Making A Statement Life
have we looked into how the patterns in our lives influence us?
the fabrics of you.
I have had the pleasure of discovering this amazing event series called “Creative Mornings”. It falls on the last Friday of every month, and each talk is centered around a word with the speaker creating a talk centered around that word. This essentially a TED talk for creatives.
This is my third talk I’ve been to since discovering the organization. The talk this month was centered on the word Pattern with the lovely fashion designer, Abisola Omoyele (Yelé) Oladeinde of Yelé Stitches.
She discussed patterns in a way I never thought of which is the patterns/routines that make you…well you. The essence of who you are by the patterns you continue to make in your life.
Life doesn’t just happen to us. When we wake up, we make choices each day based on the routines we create. This leads us to create how life long term will go based on the choices (aka the patterns) we make every single day.
How revolutionary ideas usually come to be is seeing a pattern and deciding to change that pattern by breaking them. One change or thought can bring you to a different outcome in life. If you want to change your life, it is time to look at breaking/changing a pattern to create new results.
This got me thinking about systems and patterns in my own life. How a change in my simple patterns can turn to revolutionary patterns to change my simple life to a statement life. A statement life where I am proud and free in my life.
Now, we always have to answer to someone, whether that is your partner, your friends. And, by “answer” I mean someone to hold you accountable which I believe it is essential in order to grow.
This talk had me think about the fears and doubts I have placed on myself, and how every day I make choices that sow deeper into the pattern of fear in my life.
The talk made reshape my thinking about looking at my life like a tapestry, and if I took out or alter a thread instead of the idea of raveling & falling apart, think of it as making alterations. Alterations to change the patterns of my life to a new pattern that allows me to live a bolder life…by adding colorful threads into the tapestry.
The idea of bolder life.
A colorful life filled with all the dreams and hopes made into reality by threading in new patterns (aka choices) into the tapestry to realize that life can be as bold as I make it. Instead of reaching for my phone, I should reach for a journal and write down 5 things I’m most grateful for and mediate. Instead of delaying my own dreams because I am caught up and tired from the capitalist machine, maybe I use my most productive energy times dreaming and weaving my ideal life. Instead of being chain to the email factory and telling myself I don’t have time to take a break, I make myself go touch grass and regulate my emotions instead of ending the night with a glass of wine.
Time is one of our most precious resources, so why not a weave a tapestry of beautiful, bold patterns to make into your statement life. One of the boldest and scariest things we can do is choosing and betting on ourselves, but wow when we do it -aren’t we glad we did?
This is a reminder to myself, but also a message to you, gentle reader - that you have the power to change a life that you deem as mundane to one of purpose, desire, and passion. The power is in you if you are willing to take the step to alter a thread in your tapestry to change the ordinary to something extraordinary.
IN THE CROSSROADS: INSPIRING PATHS
with this new series, I will be interviewing women who I admire and hoping their inspiring paths will help others who are either in a crossroad or looking for something to inspire them to push them forward to their pursuits and dreams
We are highlighting April Speight, the founder of Vogue & Code. April began her career as a menswear stylist and visual merchandiser for brands such as Club Monaco, Saks, and Neiman Marcus. She holds a BS in Global Business & Public Policy from the University of Maryland and transitioned into tech, serving as a project manager for companies like Lidl US, Impexium, and The Milken Institute.
After earning a Masters in Luxury & Fashion Management from Savannah College of Art and Design, she shifted her focus to tech, learning Python and later specializing in AI assistants and chatbots. Her work in conversational design was recognized at Twilio’s SIGNAL conference, where she received the Twilio Doer award in 2019.
Inspired by a Microsoft event demo, April delved into Extended Reality (XR) and joined Microsoft as a Sr. Cloud Advocate for Spatial Computing in 2020. She co-created the award-winning app Spell Bound at MIT Reality Hack and became a thought leader in XR safety and inclusivity.
At Microsoft, she contributed to various XR projects and won a Silver Telly Award for Remote Production. April also hosted the 2022 Mixed Reality Dev Days and collaborated with the Microsoft Mesh team. She has authored two Python books and partnered with brands like Warner Bros., Pluralsight, and Codecademy.
Currently, April resides in Los Angeles as a Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, focusing on Generative AI. Join us as we dive into the inspiring journey of April in this installment of In the Crossroads: Inspiring Paths Series!
How do you balance your career with your creative passions?/How do you find time for creativity in your busy schedule?
Lately I’ve found it’s best to save my creative passions for the weekend. I used to work on my creative endeavors during the weekday after work. However, I realized that I was reaching a point of burnout and needed to have time to myself after work to rest and disconnect. Ever since making the change, I feel well rested when the weekend arrives and I’m better to mentally focus on my creative pursuits. It’s been a worthwhile change!
What are some creative outlets you've explored outside of work?
As of late, I recently got into needlepoint and naturally I’ve been transfixed on all things needlepoint. I’ve also done painting with watercolor, making shoes, sewing, book binding, candle making, fragrance blending, 3D modeling, pottery, sewing Barbie clothes, paper crafts with my Circuit, and illustrating in Procreate.
Have you ever turned a creative hobby into a side hustle or business? Share your experience!
I turned fragrance blending and candle making into a business. It was a lot of work getting to the point where I could actually sell the candle since I wasn’t using premade fragrance oils. Since I was using custom blends, I had to do a lot of research and trial and error to ensure that my candles were safe. Not to mention, the process of finding the “perfect” blend doesn’t necessarily have a timetable. There’s so many scents in the world and it takes a lot of patience to try combination after combination. In the end, I did well with my inaugural launch. However, I quickly learned that I needed to provide more cushion for my vessels during transport. Some of them cracked. I’ve since resolved that issue and I can’t wait to release my next collection this Fall.
What advice do you have for people who are looking to start a new creative project or hobby?
When it comes to supplies, start with the least amount of supplies needed. It can be easy to think that you need every supply possible just to get started. However, in most cases you can get by with fewer supplies and often the less expensive version of the required supplies.
How has pursuing creative outlets impacted your mental health and well-being?
I’m happiest when I create.
Have you faced any challenges or setbacks in your creative journey? How did you overcome them?
I have a lot of creative hobbies and will likely pick up more. Getting started is always the most challenging part of the process. Sometimes I immediately want to quit if I’m not perfect the first time around. And honestly, sometimes I do quit because I’m human. But that’s how I weave out which creative hobbies I truly want to keep. If it’s something that I actually want to pursue, I push through the challenges.
What role does creativity play in your personal and professional development?
A lot of the skills I've learned over the years in graphic design and video editing is leveraged often in my professional life. It actually puts me at an advantage because I don’t have to rely on anyone else to produce the graphics I need or edit the videos I want to publish. I can do it all myself and get much more completed that way. Not all of my colleagues have this advantage.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to continue pursuing your creative passions?
I can’t imagine life without pursuing my creative passions. I feel that if I didn’t pursue my creative passions, life would be pretty dull - and who wants a dull life?
What resources or tools do you recommend for women seeking to explore their creativity?
Youtube is literally a gold mine of learning how to try new things. Sure, you could purchase courses and I honestly feel that those have their place. I’ve certainly purchased my fair share. However, YouTube is genuinely one of the better resources for just getting started with a new creative pursuit. Once you start getting the hang of things, then I’d suggest finding online (or in-person) courses to purchase/enroll.
currently obsessed with.
where I went.
Blind Barber in Chicago, IL
barbershop by day, lounge by night.
I had the opportunity to go to Chicago for my dear friends CeCe & Brandon’s baby shower with my fiancé and he took me to this speakeasy barbershop tucked in the heart of Chicago. The DJ mixed in a way I have never heard before! Truly had me jamming all night. They also burned palo santo all night long, especially when folks were engaging in the devil’s lettuce. Highly recommend.
What I’m Buying.
Orange Wine
My friend Jordun and I are the biggest fans of orange wine, which I discovered a few summers back in NYC and completely forgot about until we went to Kennett Square, PA a few weeks ago. Above is the bottle we had, but there are tons out there. Highly recommend if you like the process of red wine but want a lighter taste.
Niccara’s Book Club
what I’m reading.
Blood at the Root by Ladarrion Williams
the plot.
Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother, a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik's mother attended.
what you should be reading.
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
I was in the throes of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas and wanted to take a break before I finished the series with some books on my TBR and decided to pick up this one and wow serendipitous much? A romance book about a fantasy lover and writer (I followed up with Faebound by Saara El Arifi - so dang good!). The cutest and heart warming story about two people who are rediscovering themselves and truly putting their faith not only in their dreams but in love itself. The willingness to let go and let the walls come down. Highly recommend!
See ya in two weeks!
If orange wine has no fans, we're dead! Another fantastic newsletter ✨