Flourish, Vol. 2: Bowties, Brilliance & Resilience

Flourish, Vol. 2:

It was 1:32 a.m. this past Tuesday, and I found myself reflecting on how long this palette has been manifesting.. and how , years ago, I quietly challenged myself to be more mindful and open to using the color red — one that I’d always admired from afar but had never really reached for in my creative journey. That experiment became the Collection J'adore Rouge — my very first love letter to the color red.

At the time, I was about four months pregnant with my son, balancing excitement and uncertainty about bringing a new life into such a changing world. The collection that emerged then was beautiful, but a bit scattered — a reflection of where I was mentally and emotionally: searching, evolving, becoming.

Now, nearly three years later, as I step into Flourish, Vol. 2, everything feels different. My skills have sharpened. My eye has matured. My body and emotions have been through it ALL, and my sense of self as a mother, artist, and business owner has deepened. The chaos has settled into a bit more clarity and that red, which once felt strange to use or even wear, feels like home.

I've grown to love and appreciate it on days that I feel bold, fiery, and confident! I now see what many folks have known for a long time, red as a power color! 

And somewhere along the way, when my baby was just a few months old, I gained a creative sisterhood. My ongoing collaboration with my dear friend, Imani of Catherine Trendz, has become its own bit of a rhythm a dialogue between textures, colors, and lived experiences. What began as a test has grown into a quiet but strong affirmation that folks are into the matchy matchy ( that I feel like we may have been a little ahead of the curve on *wink *

This collection carries more than technique; it holds friendship, resilience, and the quiet fire that comes from entering the tenth year of doing something you love.

Today, as I opened an email confirming my academic exemption to teach a course for a local college, a very unexpected doorway into higher education as a non-degreed professional — I truly felt another layer of flourishing in this life that continues to unfold in ways I never could’ve dreamed up.

We’ve been cooking up a bunch over here in the Knotzland Studio. This collection, like most, is indeed something special. And I am grateful to share the lavallières with our beloved Lavallière Club first.

Whew, talk about friendship and 10 years,  Imani and I are ten years apart, and one of my favorite things about her is her immediate response to conflict. In this world of working alongside and with creatives, especially in groups, there are always tons of moving parts and room for miscommunication. My style is to reflect deeply (maybe too deeply) before responding, while she prefers to address things in real, right then and there, and move on and then theres me, in my almost forties, I’m learning that not everything needs deep dissection..and hours of introspection…. sometimes, you just unpack it, love through it, and keep creating. This has been one of the most valuable parts of our dynamic in the short but rich time that we've grown our friendship.. Even just this morning, we had a little hiccup, talked it through, and ended the call with our usual:
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you too.”

I have one other friend, Njaimeh, who approaches life with this same clarity and presence. Through friendship with both of them, this Cancerian crab has learned that growth isn’t always about harboring or mulling; sometimes it’s about softening and staying open.