In New York, as freeing as it is to be an artist or a creative or someone in the fashion industry, it comes with such pressure to create and to be a certain type of person. You have to know who you are so people can market you or so people can acknowledge you. Why do I need to have answers when I’m questioning everything? That conditioning of who I’m supposed to be as a stylist, as a fashion editor, of needing to have a Vogue cover, of needing to constantly put out work to get recognition—I no longer want to be that.
People will ask, “What are you doing nowadays? Are you not styling anymore?” Of course I’m styling. I’m just not styling as fast as I used to. I’m more intentional about the projects that I take on, but I still do this work. Slowing down has given me the opportunity to tap into my inner self and find a community of people who aren’t tied to work or success in this career. In Jamaica, I’m learning a new way of being in the world and of connecting with people.
I want work to be associated with great things. I don’t want it to just be about money. Currency is energy, but money can be used to validate work that doesn’t align with who I am. Money is attractive, and I think sometimes that’s a trap. Money doesn’t equate to happiness and happiness can be found in so many different things. I want to live in a world where I allow energy to flow and not be blocked or limited by what makes money.
With labor strikes and people quitting their jobs, I think people are aware of the fact that our livelihoods do not need to be tied to how we work. How we live is more important than the labor that we do. I want to reimagine what work is for myself. Right now, I’m removing the things that don’t make me happy. It’s a journey.