was about to emotionally combust into a state of manic depression right there for the world to see.  

All I could think about was how easily and how close I’d gotten to things going incredibly bad for me with my personal bullshit. And then I thought about how horrible and unredeemable the human race had become in relation to the Zimmerman trial. And then I thought about how pointless and purposeless this whole life thing really is in general. And then I tried to navigate my mind out of that darkness and this song came on.  And the lyrics hit me for the first time really and at the most perfect moment.  

In the three short years that I’ve been living in this city I have had so many many experiences. I have been tested in so many different ways and on so many different occasions. I used to joke when I first moved here that New York was determined to make a woman out of me- a strong woman out of me. And it wouldnt let up until I embodied the type of woman Ive always wanted to be.

This city has been kicking my fucking ass since I stepped foot here. Yet everytime I’ve fallen on my ass, it’s offered its hand to help me back up...as long as I was up for another beating. Another beating always seems to be right around the corner. And so does another “I love this city”.

So I guess after I’d just been handed my ass again by life, I needed a friendly reminder.
Thank you New York.

You’re there
From begining to middle to end.

Goin to the ceremony

“...I dont know where Im going
But Im goin
Its...all...happening...”

My entire twenties have been a clusterfuck of questions, obviously. I’ve already gone through the cliches of who is it that I am and what is it that I want.  I’ve now tapped into the momentum of getting myself to that place in life.

And then I realized that I’m again uncertain of absolutely everything.

But at least Im progressing. 

"You think the way you live is okay...."

Vogue Italia: Why are you so comfortable, being so non-conformist, in an industry that requires so much conformity, at least from the people behind the scenes?

Lysa Cooper: I think the very important thing that works to my advantage, and sometimes my disadvantage, is that I’m not out to make friends. I’ve got plenty of other friends. I like to keep it really professional. I don’t hang out. I don’t go to little dinners. I don’t “kiki.” None of that. And I think, for a lot of people, they want me to entourage it up for free. I’m not interested. Hence, it’s better to work with people you don’t really know. You don’t have to waste your time trying to be best friends. I don’t have enough time to be circle jerking all over the place. For what? They’re all going to fuck you over eventually. It’s true. Ask anybody who’s had a long-standing relationship. I mean, Tom Cruise is the only one who has been able to maintain the same glam squad. [Keeping] the same people around them. But most people, just want to be more fabulous. But the thing to remember is that, just like ex-boyfriends, they always come back. And when they do, you’re twice as expensive. That’s the God’s honest truth.

I thought I was just a freak of nature in that I don't really care to be 'of' the industry that much. I love being in it, but Im not with all the politics that come along with it. My natural introverted-ness doesn't always allow for me to be like other hair stylists/ makeup artists/ stylists/photographers, etc.  I'm so not the life of the party and I prefer it that way.  I'm not a brown nosing kiss-ass either.  I love what I do, and frankly, I just want to do that and get the fuck on.  

What I've started to notice, however, is that relationships are crucial in the quest for success in this industry.  Establishing kinship with other artists can singlehandedly and painlessly advance your career. But for a person who isn't necessarily a mingler, this can be a barrier.

One of my guys have been trying to drill into my head the idea of being "present". Not just in a stay-off-your-work-on-set kinda way, but literally BE PRESENT.  And it doesn't mean that you have to be in peoples faces or put on a show. Just simply show that you are there through your work ethics and mannerisms.

That, I can do.

Playing 'BFF' with people only to manipulate yourself into a certain circle,or  get/ keep a new client or anything like that is so lame.  And you're probably opening yourself to being treated in the exact same fashion at a later point or other situation in life.

That's why I love this lady.  She's clearly not here for the bollocks. I can appreciate that.  Maybe it's come from age and experience but its nice to see that SOMEONE made it to the top without having to compromise themselves completely.

Do not get me wrong, I have met alot of amazing, inspiring, down to earth people on jobs and I've even befriended a few.  I'm all for kindred spirits connecting and new friendships forming...as long as they are genuine and not of the 'how can I benefit from this' sort.

That is all.

"And I feel like I just got home..."

I really wish I had wrote about this as soon as I saw it for the first time.  I don't think I've ever been so excited about anything in my entire life.  EVER.  

Me. ME. FUCKING ME! In Vogue.  Vogue Thailand, to be exact.

I grew up obsessing over magazines and dreaming of somehow working within the realms of those pages. I'm just a black girl from Detroit with tunnel vision dreams of pursuing any and every thing that will warrant a life of happiness and fulfillment. Thats it.

I wasn't blessed with connects or silver spoons.  Just a loving family and friends who believe in me. I've spent a great deal of time testing a shitload of different avenues to get me towards the life that I want and while most of them inevitably led to dead ends, they also ALL contributed to this exact point in my life.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly have a long road ahead of me but I dont want to glaze over this moment.  I want to stop, enjoy and appreciate this milestone moment.  I said I wouldn't allow myself to NOT celebrate the things in my life that make me happy or proud of my journey. 'Cuz if *I* don't, surely no one else will.

And thats all.

Faster than the speeding light she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
Shes got herself a little piece of heaven
Waiting for the time when earth shall be as one

On Trust...

On Trust (within self)...

Trust is a very complex concept. I think it's specific to the human species.  Perhaps its one of those small things that seperates us from beasts. 

I, like many, have issues with it.  Why wouldn't I? Shouldn't I? It's not as if I've never been lied to, misguided or deceived by someone or something that once held my trust. Trust-less-ness is a universal empathy.

But the relationship between trust and yourself is even trickier.  I'm speaking specifically to the trust you have in your own abilities and your own dreams.

I've always known the kind of life I wanted to have and the kind of woman I wanted to be (even before DVF declared it on an American Express commercial). My teens were spent longing for the day I could make it happen.  My early twenties were spent trying to figure out HOW THE FUCK to make it happen. My mid-twenties were spent wondering whether or not I had what it took to make it happen (or, incidentally, if I even wanted it anymore).  And now, at the top of my late-twenties (I ain't mad), I'm just simply MAKING IT FUCKING HAPPEN.  

No extra added bullshit.  No excuses. No three-point plans.  No nothing.

Just action.

It took me a while to get to the point of feeling like I was tired of talking about my dreams; tired of dreaming about my dreams. I just wanted to fucking live my dreams. 




I have always been apprehensive about the people I allow in my life (hello, trust issues) because I know the power of impact that comes with it.  I've gotten significantly more selective in my NY years and it has been the biggest blessing to me.

The people who are in my life (both physically and in social media form only) are fucking awesome.  Inspiration of all kinds and in various ways.  But as far as inspiration is concerned, there are a few people who have REALLY hit it on the head with the self-trust thing.

Through these very special people, I have SEEN the power of self-trust and how magical it can be in your pursuit of happiness. These people just believed.  They let go and had no doubt about whether or not it would work out. This is what they wanted, and as long as they made moves that were aligned with there pursuits, they would be alright.

I've always had that mentality as well, but being the Capricorn that I am, it was never just left at that.  Overanalyzing and backup-planning was the comfort zone and reality that I lived in.  All the care-free hippie appeal in the world could not entice me to quit my multitude of dead end jobs and side hustles. I am the product of two super-hard working folks from the south who believe in covering your ass. Pursuing my dream would somehow have to conform with working for the man.

That is, until shit hit a breaking point.  Juggling gets tiresome after a while and eventually one of those balls in the air are gonna demand more energy (time?) than you have designated for it.  

It basically comes down to, Are you IN or OUT?

Thats where that good ol' trust is tested. Do you trust yourself or don't you.  If you don't, then may the force be with you. Dust yourself off and try again.

But if you do, you've already won half the battle.

Untitled

No matter how hard it may get at times...
its always worth it.

I find this to be true in every area of my life.  Every situation, every encounter...is always worth it.

Almost especially if it is painful or uncomfortable experience. This is why lately I've tried to challenge myself to say yes more than no; to do exactly the things that kind of scare me a bit or that I normally don't do. 

I just want to live. Fully and freely.

Cette Ans...

Whenever I get to a point in life where my words are constantly jumbled and I can't complete a single thought or sentence, I like to believe its the universe's way of telling me I need to write.  

Let the therapy session commence.

It seems as if alot has happened since the start of the new year. A lot of change has taken form, especially in regards to my career.  I've altered the strategy I was using to build the type of life I wanted to have tremendously.  And slowly, confidence in these new changes has fallen in line.  
Lesson to Remember:
      You know what you want.  Pursue it. Stay true to it.
      Don't  comprise your happiness.  Take care of you first.

I've met a few people this year who have encouraged and/or inspired me in my pursuit of happiness to just...do. To stop thinking, planning, analyzing and just do.  I'd mastered the 'neurotic New Yorker' bit and it was time to get a gotdamn grip.
Lesson to Remember:
      Not everyone's pro-You, but one's who matter always are.
      Your 'social karma' will always do you justice. 

I've continued to explore the works and ideologies of other great creative people in film, music and literature as well as to those in the beauty industry and I have gotten loads of inspiration.  The more I've pushed myself out of my comfort zone, the closer I've gotten to true happiness. 
Lesson to Remember:
      Never stop looking. 
      Always be working... on yourself.

I'm not 100%, but I feel like I am on the brink of something incredible happening in my life.  I think I'm ready to let go of alot of things and just be.  Well, 'do' and 'be'.