Clothes collaborative

I had the lovely opportunity to work with Sam Fields and her team of textile of assistants with this installation/exhibit sponsored by Now+There’s Accelerator program. The work brought attention to fast fashion and the slowness that is undoing the damage that we are creating. Learning more about how our clothes are made, what they are made of and how to better care for them. Touching on some of the malpractice of the work: fair wage, environmental and social impacts and waste in high degrees.

One of my function as part of the team was setting up the shop, “performing” the slow and precise unraveling of donated clothes and labeling each cut from the garment. I was also able to participate in classes and free education. This taught me more about how clothes are made, what supports are needed for different types of garments and the most popular places for the production of clothes sold in the US.

I’m glad that people would stop in like it was a regular shop, say hi, ask questions and some people would ask about our scraps and other things we had going on like our weekly mending sessions where we taught people how to fix their clothes. One less expense and trip to the dry cleaners. We also did a clothing swap at the end of the project which was super fun! I got a few pieces for myself and some of my favorite scraps from my disassemblies.

The biggest thing this project taught me is the importance of knowing the process and how things are done, especially how they are made. I also learned a lot about myself and how thin is too thin to spread yourself. I was in college and working part time retail while also working on this project. It showed me how community feeds you (literally and spiritually) and how a network of people take care of one another. it would not have worked if the neighborhood had been against us setting up, it would not have worked if we were not a good team, didn’t communicate and learn to take care of one another. to work slowly with this group taught me so much about the importance of going slow and and taking my time instead of trying to speed though everything. That time was so pivotal for me in a lot of was so I will always be grateful to have participated

Happy 2022! 🥳Let's get back to it!

It’s a new year and mannnnnn am I grateful to not only have made it through the past two years but to have thrived in so many ways. I also feel like I should reintroduce myself since many things have changed for me in the time I have been away from the blog.

Photo by SashaLee Photography

Let me lay down the basics: My name is Erica, I’m 24 soon to be a quarter century old. I make art in the city of Boston and my mission is to create a sense of awareness of self in people that they may have otherwise ignored or had gone unnoticed. From the makeup artistry to my illustrative work, I want people to see themselves in their best light but also shed light on the things that have been hidden.

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With makeup, I do this by showing people it doesn’t take much to release your inner self. It’s all about the confidence gained by becoming the reflection of yourself that shows who you are on the inside, outside. Reminiscing on my chameleon days of “new wig everyday” and having 3 opposing aesthetics a week, helped me to find the little details of personal style that brought my inner personality to life. If you’ve ever had your makeup done by me, you’ll hear me say, “it should be you but more refined” but the thing is, I don’t want to define what the refinement is. That’s for you to be curious about and figure out what you are tuning yourself into. Often times, it’s just another aspect of you that lacks visibility.

Taking that into consideration, I never want to mask how I or anyone else feels or expresses themselves. I want to amplify. This goes for my illustration as well. I want to create a space that is tangible for people to feel like they can express things they never have before and explore what that is or what it could mean for them. I have had many highs and lows and dealing with them has revealed a lot about the ways in which I view the world and where those boundaries are or even where they are being created. Emotional and spatial awareness is a big part of my current work as I practice this while making the work itself.

Photo by Mona Miri

I will be working my way back to fashion posts and “style studies”. It’s clearly something I have always loved but it heavily ties into art and the way I like to tell stories. People around me have taught me how to tell better stories and that it can help to push a story forward. That’s why I love costume designers Ruth Carter and Ellen Mirojnick. They use color, texture and historical narratives that are more engaging stories. I want to do that in my daily wardrobe but I’m also working on creating a more sustainable wardrobe. I am back to designing and making clothes for myself again. But as always, my wardrobe is open to independent designers, black-owned, Women-owned and eco-friendly businesses. Moving forward as I want my closet to have a similar moral messaging that hold myself to. So I’m excited to go back to being dressy and cute and adding to my “Chameleon Effect”. I will also be partner with some new people and brands this year so don’t be surprised when I have discount codes for days for you!

Looking forward to more posts and educational resources on here as well as BTS and process work for all of my projects. See y’all later! 😊

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I love this little snippet from The Real Daytime that has been illuminating to hear

Dominican Republic Trip

Hello hello! I hope you are well & thriving 💕

This past month, my friends and I were finally able to take the trip we’ve been planning since March! The intention for the trip was to get away from the chaos of life whether it was a living situation, stuck in too much of the same energy or just needed to be by bodies of water. We all needed a new clarifying experience and the Dominican Republic was it!

The first time I went to DR was in high school for a volunteer trip. We raised money through donations, bake sales and part-time jobs to get it done. It was great because we were able to buy supplies for a school and got to hangout with them and spent a few days helping rebuild a man’s home. My Spanish was probably better then and it was a large group of us so it was a fun 10-day trip.

For our trip, we arrived in Santo Domingo to meet up with some family, grab a rental car and get going . A few ganepas and ripe mangos later, we hit the road for 5hr drive up to our EcoRetreat in the hills: Parariso

I loved this Airbnb! have had themed rooms based on the attractions closest to you. We had Flamingos in a pool with koi fish right outside of our sliding doors! They were so beautiful and relaxed and we even sat outside with them to stretch in the morning or take a quick breather. When you step into the rest room though, there’s an outdoor shower AND A PARROT CAGE. They were so funny and kept trying to get our attention and spy on us showering. Very silly but boy have they seen a lot.

They had great accommodations from the long edgeless pool to the jacuzzi, free use kitchen and resting areas all around the property. We definitely enjoyed it like it was a private resort just for us. It definitely helped that there was breakfast everyday, fresh guava, passionfruit and mango juice, just amazing. I could have eaten like that for the rest of my life tbh but I love the spice of life so I aim to try new things when I can..

We spent a few days at La Playita Beach with a new adventure every day. The first day we hung out at the beach and met our guy who would make all the magic happen, “rainbow braids” is what I like to call him. Compliments and Pina coladas on command! We just relaxed and took pictures the first day. 

Second day, he arranged for us to go horseback riding through nature and by the beach. We ran into a farmer and his cows, a field of orange flowers and back down the road we once came from. It was amazing but I almost lost my flip flops! Luckily our tour guide Juan was nice enough to tie them around his waist for me so I rode barfoot. 

Third day, we managed to take a small boat off to some of the other beaches along the coast. One was really beautiful but was trashed the night before by someone having an absolute rager, or maybe they just don’t get cleaned as often. Either way, super secluded and quiet.

We had one last adventure and it was to ride donkies through the wilderness to Salta de Limon! It was breathtaking to see and feel the mist coming down the water. there were so many people there swimming, jumping off the water and checking out the cave underneath it. Also seemed like a good place to take pictures with a Macaw if you wanted to.

late night dinner

Quick night at el Maraquire, a one night stay at a very interestingly arranged motel. It could have been someone’s home and had a gated project style pool outside of the rooms. It was there that I discovered I had a few HUGEEE mosquito bites on my neck. we did end up shopping at a bunch of little bodgeas for snacks and alcohol which ended up being pretty fun as we drove another 3 or so hours to our next destination.

Last Destination: Casa Cliff

this Airbnb was cute but it just became a nightmare overtime. We walk in to admire the kitchen, 2 rooms, bathroom, pool and the beautiful walk along the beach. it was only after the person taking care of the property left that we realized… most of the furniture was sticky and covered with ants, there were almost no utensils to cook with and the property was poorly taken care of before our arrival. When we went to use the pool, we found 2 crabs living in it, waiting for a drop of water.

The boardwalk was actually nice and lead us to take pictures and use it as an unofficial runway. at the end of the boardwalk was this stone seating area that was perfect to spy on the bar next door and to have a little smoke sess.

We still ended up trying to make dinner only to settle for ordering in. We didn’t end up going to the resturant next door until the day we left. it was a nice spot with good drinks but I’m glad we didn’t make that the main spot.

When all was said and done, we really did have an amazing trip and really got the rest and recuperation that we all needed to take with us back into our respective realities.

Get to Know Me: My interview with Dre

Hi y’all, it’s been a while but I’m back in action. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I’m excited, It feels like the world is picking up speed again and work has been picking up so we are getting there. I had the lovely opportunity to talk with Dre, an amazing portrait photographer in Boston last spring. (Instagram | Youtube ) Her work often focuses on black women and fashion and I was exstatic when she wanted me to be the first guest of her artist interview series called Sessions & Sit-Downs! This is a great chance for those who may not be familiar with my work to see more of the facets of my artistic expression. Check out our interview!

Fun Notes about the look I did: I wanted something that showed how i normally am, I really would rock this look to Home Depot or CVS 😂(which I have) specifically with my shirt. It’s from Lazy Oaf in collaboration with artist Becky Sloan, one of the creators of Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared on Youtube. I used to stay up all night watching it and the matching conspiracy theories. This may be part of the reason I love chaotic memes and existential thought 😅 but it also opened up the door or what a creative project looked like in terms of medium involved and creating a series.
I hope you all enjoy the video and of course, ask me anything about my space, philosophy or style in the comments 😊

Signing off,

Erica ✨

Closing the year on a high note

There a lot to be said for how this year has played out but I’d just like to stop and appreciate the fact that everyone tried their hardest this year. Perseverance at its greatest and y’all deserve a round of applause. Even if you couldn’t do everything you set out to do this year, I’m proud of what you were able to accomplish no matter how trivial. We deserve a pat on the back for making it through a fairly chaotic year. I’ve tried to keep my spirits high regardless so I took a bit of time to myself.

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I’ve been away cranking out work of various kinds. Crocheting sweaters, oil painting for (almost) the first time, and vlogging to the best of my abilities. I also managed to total my laptop trying to keep my plants healthy. She needed a reset and refresh, same goes for me 😅 I’m gearing up for the new year and trying to improve my personal practices as well as work practices. Creating comforting space has been part of it so I have been doing small home improvements like hanging paintings and cleaning my family home.

BIG thanks to everyone who bought from my shop this year whether it be in person or through the site. I’m working on new launches for next year so keep your eyes peeled for new stickers and more stationary! 😏

‘Till next time: stay safe, create peace in your space and have a fantastic day!

- E

Gallery shows in the days of quarantine

I’ve had the privilege to be able to go to to the museum and go to exhibits for a few artist over the past couple weeks. One of which was The History of Right Now (aka THORN) by photographer OJ Slaughter. They have taken the time to document this important cultural moment with BLM Movement protests and continues to hit the streets. I was actually able to volunteer with them for the show and may I say, a lovely person, they should be protected at all costs. They set up at Windy Studios on a lovely Saturday afternoon and I greeted gallery visitors with sanitizer, a temperature check and stickies + a pen. This allowed for people to move one way through the gallery but still have the option to voice their opinions on the work. I had a great time not only bringing people in to see the work but to read some of the comments on the work after people came out of the exhibit to them grab a free postcard. It showed that their are ways to show art that are safe and clean even though I considered them to be before the pandemic.

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Okay so it’s been a month since and sadly this artist, doing their job documenting what is our current circumstance with the police in Boston and gets pepper sprayed. For me, it just solidifies the necessity for us to keep speaking and using our voices to the best of our ablities. We have to keep protecting each other, the time is now cause the future can’t wait. As much as it matters to sign petitions, hit the streets and protest, voting, for these who can, solidifies our voices on paper in the halls of where our country’s decsions are made.

Stay safe, wear a mask and find a little moment of Joy,

Erica

Focused on Opportunity

I’m feeling surprisingly motivated and attentive as I feel out what I want to do with my time. From joining a lovely skate group to going to my first protest, some new opportunities have presented themselves to me in ways I could never imagine. I’ve decided that they are still a secret but I also want to speak them into existence. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about many things, that applies to life and to art as well.

I went out to the Raynham Flea Market and I was able to score some expired 120 Kodak film from WW2. I desperately want to play with and share to explore whatever I get and work it into a collage or some other project that yields itself to me. Other projects I’m working on is making gifs for instagram for playing around on my stories and for others to use if they like. It’s underrated and fun. It’s also a good step in the right direction if animation is my next goal in the digital area. Block printing is still on my radar though so I went ahead and redecorated some stained jeans with the stamps I made. It was relaxing and made me aware of the fact I could design prints in that way for myself without a manufacturer. The hands on process is the most important part to me or else it feels like it’s not my work.

I’m focused on building myself and those around me and now’s time before it gets too cold, before people lose steam (though many have already), before it’s not our biggest issue anymore. I’m taking a lesson from my cat to just do, and ask questions later or as I go along. He gets in trouble for it way more often than I do but it’s paying off. I’m considering it personal and professional development. Anyway,

Hoping for greatness ahead for all of us,

Erica ✌🏾

Going Outside of My Comfort Zone

Creating Content and Opening Opportunity

I just want to say thank you to those who have been keeping tabs on me during quarantine, I appreciate it and I see you. Being able to stay inside and just restructure my life and my attitude towards reaching my goals has helped me tremedously and improved my creative process in a lot of ways:

1. I learned how to schedule myself AND not overbook myself

   This for me was hard because I’ve had a very regimned life. I grew up going to private school and eventually public school with multiple extra-curricular activites. Even going to college I spent my freshman year in a transistions program with a very small group and they created our schedules for us to relieve us of some of the hassle of having to choose.

   By getting an empty dotted notebook in a beautiful sunshine yellow, I was able to set up my planner almost like bullet journal and gave myself 4 slots per day to assign major tasks, appointments and due dates. This worked for me because it forced me to have to take the time to see and write down my month’s plans, my week by week per page and each day’s goals. (If you want to know more about how I organize my week, let me know and I’ll run through it in my next post!) it keeps me from trying to do too much at once and overwhelming myself but I can also see 2 weeks at a time, what am I doing and how much am I doing all at once.

2. I started treating myself better during quarantine because I had to (I wanted too but I NEEDED to too)

   As someone who works in the beauty industry, it’s crazy to me that I didn’t take care of my body the way that I should have been but let me tell you, I almost ran out of masks during all of this mess. Hair masks, Feet masks, Face masks, body scrubs, all of it and MORE! I took the time to eat better knowing that I didn’t have to leave my house. I had all the time in the world to cook and now is as good a time as any to whip myself into shape. Chloe Ting and skating in my kitchen also whipped me into shape too! 😂 When you are in more harmonious mind set, everything feels more intentional and prescise. I realized that my internal body and external body weren’t on the same level and things needed to be balanced differently.

3. My creative self felt free to pursue more as I adjusted into who I want to become.

   This is still ongoing but I want to acknowledge the changes that I’ve made to my art as time passes and how I’m choosing to expand myself. One of my goals is to become a creative director, to design and model products, and to create whatever I envision and that includes the content on here. All of us have dreams to do and be more than what we are at the moment and that takes time. I’ve grown so much since this year has started from learning my boundaries with myself and others but also trying new things from modeling for local brands to really making sure my website and things I sell are of high quality. I’m working on making that even better and even more consistent but for the time being I hope I’m doing alright by y’all.

   Over the past few months, I’ve really challenged myself to become a new person with an even higher work ethic than I’ve had in the past and really filling a void in myself and the world around me.

   How will you challenge yourself to be an even better you?