FROM ILLUSTRATION TO FASHION EXPERT: The Electrifying Odyssey of Kwesi Willis
TALENT AND PHOTOS BY KWESI WILLIS ★ INTERVIEWED AND WRITTEN BY LAUREN ROBERTS
LAUREN: Hi there, why don't we start with how’s your day going so far? Let’s start there.
KWESI: I'm very much in a great mood today, I’m here with my friends. [friends in frame] So here are my friends. I'm excited about this today.
Nice, I am too. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. This is a beautiful thing, It's also a lovely day and the perfect time for a nice interview. I'm excited to hear a lot more about you and what you do. Why don't we start with introductions? Give us the scoop on your name, your age, where you're from, how long you've been in New York City, and how long you've been in your industry role.
So my name is Kwesi Willis. I grew up in Michigan and I am 24 years old. I've lived in New York since 2021 and I moved here for an art degree that never happened. Right now I've been stuck working in retail since 2021, but recently, by a recommendation of my work ethic and passion, I managed to land a job as a fashion assistant at Harper’s Bazaar and I just started.
Oh my god, I relate so much to that as I also came out here with a dream of a degree and did not get that either. But you know you just got to do a little work on getting your foot in, get in where you fit in, and kind of work it out. That's how it happens.
Nepotism *laughter*
Yes *laughter* Connections! You make connections, your network. If you’ve got a great personality and you know how to network, you can practically do anything. So, I love to hear that. Our readers and I want to know how and when you find your love and passion for the fashion industry.
Okay, so my passion and love for the fashion industry was something I had to grow into. I at first was just interested in fashion as a concept. I was not someone who was aiming to be a stylist. I was not aiming to be a fashion photographer. I just liked the artistic history behind a lot of the fashion things. So all the shoots I love to look at visually but I don't need to know anything beyond that. I just need to know who's it for, who did it, and what the idea was. I'm obsessed with that aspect of the fashion world but I also love the creativity of it all. Like I grew into being a people watcher. Now I'm looking at people, not in the sense of like, I never critiqued anyone's fashion choices really, but now I can see why things are being worn the way that they are and I can see why people, based on their personalities, would choose certain things. That's kind of where I'm at now where I'm like I'm interested in it like now I'm actually into it so it took me a while.
A hundred percent, I mean most I feel like most of our plans don't always go the first way that we have in our heads but honestly, I mean having an interest in fashion in general I'm sure made it a little bit easier to kind of like, as soon as you have these opportunities put in front of your face like “you know what? not what I wanted, not necessarily where I was going with that but hey I'll take it”.
I'll take it like I love fashion. It works.
Yes, I love that answer! Next, I wanted to know, what's it like for you to be creative in New York City?
Okay so now we're getting to the tough questions.
Yeah, and New York City is tough baby.
Very tough and I kid you not I just wrote about this today because I am also practicing writing but not like fashion writing just creative writing. I wrote about how New York almost essentially destroyed my perspective on creativity and what was seen as valuable enough as an artist. My work as an artist has been questioned so many times here through [illustration] because that's initially what I started but now it seems like because of my job even though I'm still at the bottom of the hierarchy people respect my eye more and they respect now that I do, do something because of the job title and the company.
That's been three years of questioning if I belong as an artist, if I belong as a designer in any way like architecture, or any home goods, cause I have an interest in all those things and as a creative here in New York it wasn't always the most positive experience and it was not always something that I wanted to do.
Completely understandable. That goes into my next question too because I 100% feel that being creative in New York City is rough as hell. I also came out here with a different dream and plan and I'm doing something a little bit different than I plan to. I went to college for creative writing too and now I'm doing a little I'm doing journalistic writing.
Exactly, It's like all the stuff that I initially planned on doing, I have not done it.
Yeah, that's real. But honestly, I think kind of the way that you get there is just like doing it you know putting your foot in anywhere that you have the skills for and it kind of just builds up from there.
You also mentioned that you originally came out here and went to college for illustration.
I wanted to know more along the lines of that, like is illustration a form of art that makes you feel the most creative, and if not [illustration] then what art form makes you feel the most creative and why?
Okay so I think about this a lot so when it comes down to the forms of art; illustration, digital illustration, traditional versus you know digital, there's charcoal versus paint, there's pencil versus pen and ink. And to me as someone who mainly focused on charcoal and graphite, I do get a very particular joy and fulfillment from doing that versus any other form of creation. So like with writing I do have a passion for it but it's nowhere near the same feeling as creating a drawing or a piece from start to finish. But I would say the amount of fulfillment that I feel for illustration or design in general, like if I were to design a chair, couch, picture frames, or anything like that I just love the idea of making something come to life from my brain and bringing it to the real world. Like I'm only interested in that as long as I can do that somehow and I love the designs that I create I'm completely fine.
I love that. I have so many different things that I love to do creatively so I love hearing about illustration, and even though your job is more fashion illustration helps you to feel a lot more creative, it's a beautiful thing. One of your answers is kind of related to my next question. What tips would you recommend for other black creatives who may be struggling to find their creative drive or struggling to stay creative? What kind of tips and tricks that you use for yourself that you know to keep you creative and in a good headspace for any kind of art that you use?
That's a very intense question because unfortunately, I have not thought of my path to creation being linked to my race. I have not thought about what I could and could not do because I'm black and for some reason, my brain just doesn't see it as something that I should be concerned about just because even if I were to focus on my race in my work it's a hit or miss complete gamble that it'll be still valuable or not so I still think, and it is so cliche, that if you are a black artist, designer, writer, etc, you need to be good at what you do. Unfortunately, you have to be so good at it, you have to be very particular with what you say, particularly with how you say it, particularly with what you want. I do think that a lot of people that I don't particularly know personally like black creators, I will see that they simplify what it is that they do. They simplify or over-abstract it, that’s just from my perspective so far and I think that you don't need to do that. Like you need to focus on the task at hand you need to focus on the fact that you want to be an artist. What do you want to create? What mediums do you want to use? And through those first two things, you'll figure out how to experiment later on. You're not going to be the artist who makes the brown paint out of the coffee grinds because there is someone who does that, but you need to figure out how you are going to create your ideas in a way that only you can do. Whether it's through the traditional means or if it's just because you ran out of product, maybe you didn't have something and you were like I need to figure out how to make this paint I need to figure out how to make this pigment. Maybe you use lipstick, maybe you use olive oil, and something else if you're doing staining you have to think for yourself honestly. I don't concern myself with any other artists and what they do or don't do. I feel like that takes away what it is that art is and that is diversity by the ball. So I wouldn't concern myself with how, and to name drop– like how [Bryant Giles] does his abstract work you should not be concerned about how he gets that result. Maybe you need to know how he makes the paint but you should not be concerned about how he did the brush strokes. You need to figure out how you're gonna get your idea on this canvas, that's like it to me.
That's great advice! I'm not going to lie, I agree with that also - I agree with you on everything you just said. Especially about being a black creative, It's less about being a part of the struggle bus and more about like how your art makes you stand out. It's not always about you being a certain race or a certain gender or anything like that sometimes it's just about being good at what you do and loving what you do.
Exactly.
Love that answer, now we want to know a little bit more about what you do on the fashion side. I love the illustration part of the industry. I want you to describe your work and what you do in three simple cute words.
I am a fashion assistant at Harper’s Bazaar. I am working up to production though so that is where my role is going to take me, that's my idea of it. In that role though, I can give you that, so based on my role at Harper's I focus on streamlining you know from receiving to the set, I work on making sure that's as accurate and easy as possible. I make sure that nothing's missing, I make sure that there is perfect organization so that the actual shoots that y'all see are perfect. Like I do that, I work on the back end to make sure that y'all have a great image of the brand still.
That's a fire job! It goes a bit unnoticed to most people, they don't even think of anything like that when they see their phone. Just photographer, model, and fire photos.
No, it's like the stuff has to get from you know, from the external source to the set. Like it has to get there in perfect condition, it has to get there not damaged. It has to be able to be accessible to the photographer, to the stylist, to the other teams. Like we're only one team, so I work with them to make sure that stuff is also doable. They have multiple assistants but I'm well-received for my organizational skills so, yeah.
Of course, you are more than qualified for the job, wow I am I'm so fascinated by everything you're saying right now. As I stated before, I came out here with a completely different idea and dream of so many goals and things I wanted to do in the creative aspect and my life has just been constantly changing. I love to learn more about the fashion industry and especially-
Do your research yeah are so many more, there are so many more positions in fashion than I have ever–” *sips wine*
Yes, go ahead!
I have never been aware that there have been so many more positions. I would say, really if you know anyone that's actually in it [the fashion industry], maybe– and this is like a sidebar and I know this isn't your question, but ask them if they can find out which titles are out there. Because, I didn't know that so many things were available in the fashion industry and you may not be doing the designing, but you are still connected to the space somehow. Like you are a bone in the spine like, do that.
Okay, that's really good information. I talked with a TV producer and one of the things that they had said was actually along the same lines of doing the assistant baseline work like getting in you know at the very bottom but you can always make the connections to make it to where you want to go in whatever part of the industry so that's amazing advice. I love that.
Thank you.
Do you remember your first creative project in the fashion industry? Or like the creative project that kind of made you go hmm maybe I could do it like I think I might want to take this route?
Honestly, I will be completely honest this was the first time in my life as a creative living in New York. Me working on Harper's was completely like, completely random yeah. Like I was applying for a gallery assistant, I was applying for you know curator, assistant curator, like those things. I was not completely looking into the fashion industry. I forgot that it was still something I am knowledgeable about but I've never had a big break like this, this job is the big break.
I love that.
I have been itching to be professional, I have been itching to be a part of a team that I like and it connects with my interest because I know myself very well and I know if I was given that opportunity earlier on I wouldn’t have fucked it up but, I do not put effort into things that I don't want to do which is why I've never been good at retail. I don't want to do it so I don’t. Like I don't care how hard it is, I'm so sorry I will deal with the struggle of being in that field but I will never act like it's one thing I want to do. I don't want to do it. I've never technically had the opportunity to get a break like you know big break because mine was completely random I got in through recommendation and in trust like I've gotten in through those things yeah I was not able to do anything else.
Well, connections make the most I always say in New York City–
Can you hear me? Perfect. I don't know what was going on my internet there for a second but I heard everything you said by the way and I agree with everything you said to a T. I wanted to speak on– because you said that you were into, or I guess your projection of where you're trying to go in this industry you said is production if I'm not mistaken?
Yeah
And so I wanted to know what your dream project or what your goal looks like for you after you've accomplished it. What would being in the top role look like for you or being in the role that you are trying to get into? What would that look like for you? And I just kind of want to know, like what your dream production role entails!
Okay, so honestly my dreams are always changing and I'm not going to lie like I've changed my mind overnight about things. No hate to the things I wanted, I will still do them but they're not the finished goal anymore. So the issue with that you know the whole like dream idea, I have the issue of doing things and not feeling like I've done enough. So I will, I could do that like I could produce the shoe that's on the cover. I could be the major person that's in the accolades for X Y and Z and I'll still feel proud of myself but I will still want more. Like I will still want to do something else and because of that, I don't think I have a dream goal. I think as long as I'm doing the right things that I feel like I'm fulfilled by, the goal never ends. The dream will always exist as long as I'm doing those things and so my dream is to have a role that I'm proud of that I can give back to people that need that exposure, that need that assistance because I was in a space where no one assisted. I was in a space where no one trusted my creative direction or my creative goals. I want to get to a space where I can just do that for people. If that requires me to be a producer that's getting, you know, enough notoriety where I can do that for other people and other designers, then I will do that. If that's a different role that requires me to be able to do that, I will do that. As long as this role, I don't hate it. Like I will do anything to be able to do that goal. The goal is to kind of live my life selfishly.
That's a beautiful goal to have for life. Also - I understand the idea of not necessarily settling on a specific set destiny or future. The rug is always getting pulled from underneath and the plans are always changing.
You might have to change your mind like on a whim, you have to be willing to let them go.
Got to be ready to pivot like, yes! That's so for real, that's so for real.
All the time.
So I did notice earlier that you mentioned because you were going to school for illustration, that fashion was kind of like in the back front. But you did say you have an eye and that little knack, so I wanted to know– we're cooling down a little bit on the questions a little, you don't have to think so much about it, but I do want to know who your style icon and inspiration is? Like who gets your eye going every time?
I'm not, I'm not gonna lie and it's so biased, it's so obvious. I love [Taylor Russell], and I love [Hunter Schafer] yes those two to me I don't care what they wear it makes sense every time. It makes sense every time I'm like ‘I get it, I get it’ and I don't mind like she may look like shit to somebody else, I don't care like that's my girl–
Art is subjective, right?
I think, my thing is because my style preference is very simple. Like I only have these two bangles– [pointing at bangles on wrist] Everything else is like neutral colored. Now I appreciate all forms of personal style, I love them all. I think that they have worn things and of course like [Bella] for instance as well– all of my inspirations are women. I don't have a single man that I look at an outfit for because I do implement female, like feminine things in my looks all the time. Whether it's through movement, whether it's through color, you know there's no feminine color–
Yeah
But yeah through those things is how I implement like these other influences into my life. I pay attention to trends, I follow some of them but they don't create my style. Like I think I just change it depending on how I feel and I go with what I want at that moment. With them, every time I see them it’s so classic, so chic, so normal. I don't aim to stand out too much. Like I think I dress so that you have to pay attention to my actual physical appearance. Not the outfits that I wear, not the brands that I wear, those are supplementary. But I want to dress to flatter my actual image.
Yeah, that's useful. Most people do not do that as far as I'm aware. They just kind of follow what's cute and what's cool and then they figure it out.
Yeah. Poor decision-making.
I love that tip, that's why fast fashion is the thing because everyone's always following each other, following what they see and not what they feel.
Yeah, exactly.
I agree with that and actually, since we're on the topic of since we're actually on the topic of fashion influencers and inspiration and you actually kind of mentioned briefly about trends that's my next question. So because we've seen some of our favorite style icons over the years participate in some wild but also really creative fashion trends, I was also wondering what would you say is your favorite fashion trend of this year so far? Like I know we've had a million, but yeah just a more recent trend that you prefer is your favorite?
I think my favorite trend is the fact that they're making everything so silly. Like they're making everything so random, like the [Loewe loafers] that are just like wide, like the toes are like asymmetrical but see, I'm like ‘love that so much’. It's so classic to me because it's a little loafer but maybe you don't want a loafer too much like you're going to fucking work like I want a loafer that screams I'm fun. I dress like that. I'm like okay these pants have, like the pants I'm wearing right now, no belt loops just suspender buckles. I don't have suspenders. But they’re the perfect jeans for me and I'm like I love them. My favorite trend is making everything so whimsical, so childish, so unreal because I feel like we get enough of real life. I don't particularly want to dress like I'm going to the office all the time and the actual to the T. Like maybe the pants that I'm wearing the buttons are little butterflies maybe the shirt I'm wearing has like little details on it like the [Dries Silk] shirts. The [Dries Silk] shirts, I'm obsessed with the [Dries Silks]. I've never been a print person but that is amazing, I love that it's so random you have to embody it though. Like you got to put on that silk and be like yes I do live in New York, and it's like no I don't but [laughter]. I love the fact that fashion has been so transformative. Like I think people need to play the part a little bit more you need to put on the clothes and play the part and also be authentic at the same time. Buy what you want because you want it and if it doesn't seem like you, make it you. That simple.
I love that, that's real. I love the whimsical and kind of like, out-of-the-box ideas like the big red boots, you know, it's so silly but also super cool. You see anyone wearing them, you're like what that's new?
Like why do you have those boots on, love but–” [Laughter]
[Laughter] But I kind of like it. Not what I’m used to seeing but I like to see it. I do love those kinds of trends, super fun it makes fashion a lot less like “you have to be top tier”–
That is why I love– and it's so, it's completely 180 in a way. I love it like the earlier 1999 to 2002 [Prada]. Like those product collections for men and women, they were normal in a sense. It was very suits, blazers, and colored shirts but they looked so much different for some reason. It looks so good, so quirky in their ways and I love that because I'm like, I'm not trying to look weird. To me, weird doesn't exist in terms of fashion anyway. Like it's those earlier product collections if you look at them that is what I'm looking for. That's what I like to wear but I also love JW and Loewe. I do like all those are still me. There's a time and a place for everything.
Yeah exactly! I agree with that, I agree that there's a time and place for certain fashion trends and looks for sure but I also think that authenticity is probably the number one look. Like the best look on anyone. Authenticity. I wanted to know, it's a little bit of a harder question but what advice would you have for someone who wants to learn more about fashion and more specifically the part of the industry that you're in and if they may want to possibly pursue fashion full-time or to be able to take a job or to do a job similar to yours? What kind of advice would you have for someone starting? You have a nice job, people are gonna look up to you I'm sure, if not already.
Okay so I would say especially because my opportunity was brought to me on a whim, I would say one– be open to it completely. Don't think about it. Like I still had a part-time job at the time, I did not need to risk losing money, I did not need to risk. But my best bet was to take the opportunity because I knew if I said no, when else am I going to be a fashion assistant at Harper's Bazaar? Cause if it's through interviewing I'm not going to get it, like I'm not gonna get it. If it was through recommendation and trust, I can bet on that because I know I'm not gonna fuck it up. I'm not gonna fuck that up like I'm not so. I would say for someone who may look up to me or want someone to look up to me, I would say still even in the hard times, still do all the research. Do all the things even if they may be for no reason because you don't have the opportunity. Still absorb as much as you can because even though I'm not using all of that right now in the role just because I just started, I don't know when I will still need to. Like I might be given the opportunity and I don't want to draw a blank. When the chief is like ‘Hey, what do you think of x y, and z’ and I have nothing to say because I stopped researching, because I wasn't doing anything. Keep the brain fresh, keep all the thoughts in the center like keep all of that still going, and then just wait for it to be ready. Anytime you have a question, don't feel like ‘Oh I’m talking too much’ No, give them more than what they asked you for. As long as you are confident in what you have to say; be prepared at any given time. This is New York City, everything is random, just be prepared. Because you might have the opportunity at any time, you might have the opportunity in two days. I think my strength is through knowledge. So I would say just constantly keep learning be interested, be confused, be intrigued, all of that do it all.
Open your mind up! Yeah, that's great advice honestly. Great advice. Okay last questions, they kind of go into each other! You also kind of briefly touched on this at the beginning, but I want to know what's next in your creative journey. I know you said a few about production but I'm wondering, what are you looking at in terms of getting there? What's next for you? What do you plan on moving up to do next?
I essentially plan on focusing on the role that I have right now. Like completely locking in. I don't want any extra stress, I don't want any extra confusion. I want to do what I was asked to do and do it right because I know so far it is [undoubtable] that I will have more opportunities because of that mindset and you know on the side or whatever still doing the casting. I'm still putting myself out there as a model, I'm still putting myself out there as an influencer, I'm still putting myself out there as a creative person. You know having a page where I do all my own personal visual research, interests, keeping myself you know aware of it. My friends are in fashion and they are very interested in fashion Twitter and keeping up with them only. Like keeping up with them and on top of current world events, I don't want to see what celebrities are arguing, I don't want to see what some random people are fighting over, I don't care. I need to keep learning, I need to keep sharing these opportunities with my friends, I need to keep receiving these opportunities from my friends, and I need to do XYZ. I'm not concerned about anything that I don't want, and my next step is to focus on this role. Do as much research, give as much unsolicited advice, and give any advice that they might ask me. Like I want to be able to be like okay I go to the office and they're like ‘Hey, Kwesi knows a lot about that, he knows a lot about that’ I was just speaking to a friend who works for another big company, I don't want to like put her business out in my interview, but she was telling me how like every week she follows up with her director and they recap the weeks. They do like these little check-ins to see where she's at, what she's confused about, what she needs to know more about, and every three months she checks in and like how these past three months for me, did I do what I asked you to do, did I do what you asked me to do perfectly, did I do that, what can I do better with? Because in these next three, I want to buckle down do that, and then figure out something else. Maybe I'm doing this perfectly but am I doing it perfectly? Just ask the question. Stay on top of that and yeah that's all.”
Well I love that, most people that I hear that answer the question about what's next, always have some big thing in mind but I love that you're like ‘I want to focus on what I'm doing right now’ that is the most important. My life has never, my life has not been something that unfortunately I can think about what I want to do next and it happens. It's always been taken from me, it's always been skewed in a different direction. I do not want to set myself back by thinking of exactly what I want and it never happens because I will never be happy with what I'm doing.
Yeah, sometimes having a high expectation does lead to disappointment rather than just you know setting up a goal for yourself and hoping that the goal in the end is just going to happen, cause it’s going to happen you know, but all the details of it don't happen like we want them, to the plan is never how we make it.
Never.
The last question I wanted to ask you to kind of wrap up is probably the hardest question I'm not going to lie. I even look at it and I'm like ‘How am I supposed to answer this?’ but the question is how do you think can we create more space for representation inclusivity and diversity for black and people of color creatives in fashion, art, music, online, and worldwide? How do you think that we can create more representation for ourselves, especially in the industries that we're in that are a little bit more predominantly white?
Because they're historically white. They're historically, and culturally white. Now I will say it kind of goes back to my previous answer, you do unfortunately have to be either great at what you do or you have to have an in. Those are the only things I've found out as a truth through this industry. It's like you either have to have an in and be mediocre, unfortunately. Or you can have your know undoubtable talent and also an in. Or undoubtable talent to the point where they're like ‘No we need him/ we need her/ we need them’. But to make more space for people, I would say it's so individual, it's so individual because I can't say ‘you can't fuck up, they’re gonna look at us all wrong’ like that's (one) racist (two) it's not true. I think that honestly, that's a lot, it's a big burden to carry on top of your dreams. It's a lot because it is designed and formed against you. They don't particularly care if you're good at what you do, they don't want you. They don't care about if you know XYZ they don't they don't want you [pointing towards the back of the hand, referencing race] for this. Taking that on, on top of trying to succeed is a lot. Now if you are that passionate about that, whenever you get the opportunity, whenever you get the opportunity to give maybe say someone's like hey I'm hiring this, allow someone you trust. I think that the issue is that if we fuck up in front of a white person, a racist white person, one that upholds that standard, it just further pushes us away from accessibility. Like say, I recommend someone that I trust; they fuck up. My name is now tied to them or whatever, like all that social shit.
Yeah.
All the shit that happens. They then make it a thing where it's like, no, I can't hire anyone like that. And they will just see that that's still a trait that anybody can have. A white person can have it, a Hispanic person can have it, an Italian person can have it, and an Asian person can have it.
But they'll see that just because in the past and too much recently the black people have had it. Really upon recognition, and it's sad to say because I was recommended by a black woman, I do not want to disappoint. I don't. “I grew up with all women, all black women. I have no goal to fuck up their name. I have no goal to fuck up their image. I do not want to disappoint them. Unfortunately, that's a standard of mine though. If that's not a standard of someone else's, they need to set them before they take on any opportunity, to be giving anyone else an opportunity. And if that person that they're allowing does not have that standard, it will always go under. It will always go under. But to make more room, you have to honestly, we have to push more for education, we have to push more for like these extracurriculars that give people access to that. Because if they know something, but they don't know enough, like the other kids; because they're going to the museum, they're going to the art exhibit, they're going on these, these trips outside the country. They're doing those things that broaden their mindset, they're broadening their eye, like they can see so much more. They're like, yeah, no, there's more out there. If they don't see that, they may not know that they have what it takes. We need to focus on that first, because by default, and we already have seen it, the opportunities are going to be there by default. It's always going to happen. Like we are the pioneers, people of color are the pioneers of the fashion and art industry.
And that is through knowledge, through failure, through experimentation. That is the only way that we can get there.”
I 100% agree with that. I also do think that if you ever have an opportunity to put your fellow Black creatives you know are worthy of the opportunity. Because like you just said, there's no race tied to a negative quality. If you are going to mess my name up, I don't care what you look like, you cannot mess my name up. But for fronting the opportunity to our skin folk that is more qualified for that, you know, I also agree is a better way to kind of get in where you fit in.
I want to add something to that. For, instance, my prime example of this, is my friends trust my artistic skills. My friends trust, you know, what I do, what I can do, what I know about. I got in through trust. I got in through someone really knowing me and not even having to see me often to be like, I know he can do this. Like, I know he can do this.
Right.
I think more people need that. People need that. People who want something that bad, are not going to butcher it for themselves. Like they’re not going to. That's my perspective on that. If my friend wants to be a creative director, like someone recommend her for that role?
She's going to make sure that she doesn't fuck that up. She wants that. If they don't want it, they're going to let it slip out their fingers like I'm sorry, they are. But that's not how I want my life to go. I've had enough denial.
Felt that one. Yeah, especially too, being a black creative denial is nothing we are not familiar with. And not even just being a black creative, just being a black person, rejection is not unfamiliar for sure. And you know, working a little bit harder is also on the unfortunate reality of what we have to do in terms of regardless, of what industry we're working in. We just have to work a little harder than the rest.
It's a little bit harder.
I loved your answers. Honestly, I loved talking with you. This gave me so much insight. It's beautiful to hear an experience like yours because most people are not used to the rug being pulled from underneath them, you know. So it is definitely, it's nice to be able to hear a different perspective. People do not get that, they don't understand that. And you know, I also feel like for those who are experiencing some similarities, it's super nice to be able to give them that ‘you're not alone’ support.
Because I kid you not the isolation that will feel through these issues, It's something that is so, it's so painful. And I feel like no one wants to talk about their hardships, no one wants to talk about their failures as if it's something to be ashamed about. It's something so normal, and I have no shame in that.
The failures are what make you grow. Like whatever you consider a failure is growth. If you're not learning from it, that's when that's when it becomes a problem.
But anything that's not going the way you want it to go; as long as you're learning from it, you're automatically growing.
It’s your life.
Well, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today and giving me a close-up of your passions. I look forward to seeing what you do soon. I cannot wait to see your name on Harper's Bazaar. And I also hope that this isn't the last time that I have the pleasure to interview you about your future endeavors!
Contact me anytime. I love the concept of community, I do not like the loneliness that our people perpetuate.
Yeah. We're black creatives. We need to stay in contact with each other. So thank you so much for talking with me.
Enjoy your food and the rest of your day.
Yes, yes, yes. Enjoy your day!
Thank you.