I’VE BEEN PRACTICING BIKRAM YOGA FOR 8 YEARS. IT REMINDS ME THAT I AM STRONG & FLEXIBLE. AS I CREATE MORE SPACE IN MY BODY, I ALSO MAKE MORE SPACE IN MY MIND AND SPIRIT, ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE BEHIND THE STRESS OF THE DAY AND EXPERIENCE A CLARITY AND BALANCE THAT SPILLS OVER INTO ALL AREAS OF MY LIFE.

PAINTING MINIATURES SATISFIES MY LOVE FOR PRECISION AND CREATIVITY. IT’S MEDITATIVE . IT SLOWS DOWN MY PACE, SURRENDER TO THE CRAFT. FROM PAINTING WARHAMMER MINIATURES TO PATHFINDER PSYCHICS, I LEARNED ABOUT UNDERCOATING, BASECOATING, SHADING, AND LAYERING. MY LATEST PIECE, NIOBE (CREATED BY SEBASTIAN JONES) BRINGS ALL THOSE SKILLS TOGETHER. WITH SHADE AND MOTION, I PAINT AND MEDITATE ON THE BEAUTY, STRENGTH, AND VIBRANCY OF BLACK WOMEN EVERYWHERE.

WHEN I TOOK MY FIRST PARKOUR CLASS 3 YEARS AGO, MY INTENT WAS TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH A SENSE OF PLAY AND FLOW. I DIDN’T REALIZE PARKOUR WOULD BECOME SO CENTRAL TO MY PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING…THE PLACE WHERE I’D LEARN HOW TO TAKE A GOOD, HONEST LOOK AT MYSELF AND ASK WHERE I DEVELOPED CERTAIN HABITS. ASIDE FROM GETTING A GOOD WORKOUT, I ALSO HAVE THE CHANCE TO CHALLENGE MY FEARS, BE CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT I KNOW, AND HONEST ABOUT WHAT I DON’T KNOW. I DISCOVERED I AM MUCH STRONGER THAN I THINK I AM AND KNOW MORE THAN I GIVE MYSELF CREDIT FOR. AS I RECONNECT WITH PLAY, I FIND IT INTERTWINED WITH HEALING AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE.

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED BAKING BUT NEVER TOOK AN INTEREST IN MAKING DOUGHNUTS. ALL THAT CHANGED WHEN I TASTED ONE AT BREAD AHEAD IN LONDON AND LATER TOOK A DOUGHNUT-MAKING WORKSHOP WITH ITS FOUNDER, MATTHEW JONES, DURING THE PANDEMIC. IT WASN’T EASY…BUT IT CERTAINLY WAS REWARDING. IT WAS A CHANCE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, MAKE MISTAKES, LAUGH AT THOSE MISTAKES, AND HAVE FUN…ALL OF WHICH IS A BIG DEAL FOR A RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST LIKE MYSELF. ADDING DOUGHNUTS TO THE LIST OF GOODIES I CAN BAKE MEANS HAVING ONE MORE BEAUTIFUL REMINDER TO SAVOR THE SWEETNESS OF LIFE.